NHRA
Stars Among Drivers to Take Part in Autograph Sessions during
U.S. Nats.
Race
fans can stop by the Mopar Direct Connection Trailer during
the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 1–6 at O’Reilly
Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Ind., to check out Mopar vehicles
and parts displays and to meet Mopar racers from the past
and present.
On
display at the Direct Connection Trailer will be the Mopar
’10 Challenger, the first-ever Mopar version of a
Chrysler Group LLC vehicle; the Mopar Direct Connection
Test Lab vehicle, a Dodge Challenger converted into a performance
parts development "mule"; and Herb McCandless’
Sox & Martin 1972 Pro Stock Dodge Demon. Fans can also
test their racing skills by taking the wheel of a video-game
version of a Mopar-powered NHRA Funny Car or in a Mopar
sprint car simulator.
McCandless
and members of the famed Mopar-powered Ramchargers team,
including Tom Coddington, Tom Hoover and Al Adam, will take
part in a meet-and-greet and autograph session at the Mopar
Direct Connection Trailer on Friday, Sept. 3, between the
second and third rounds of eliminations for the Mopar HEMI
Challenge. Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson
will be joined by Mopar-powered NHRA Funny Car stars Ron
Capps, Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan, and Dodge Avenger Pro
Stock drivers V. Gaines and Vinnie Deceglie in an autograph
session on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Direct Connection
rig.
|

Team
Mopar NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson (above) will be
joined by Mopar-powered NHRA Funny Car stars Ron Capps,
Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan and Dodge Avenger Pro Stock
drivers V. Gaines and Vinnie Deceglie in an autograph session
on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 1 p.m. at the Mopar Direct Connection
Trailer during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
|
Johnson
Trades Drag Strip for Road Course, Prepares for Dodge Viper
Cup Event.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver
Allen Johnson used his downtime from NHRA Pro Stock competition
to try his hand at a little road racing. The veteran straight-line
pilot trained with experienced road racer Cindi Lux at Miller
Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, Aug.
20 in preparation for his upcoming stint as a celebrity
driver in the Dodge Viper Cup Series.
Johnson,
currently second in the NHRA Pro Stock point standings,
got seat time in a Dodge Viper Competition Coupe during
his practice session. He will take the wheel of a Mopar-powered
Dodge Viper ACR-X in the Dodge Viper Cup Series event at
Pocono Raceway on Sept. 11–12. If Johnson captures
the win as the celebrity driver, his purse will be donated
to benefit the charity of his choice.
"It
was awesome to have the chance to go road racing,"
said Johnson, who will begin the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs
next weekend at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind.
"I got to do four thirty-minute sessions, and when
you get done there isn’t a dry place on you. It is
hard work. You have to know when to brake, how hard to go
into the turns, how to hit the apex—there’s
a lot to it.
"Cindi
really helped me to learn the fine points of road racing.
The Viper is making a lot of power and it’s got a
lot of stick. You can throw it in turns at 80-90 mph and
it will stick. I feel like I made a lot of progress with
the practice, and getting ready for the real race with the
professionals. I feel like I may have something for them."
The
Dodge Viper Cup series features the new Dodge Viper ACR-X,
the ultimate special-edition model of America’s ultimate
sports car. A contingency program sponsored by Dodge Motorsports
and Mopar will pay out more than $200,000 during the 2010
season. Payouts for each race are in cash and Mopar vouchers
come as credit toward purchase of Mopar parts and accessories.
|

Team
Mopar NHRA Pro Stock drag racer Allen Johnson practiced
with road racer Cindi Lux in preparation for his upcoming
stint as a celebrity driver in the Dodge Viper Cup Series.
Johnson will make his road-course debut behind the wheel
of a Dodge Viper ACR-X at Pocono Raceway on Sept. 11–12.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Allen Johnson Ends Countdown in Second,
Advances to Quarterfinals at Brainerd.
Team
Mopar® driver Allen Johnson fell in the quarterfinals
at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Sunday, Aug. 15, but
the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver
still left Brainerd, Minn. with a smile on his face. Despite
his early-round exit Johnson finished second in the regular-season
standings and his 328-point gap behind leader Mike Edwards
was promptly cut to just 30 markers after points were reapportioned
to mark the beginning of the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs.
Johnson,
coming off his first victory of the year at the Mopar Mile-High
NHRA Nationals in Denver, Colo., briefly flirted with his
third consecutive No. 1 Qualifier Award, taking the top
spot during Friday qualifying at Brainerd International
Raceway. He ultimately settled for the No. 3 spot, drawing
Greg Stanfield in the first round. Stanfield fouled out
on a red-light, giving Johnson the round win; unfortunately,
the Team Mopar driver’s 6.639-second, 208.94 mph pass
wasn’t enough to earn lane choice against Shane Gray
in the second round.
Despite
being relegated to the inferior lane Johnson reeled off
the quickest and fastest pass of the round, a 6.615/209.04
with a solid .037 reaction time off the starting line. However,
Gray’s quicker .017 reaction coupled with a pass of
6.620/207.094 was enough to end Johnson’s hopes of
a second-straight win.
Mopar-powered
Dodge Avenger driver V. Gaines also advanced to the second
round, knocking off Larry Morgan before being sent to the
trailer by Johnny Gray. Next up for Johnson and Gaines is
the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind. Sept.
1–6, the first event of the six-race NHRA Countdown
to 1 playoffs for the top 10 in the Pro Stock point standings.
|

Despite
his second-round exit at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson will begin the six-race NHRA
playoffs only 30 points behind leader Mike Edwards as he
shoots for his first NHRA Pro Stock title.
|
Scott
and Terry Basom Win Mopar Mile-High 'Ultimate Fan Challenge'.
Scott
and Terry Basom of Salina, Kan. were named winners of the
Mopar Mile-High "Ultimate Fan Challenge." The
Basom’s winning entry was a 10-minute video documenting
their basement, which the couple has converted into a Mopar
memorabilia room. The Basoms won spots as honorary pit crew
members on Allen Johnson’s Mopar/J&J Racing team,
among a large list of perks.
The
couple is regular attendees at the Mopar Big Block Event,
held each year in Golden, Colo. on the eve of the Mopar
Mile-Highs. In fact, the Basoms were married at the Big
Block Event in 2006, with former Team Mopar Funny Car driver
Gary Scelzi acting as minister and current Mopar-powered
Funny Car driver Ron Capps serving as best man.
"I’ve
always been a Mopar fan. My first car was a Mopar and my
last car will be a Mopar," said Scott
Basom. "To be an honorary pit crew member
for Allen Johnson, it’s awesome. It’s a dream
come true."
|

Scott
Basom (right) and Terry Basom (center) served as honorary
pit crew members for Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson (left)
during the first day of qualifying at the Mopar Mile-High
NHRA Nationals. The Mopar-crazed couple, who were married
at the Mopar Big Block Event in 2006, earned the honor after
winning the Mopar Mile-High ‘Ultimate Fan Challenge.'
|
Team
Mopar’s Allen Johnson Doubles Up at Mopar Mile-High
NHRA Nationals.
Team
Mopar NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver
Allen Johnson continued his recent stretch of domination
at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., claiming his first
win of the season and second straight at Thunder Mountain
today at the 31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
Johnson has now earned three wins in four years at his primary
sponsor’s headline event.
Johnson,
the No. 1 Qualifier, steered his HEMI®-powered Mopar
Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car to a first-round win over Bob
Yonke, posting a 6.973-second elapsed time (ET) at 197.83
mph. The J&J Racing owner and driver knocked off Greg
Anderson with a 6.998/197.59 pass, then dispatched former
teammate Johnny Gray in the semis with a 6.997/197.45 run.
Johnson
posted a scorching .004 reaction time (.000 is perfect)
in his final-round match against Jeg Coughlin, his fourth
consecutive final-round appearance at the Mopar Mile-Highs.
The Team Mopar veteran’s 6.974/198.26 mark was more
than enough to beat Coughlin’s 7.858/135.09 pass and
earn him his eighth career Pro Stock win in 21 final-round
appearances.
"I’ve
got an awesome setup here. The engine guys, what they do
here is unbelievable," said Johnson,
currently second in the Pro Stock points. "We
made perfect runs every time. I just can’t say enough
about our guys. And I was real tickled by how I did my job
after the second round. We’ve got to continue this
pace, be aggressive and go toward that championship.
"All
the folks from Mopar, including the boss, Pietro (Gorlier),
and Byron Kearney from Dodge, have been our good luck charms.
They’re family to me. It’s not just a sponsor
relationship. It’s so special to have them here."
|

Allen
Johnson scored the No. 1 Qualifier Award and the event win
in his Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car at the 31st Annual
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
|
Johnson
Claims No. 1 Qualifier Spot, Sets Track Records at Sonoma.
NHRA
Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson saw his
eliminations run at the Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals in
Sonoma, Calif. end early on Sunday, July 18, but the Team
Mopar driver still had reason to celebrate his weekend.
Johnson scored his 10th career No. 1 Qualifier spot, set
both ends of the track record at Infineon Raceway and also
set a personal best for elapsed time during his visit to
wine country.
The
J&J Racing owner and driver recorded a 6.545-second
elapsed time (ET) at 210.77 mph in the second qualifying
session on Friday, knocking Mike Edwards off the top spot
and earning Johnson his third No. 1 spot of the season.
The run also gave Johnson the Infineon Raceway track records
for both ET and speed.
Johnson
faced Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger driver Vinnie Deceglie,
who also utilizes Mopar HEMI engines prepped by J&J
Racing’s Roy Johnson, in the opening round. Allen
Johnson’s 6.583/209.69 run bettered Decegelie’s
6.621/209.39 pass, with AJ posting the low ET of the round.
Allen Johnson looked to have his second-round opponent Kurt
Johnson beat but lost the lead and the race at about 1200
feet when he encountered problems in his Dodge Avenger,
posting a losing 6.738/196.64 to Kurt Johnson’s 6.677/208.81.
Johnson
remains second in the Pro Stock point standings heading
into the next event, the 31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals in Morrison, Colo. July 23-25. The race is the
marquee event for Mopar, Johnson’s primary sponsor.
|

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson scored his 10th career No. 1
Qualifier spot, set both ends of the track record at Infineon
Raceway and also set a personal best for elapsed time during
the Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals. He exited in the quarterfinals
on Sunday at the event.
|
Mopar
Big Block Event to Kickoff Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
The
31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals festivities will
commence with the annual Mopar Big Block Event, scheduled
for Thursday, July 22 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. MDT on the streets
of downtown Golden, Colo. The Mopar Big Block Event is the
"Official Starter" of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals.
Admission
to the event is free for fans, with food and drink available
for purchase at booths hosted by local vendors. Team Mopar
driver Allen Johnson will be joined by NHRA stars Tony Schumacher,
Cory McClenathan, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, V.
Gaines, Vinnie Deceglie, Danny Gruninger, Judy Lilly and
Roy Johnson in a free autograph session.
SpeedFreaks
TV and radio hosts Kenny Sargent, Crash Gladys and Statt
Mann Caruthers will emcee the Mopar Big Block Event, with
hard-rocking band Rated M Live kicking out the jams as attendees
check out the Mopar race and show vehicles on display on
the streets of Golden. Race Central Radio’s Kurt Hansen
will broadcast live from the Mopar Big Block Event from
6–8 p.m. MDT on AM 1510 Mile High Sports Radio. Fans
around the globe can also listen in to Hansen’s broadcast
online at http://www.racecentralmedia.com.
|

Hordes
of Mopar fans will descend on downtown Golden, Colo. for
the Mopar Big Block Event. NHRA stars will take part in
a free autograph session and fans can check out Mopar show
cars on display while hard-rocking band Rated M Live provides
the soundtrack.
|
Mopar®
Headed to Thunder Mountain for 31st Annual Mile-High NHRA
Nationals.
Mopar®,
Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care
brand, will join thousands of Mopar drag-racing fans as
they roll into Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., for
the 31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 23–25.
To kick off the weekend’s festivities, Mopar will
reveal its new Mopar ’10 Challenger at its Big Block
Event gathering on Thursday, July, 22 at 6:30 p.m. (MDT)
in Golden, Colo.
Every
year, Mopar fans and racers descend on the Bandimere family’s
picturesque drag strip, set 5,800 feet high in the Rocky
Mountains. Mopar’s sponsorship of the event is the
longest, continuous-running sponsorship in the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing Series.
"Bandimere
Speedway is proud and honored to have Mopar call our track
home," said John Bandimere Jr., President and CEO of
Bandimere Speedway. "Our unique venue and the forward-thinking
people at Mopar make this one of the top fan experiences
on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. We are eager
to have our friends return to Denver for this long-running
partnership."
Mopar-powered
racers will attempt to duplicate recent successes at Mopar’s
marquee event. NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger driver
Allen Johnson will seek to defend his 2009 event title.
He’ll be joined by Mopar-fueled drivers in the professional
and Sportsman classes, including NHRA Funny Car star Matt
Hagan, who will sport a special Mopar paint scheme on his
Dodge Charger R/T.
Mopar’s
Direct Connection trailer will again take center stage on
the Manufacturers Midway at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
Special Mopar vehicles will be on display including the
Ram 3500 Heavy Duty, a "Moparized" Dodge Challenger,
Mopar Ram Runner and the Mopar Direct Connection Test Lab
Vehicle—a Dodge Challenger converted into a performance
parts development "mule." The Dodge Motorsports
display rig will also be at Bandimere Speedway.
The
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is scheduled to take place
July 23–25 at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.
|

"We’re
looking forward to bringing Mopar Nation to Thunder Mountain.
This is a premier stop on the NHRA circuit and a great place
to showcase the Mopar brand and reveal our new Mopar ’10
Challenger."
—
Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group
LLC, on the 31st Annual Mopar Mile-NHRA Nationals. Thousands
of Mopar drag-racing fans will roll into Bandimere Speedway
in Morrison, Colo. on July 23–25.

Team
Mopar NHRA driver Allen Johnson, the defending Mopar Mile-High
NHRA Nationals Pro Stock champion, is shown above making
a run down the Bandimere Speedway quarter-mile at the 2009
event.
|
Take
Part in the Mopar Mile-High 'Ultimate Fan Challenge'.
Hey
Mopar nation, we are on the hunt for our most creative fan!
Are you the ultimate Mopar fanatic? Then show us how you
do Mopar! Send us a photo or video to milehigh@moparspeed.com
and reveal how you use the Mopar logo, whether it’s
the ink on your skin, working in your garage, cheering on
your favorite Mopar drivers at the track, or cruising in
your ride! Show us your Mopar fever!
The
"Ultimate Fan Challenge" winner will have the
chance to rub elbows with the pros in the pits and at the
starting line. If you’re a true Mopar fan enter today
for the opportunity to be an honorary Mopar crew member
at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals! Here’s what
you can win:
-
Exclusive
Pro driver Meet-and-Greet at Mopar’s Big Block Party
-
Friday night qualifying Allen Johnson honorary crew member
-
Saturday VIP visit to the starting line
-
Mopar VIP viewing area access
-
Race credentials
-
Race tickets for two
-
Mopar Pride Pack
|

Mopar
fans, think you're the ultimate Mopar enthusiast? Mopar
Mile-High NHRA Nationals attendees can take part in the
Mopar "Ultimate Fan Challenge" for their chance
to win prizes including an exclusive driver meet-and-greet
at the Mopar Big Block Party, honorary pit crew membership
for one day on Allen Johnson's Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger
team, VIP tickets and starting line access, and Mopar apparel.
Visit http://www.mopar.com/performance/milehigh/
for contest info!
|
Team
Mopar Driver Johnson Out in Quarterfinals at Seattle.
Mopar
Dodge Avenger NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson fell short
in his bid for a fourth final-round appearance in the last
five years at the NHRA Northwest Nationals, losing in the
quarterfinals to Kurt Johnson on Sunday, July 11.
Allen
Johnson qualified No. 3 at the Pacific Raceways quarter-mile
and defeated Bob Yonke in the opening stanza with a 6.618-second
pass at 209.56 mph to Yonke’s 6.655/207.85. Allen
Johnson was hoping to make his tenth semifinals appearance
of the season but saw Kurt Johnson (no relation) take the
quarterfinals win with a 6.642/208.36 run to AJ’s
6.647/209.04 mark.
V.
Gaines fell in the first-round in his Mopar HEMI®-powered
Dodge Avenger, losing to Shane Gray. Allen Johnson remains
second in the NHRA Pro Stock standings heading into the
next event, the 23rd annual FRAM-Autolite Nationals in Sonoma,
Calif., July 16–18.
|

Allen
Johnson advanced to the quarterfinals at the NHRA Northwest
Nationals on Sunday, July 11 and remains second in the NHRA
Pro Stock point standings.
|
Team
Mopar®’s Allen Johnson Claims Runner-up at Norwalk,
Locks in Spot in Countdown.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock
driver Allen Johnson made the 20th final round appearance
of his career and came away with a runner-up finish on Sunday,
June 27, at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at
Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
The
Mopar Dodge Avenger driver squared off against Greg Anderson
in the finals at Summit Motorsports Park, but strayed out
of the groove midway down the track to watch his opponent
take the win light. It was Johnson’s third runner-up
finish of the season and provides momentum as the team prepares
to head off on a three-race Western Swing.
It
was an all-HEMI® matchup in the semifinals, as the Team
Mopar Dodge Avenger went against the Mopar-powered Dodge
Avenger of V. Gaines. Johnson easily advanced as Gaines
slowed to a 6.976-second, 204.05 mph run vs. 6.740/206.01
for Johnson.
Johnson’s
journey through the first two rounds of eliminations was
not as easy. Rookie Shane Gray beat Johnson off the starting
line in the first round, but the Team Mopar driver ran him
down to win by approximately eight inches on a 6.718-second
elapsed time at 206.16 mph. Johnson then had to run down
Greg Stanfield in the quarterfinals, but ended up with a
more substantial win margin of 15 feet on a 6.734/205.69
pass.
By
virtue of his first round win over Gray, Johnson became
the second Pro Stock driver to clinch a spot in the Countdown
to 1 playoffs. He joins point leader Mike Edwards with locked-in
spots with four races remaining in the 17-race regular season,
which runs through the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd
Aug. 12-15 and sets 10-driver fields for the six-race Countdown.
The playoffs begin at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals and conclude
at the Automobile Club of Southern California World Finals
in mid-November.
Next
up is the 23rd NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Wash.,
July 9–11.
|

"All
in all it was a great weekend for us. For whatever reason,
we didn’t have the fastest car today but we did what
we had to do to get to the finals. I got over to the right
into the loose stuff against Anderson and I just couldn’t
get the car back."
—
Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson on his runner-up
finish at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on
Sunday, June 27. It was Johnson's third runner-up finish
of the season and 20th of his career.
|
Hometown
Favorite Allen Johnson Captures No. 1 Qualifier Award, Advances
to Semis at Bristol.
Team Mopar® NHRA
Pro Stock driver and local favorite Allen Johnson, from
nearby Greeneville, Tenn., captured his first career No.
1 Qualifier Award at his home track of Bristol Dragway and
advanced to the semifinals at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
on Sunday, June 20.
Johnson captured
the pole, his second of the year and ninth of his career,
with a 6.722-second pass at 205.10 mph in his Mopar Dodge
Avenger on Saturday. He knocked off Warren Johnson (no relation)
with a 6.744/205.05 pass in the first round of eliminations,
then won a battle of Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge Avengers
with Vinnie Deceglie on the strength of a 6.729/205.04 run.
Johnson left first off the starting line in his semifinals
fight with Rickie Jones but shook the tires hard as Jones
pulled away for the win.
The Bristol homecoming
had even more significance than usual for Johnson, as his
father and engine builder, Roy Johnson, also competed in
his Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car in Stock Eliminator
at Bristol. The event marked the first time the father-and-son
duo had raced together in an NHRA event since 1981.
The elder Johnson
showed absolutely no rust after his near 30-year layoff
from racing, taking the No. 2 spot in qualifying with a
10.630 elapsed time, 1.220 under index. The 68-year-old
stunned the Stock Eliminator field, defeating Mike Moller,
Monty Bogan Jr., David Rampy and Tex Miller before losing
to Russell Johnson on a red light in the semifinals.
Allen
Johnson remains second in the NHRA Pro Stock standings heading
into the next event, the fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment
NHRA Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, June 25–27.
|

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson (above) had his best race ever
at his home track of Bristol Dragway, taking the No. 1 Qualifier
Award and advancing to the semifinals. His father and engine
builder, Roy Johnson, amazed in his first race after a nearly
30-year layoff, qualifying No. 2 in Stock Eliminator in
his Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car (below) and advancing
all the way to the semifinals.

|
Hometown
Favorites Allen and Roy Johnson Take Aim at Pair of Mopar®-Powered
Wins at Thunder Valley Nationals.
The
Team Mopar® father-and-son duo of Allen and Roy Johnson
hope to have two very special reasons to celebrate Father’s
Day this Sunday.
NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Mopar Dodge Avenger driver
Allen Johnson will seek his first Pro Stock win at his home
track of Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway, while his father and engine
builder, Roy Johnson, will end a nearly 30-year retirement
from competition and attempt to capture the Stock Eliminator
victory in his new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car at
the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 18–20.
The
two Greeneville, Tenn. natives have raced together since
the late 1970s, first driving Super Stock Mopars in NHRA
and IHRA competition. Upon his retirement, Roy Johnson focused
on building engines for his son Allen, who has competed
in a Mopar-powered Pro Stock car since the 1996 NHRA campaign.
Allen rewarded his father for his years of hard work and
support by surprising Roy with a brand-new Mopar Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak vehicle last Christmas. The duo will race together
for the first time since 1981 this weekend at Bristol, the
"home court" for their J&J Racing team.
"It’s
going to be really exciting racing with Dad again,"
said Allen Johnson. "It would
be huger than huge if we could both get wins on Sunday,
and on Father’s Day to boot. His mission is to qualify
No. 1 in Stock Eliminator, and my mission is to qualify
No. 1 in Pro Stock. Then we can get out there and try to
do something good."
Roy
Johnson will compete in the F-Stock Automatic (F/SA) class
in Stock Eliminator at Bristol. The 68-year-old engine builder
is taking an optimistic and light-hearted approach to his
return to racing action.
"I
feel real good about it. We have the Mopar Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak all together," said Roy Johnson.
"The weakest link will be me as driver, because
I haven’t had time to make laps. I know I’ll
be hearing it from the guys on the team, because I’ve
been telling everybody what they’ve been doing wrong
for so long, now they’ll be telling me what I’m
doing wrong. But it’s all in fun, and that’s
the whole point of it, to have fun."
"I
have a good feeling about the race,"
said Allen Johnson, currently second in the Pro Stock point
standings. "We were the fastest car in
the last qualifying session and in the opening round of
eliminations at [the previous race] in Englishtown. Hopefully
we can carry that over this weekend and get our first Pro
Stock win at our home track."
The
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals is scheduled to take place
June 18–20 at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.
|

"It’s
out of control. I have a suite, then my pro tickets and
then what I can get from other people. I’d say we’re
going to end up with 50 or 60 tickets we’re going
to have to come up with each day."
—
Allen Johnson (left), shown with his father Roy Johnson,
on the large rooting section he and his dad will have this
weekend at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Johnsons’
J&J Racing shop is only 45 minutes from the site of
the event, Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.

Allen
Johnson will drive his Mopar Dodge Avenger (above) in the
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock class at
Bristol, while his father Roy Johnson will end a nearly
30-year retirement from racing to drive his new Mopar Dodge
Challenger Drag Pak car (below) in Stock Eliminator at the
event. The duo will race together for the first time since
1981 this weekend.

|
Mopar
Dodge Avenger Driver Johnson Advances to Quarterfinals at
Englishtown.
Allen Johnson drove
his Mopar Dodge Avenger NHRA Pro Stock car to a quarterfinals
finish at the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., on Sunday, June 13.
Johnson qualified
his J&J Racing/Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge No. 13 and drew
Jason Line in the first round. The Team Mopar veteran pulled
off the upset, taking out the No. 4 seed Line with a 6.620/209.49
pass, the quickest of the round. Johnson had lane choice
over Jeg Coughlin in their second-round match but experienced
trouble during the burnout which carried over into his run,
as Coughlin drove away for the round win.
Vinnie Deceglie enjoyed
a stellar showing during qualifying in his own Mopar-powered
Dodge Avenger, recording a 6.548-second elapsed time, the
quickest ever by a Dodge in Pro Stock, to capture the No.
2 starting spot. Unfortunately, Deceglie was dealt a holeshot
defeat by Greg Stanfield in the first round. Mopar-powered
V. Gaines also fell in the opening round, losing to Bob
Yonke.
Next
up is the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway
in Bristol, Tenn., June 18–20.
|

Allen
Johnson steered his Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car to
a quarterfinals finish at the NHRA SuperNationals on June
13.
|
Johnson
Records Quarterfinals Finish at Route 66 NHRA Nationals.
Team
Mopar NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver
Allen Johnson knocked off Justin Humphreys in the opening
round before falling to Jason Line in the quarterfinals at
the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill., on Sunday, June
6.
Johnson
and his J&J Racing squad continued their streak of strong
qualifying runs, posting the Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock
car No. 3. Johnson dismissed Humphreys with a pass of 6.627/208.52
to Humphreys’ 6.656/206.73. In the quarterfinals, Johnson’s
6.637/208.68 pass wasn’t enough to best Line’s
6.616/208.68 mark.
V.
Gaines also advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Jeg Coughlin
before losing to Shane Gray. Johnson remains second in the
Pro Stock standings, with Gaines clocking in at No. 14. Next
up is the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown,
N.J., June 10–13. |

Allen
Johnson drove his Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock car to a
quarterfinals finish at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet,
Ill.
|
Team
Mopar Driver Johnson is Red Hot Heading to Joliet.
Team
Mopar NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver
Allen Johnson is coming off perhaps his best race of the season,
a runner-up finish at the NHRA Topeka event in which the Greeneville,
Tenn. native undoubtedly had the car to beat on race day.
Johnson hopes to keep that momentum rolling with his first
2010 win of the season at the United Association Route 66
NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. this weekend.
The
Team Mopar veteran qualified No. 2 at Topeka and had the quickest
and fastest pass in three of the four elimination rounds,
with current points leader Mike Edwards needing a holeshot
win in the final to defeat Johnson’s NHRA Pro Stock
Mopar Dodge Avenger. The Team Mopar veteran is confident his
HEMI-powered Mopar is now at least the equal of Edwards’
car in the horsepower department.
"I
think we’ve got him [Edwards] caught,"
said Johnson. "It’s whoever makes the
best run that’s going to get the win. It’s a challenge
for us. We take it as a serious challenge, and we mean to
equal or better him in the races left before the Countdown
playoffs.
"We’ve
got the added horsepower we’ve found and moved it into
our backup engines. We’re just trying to get the car
more consistent and not let up. Hopefully we can go to Joliet
and qualify No. 1 and win the race."
The
United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals is scheduled to
take place June 3–6 at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. |

"I
can’t speak highly enough of the engine guys, the
crew guys, the clutch guys. Everybody did an awesome job
at Topeka to earn the Hard-Working Crew award; now we need
to keep that performance going at Joliet."
—
Allen Johnson, on his J&J Racing crew winning the NHRA
Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award at Topeka, and what
they need to do to score a win in the NHRA stop at Joliet,
Ill. this weekend. Johnson and his crew spent two days last
week testing at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway in order to maintain
and improve upon the gains made at Topeka.
|
Roy
Johnson Breaks In Mopar® Dodge Challenger Drag Pak at
Bristol.
Roy Johnson has finally had
a chance to play with the present his son, NHRA Pro Stock
Mopar® Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson, bought for
him for Christmas last year—a 2009 Mopar Dodge Challenger
Drag Pak vehicle.
Roy Johnson, who builds the
Mopar HEMI® engines for his son’s J&J Racing
Pro Stock team, currently second in the Pro Stock standings,
took his first runs in his Mopar Drag Pak on Tuesday, May
25, at the team’s home track of Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.
Roy Johnson’s best pass was a 10.65-second elapsed time
at 125.95 mph, with a second best mark of 10.73/125.35. Not
bad for a 68-year-old who hasn’t raced in almost 30
years.
"Everybody
says it’s like riding a bike. Well, it is, but they’ve
moved all the pedals, because the car is so different,"
said Roy Johnson, with a chuckle. "I’ve
been watching everybody else for so many years, now I’m
trying my hand again. I think it’s pretty cool."
"Dad
was really, really happy with it,"
said Allen Johnson. "He did exceptionally
well driving. The first couple of runs he was a little rusty,
but by the third or fourth run he looked like he had never
quit."
Roy Johnson will see how he
stacks up to the competition following his long layoff at
his first post-retirement race, the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals,
scheduled for June 18–20 in Bristol. Johnson will race
in the Stock Eliminator class at the event in his 5.7L HEMI-powered
Mopar Drag Pak.
"I
definitely want to be respectable, and I hope that luck is
with me to somehow lead me to a class win,"
said Roy Johnson. "That would be the
icing on the cake, but after 30 years of not driving, I don’t
expect to go up there and beat guys who do it every day. I’m
hoping, after all the runs I’ve made in testing, I’ll
at least do good enough so they’ll know I was there." |

Roy
Johnson, engine builder for his son Allen Johnson’s
NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger team, made his first
passes in his 2009 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak (above)
at Bristol Dragway on May 25. Roy Johnson will make his
return to racing in the Stock Eliminator class at the NHRA
Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol on June 18–20.

"As
far as maintaining the Pro Stock car, I’ll be lucky,
since we’ll be close to home, and we can take the
boys from the shop. I’ll let them do the actual work
and I’ll just supervise and make recommendations.
That should help."
—
Roy Johnson, J&J Racing engine builder (right), on doing
double duty with his son Allen’s Pro Stock team and
competing in his 2009 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak at
the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals next month.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Johnson Reaches Second Final Round of
the Season at Topeka.
Allen
Johnson proved that his NHRA Pro Stock Mopar® Dodge Avenger
is gaining ground in the performance department on points
leader Mike Edwards’ car, as the Team Mopar driver qualified
No. 2 and then drove to a runner-up finish at the 22nd annual
NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka on Sunday,
May 23.
Johnson
used Mopar HEMI®-power to overcome Greg Stanfield’s
.001 reaction time off the starting line (.000 is perfect)
with a 6.709-second elapsed time at 205.54 mph to claim the
first-round win. The Team Mopar veteran then defeated Greg
Anderson in the quarterfinals with a 6.703/205.66 pass, the
quickest of the round. In the semifinals, Johnson dispatched
of young Rickie Jones, known for being a quick draw off the
line, with a .015 reaction time to Jones’ .027, coupled
with a 6.708/205.63 run, the best of the round.
Johnson
drew No. 1 Qualifier Edwards in the final. Once again Johnson’s
Mopar Dodge was quickest and fastest, with a 6.710/205.19
pass to Edwards’ 6.717/204.63, but Edwards slim advantage
off the starting line (a .016 reaction time to Johnson’s
solid .026) was enough to keep AJ out of the winner’s
circle.
"We
were very happy with the Mopar Dodge, its performance and
our Mopar HEMI engine," said Johnson, who
also earned a runner-up finish at the NHRA Houston event in
April. "We couldn’t have had a better
weekend, aside from winning the race. We’ve got the
Mopar Dodge Avenger running real good, we’ve got a big
window on the car and we’re making tons of horsepower.
Things are looking good."
|

Allen
Johnson advanced to his second final round of the season
in his HEMI-powered Mopar Dodge Avenger at the 22nd annual
NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. The Team
Mopar driver has advanced to at least the semifinals in
seven of nine events this season.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Johnson Seizes Top Qualifier Spot, Drives
to Semifinals at Atlanta.
Team
Mopar® driver Allen Johnson piloted his NHRA Pro Stock
Mopar Dodge Avenger to the No. 1 position in qualifying and
advanced as far as the semifinals in the elimination rounds
at the 30th annual NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta (Ga.)
Dragway on Sunday, May 16.
Johnson
earned his eighth career No. 1 Qualifier Award with a 6.634-second
pass at 208.23 mph in his Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge. The
Team Mopar veteran trailered Warren Johnson in the opening
round with a 6.644/208.04 mark, then knocked off Warren’s
son, Kurt Johnson, with a 6.660/207.94 pass, the fastest and
quickest of the round.
In
the semifinals Johnson was gunning to advance to his second
career final-round appearance at Atlanta. It wasn’t
to be, as the J&J Racing team owner and driver fell to
Jeg Coughlin, who earned a slight advantage off the starting
and posted a 6.657/207.50 run to Johnson’s losing 6.655/206.67
pass.
V.
Gaines scored a first-round victory in own Mopar-powered Dodge
Avenger before losing to Coughlin in the quarterfinals. Johnson
remains second in the Pro Stock standings, with Gaines in
the 16th spot. Next up for the Mopar-powered Pro Stock drivers
is the 22nd annual NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park
Topeka, Kan., May 21-23. |

Allen
Johnson drove his NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger to
the No. 1 spot in qualifying and a semifinals finish at
the 30th annual NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta (Ga.)
Dragway. It was the eighth career No. 1 Qualifier Award
for the Team Mopar veteran.
|
Team Mopar®
Driver Allen Johnson Feels Right at Home in Atlanta.
NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson
considers Atlanta (Ga.) Dragway as a second "home track"
for himself and his Mopar® Dodge Avenger team. The drag
strip is just a three-hour drive from Johnson’s J&J
Racing shop, allowing the Mopar-powered veteran and his crew
extra preparation time, which Johnson hopes to parley into
a win this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern
Nationals.
"It’s
neat to be close to our second home track,"
said Johnson, a Greeneville, Tenn. native. His home quarter-mile
is Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway. "The guys get
an extra day at the shop. Everything just sort of plays into
our hands heading into that race."
Johnson’s
home court advantage has paid off previously at Atlanta. He
earned his second career victory and first at the venue in
2002, defeating Greg Anderson. Currently second in the NHRA
Pro Stock point standings, Johnson hopes to earn his eighth
career Pro Stock win this weekend.
"We’ve
had some good luck there," said Johnson
of Atlanta. "We tested there about a month
ago and really did well. I think we have a decent set up heading
into the race."
The
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals is scheduled
to take place May 14–16 at Atlanta (Ga.) Dragway. |

"After
the St. Louis event, we stayed over for a test session and
I believe we figured out a mistake that’s been causing
us to shake the tires. I think we’ve got this Mopar
Dodge Avenger figured out; we’ve even gained some
horsepower on the dyno recently. It’s very encouraging
heading into this weekend."
—
Allen Johnson, on heading to his second "home track,"
Atlanta Dragway, for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern
Nationals this weekend.
|
Johnson
Collects 200th Round Win, Exits in Quarterfinals at NHRA
Midwest Nationals.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson enjoyed an
event-filled visit to Gateway International Raceway near St.
Louis for the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sunday, May 2. Johnson
earned his 200th career round win and endured a re-run of
his first round match with Ronnie Humphrey before losing to
Warren Johnson in the quarterfinals.
Johnson
qualified No. 4 in his Mopar Dodge Avenger and drew Humphrey
in the opening round. After a staging duel, Humphrey entered
first, the red light on Johnson’s side of the starting
tree was immediately triggered, and Humphrey motored down
the track for an apparent victory. Fortunately, it was determined
the red light was triggered in error and a re-run was called.
Johnson’s 6.659-second pass at 207.82 mph easily bested
his opponent’s 6.711/207.05 mark, giving the Team Mopar
veteran his 200th round win.
Johnson
encountered problems shortly out of the starting gate in his
quarterfinals match with Warren Johnson and watched "The
Professor" drive away with the win. Despite his early
exit, Johnson remains second in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag
Racing Series Pro Stock standings.
"We’ve
got a team that has a lot of hours of experience at the track
in the bank," said Johnson of his J&J
Racing team. "We came back out for the re-run
and got the job done. In the second round, we were the first
pair out, and we didn’t adjust well to the track conditions.
We’ll put it in our data banks and hopefully learn from
it before the Countdown. We’re still in great shape,
second in points."
|

Allen
Johnson had to persevere through a re-run of his opening
round match with Ronnie Humphrey to capture his 200th career
round win at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The red light on
Johnson's side of the starting tree was triggered in error,
prompting NHRA officials to call for the re-run.
|
Mopar®
Dodge Avenger Driver Allen Johnson’s Vegas Visit Ends
in Quarterfinals.
Team Mopar® NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson
came up empty in his bid to win the SummitRacing.com NHRA
Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday,
April 18, losing a quarterfinals battle with Greg Anderson.
Johnson’s finish marked the first time he has not advanced
to at least the semifinals in his Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger
since debuting the car at the season-opening event in Pomona,
Calif.
The Greeneville, Tenn.
native qualified his Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge Avenger
No. 4 and drew former partner Johnny Gray in his first matchup
of the day. Johnson took the victory handily with a stellar
6.738-second pass at 205.35 mph to Gray’s 6.790/204.51
mark. The J&J Racing team owner and driver earned lane
choice in his second-round fight with Anderson—which
actually turned out to be a disadvantage.
After watching the
car in the left lane get loose during the first two pairs
of the round, Johnson and his team decided to switch to the
right lane. The move backfired, however, as Johnson’s
Mopar Dodge wiggled early in his 6.850/204.91 run, far short
of Anderson’s 6.763/204.73 winning pass.
"We
were so pumped up after the first round. We made almost a
perfect run," Johnson
said. "We got up there in the second round,
and we just messed up. We let the two guys in front of us
make our decision for us when we should have run our own race.
We should have taken the left lane, because the right hadn’t
been good all weekend. The decision bit us. Hopefully we’ll
learn from this mistake."
Mopar-powered NHRA
Pro Stockers Vinnie Deceglie and V. Gaines exited in the opening
round, with Deceglie also falling to Anderson and Gaines losing
to Rodger Brogdon. |

"I’m
telling you, this Mopar Dodge Avenger is a fast race car.
That last run is not indicative of how good this car is—the
first round was. But we make our decisions as a team and
stick to them as a team. Next time we’ll do it a little
different."
—
Allen Johnson, on his Mopar HEMI-powered race car and the
team’s decision to switch from the left lane to the
right lane prior to his quarterfinals battle with Greg Anderson.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Johnson Hauls In First Final Appearance
of the Season at Houston.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson bettered his
run of four consecutive semifinals appearances by racing all
the way to a runner-up finish at the 23rd annual NHRA Spring
Nationals on Sunday, April 11, at Houston Raceway Park. Johnson
fell to Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final but moved to second
in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings
with his first final appearance of the year and 18th of his
career.
Johnson
started the 2010 season by reaching four straight semifinals
in his new NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger, leaving the
Greeneville, Tenn., native happy but still hungry for a final
round berth. He began his march at Houston by qualifying No.
3 in his Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge, then defeating his
former partner Johnny Gray in the opening round with a 6.594-second
pass at 210.11 mph.
The
Team Mopar veteran and J&J Racing driver and team owner
had luck on his side in the quarterfinals, knocking out Ronnie
Humphrey with a slow-motion pass of 12.133/101.41 after both
cars shook violently and got out of gear after take off. Johnson
bested Ron Krisher in the semis with a 6.628/209.95 run. AJ’s
reaction time in the final was a bit slower than Coughlin’s
(.045 to .024), giving his opponent just enough of a lead
to best Johnson’s slightly quicker 6.596/210.77 pass.
“We
tested at Dallas for two days and made some changes to get
better with the new weight rule,” said
Johnson, who moved from third to second in the standings behind
leader Mike Edwards. “During qualifying
we tested those changes and did quite well. With the adjustments
the Mopar Dodge Avenger has a big window, so we don’t
have to be perfect to make a solid pass. It’s great
to get that first final appearance and gain some momentum
going forward.”
|

Allen
Johnson drove his NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger (near
lane) to a runner-up finish at the 23rd annual NHRA Spring
Nationals on Sunday, April 11, at Houston Raceway Park.
It was the first final round appearance of the season for
Johnson.

With
his final round appearance at Houston, Team Mopar driver
Allen Johnson moved up from third to second in the NHRA
Pro Stock point standings behind leader Mike Edwards.
|
Johnson
Notches Another Semifinals Finish at Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide
Nationals.
Team
Mopar® and J&J Racing driver Allen Johnson made his
fourth consecutive semifinals appearance of the season in
the rain-delayed finale of the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
at zMAX Dragway in Concord. N.C. on Monday, March 29. Johnson
bested his three Pro Stock competitors in the opening round
of four-wide racing, but fell short of the final round after
taking third in the semifinals.
After
qualifying No. 6 in his new-for-2010 Pro Stock Mopar Dodge
Avenger, Johnson emerged victorious in his first round of
four-wide eliminations on Sunday, using a 6.624-second pass
at 209.14 mph to defeat Jason Line, Larry Morgan and Erica
Enders. The top two drivers in each first round match advanced
to one of two four-car semifinal battles, with Johnson squaring
off against Mike Edwards, Line and John Nobile on Monday following
the rain delay.
Johnson
posted an excellent reaction time of .044 (.000 is perfect)
but did not have his RPMs up on takeoff, perhaps thrown off
by Nobile, who redlighted and left early. Johnson finished
third, one spot away from advancing to the final round.
Johnson
is also third in the Pro Stock NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series point standings after just four races in his Mopar
Dodge Avenger. Next up for the Greeneville, Tenn. native is
the 23rd annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, April 9-11.
|

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson advanced to the semifinals at
the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Fans witnessed qualifying
and eliminations run on four lanes for the first time in
NHRA history.
|
Allen
Johnson’s Goal: One More Round at Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide
Nationals.
The
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will make history at
the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, but for Team Mopar®
NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson, it’s all about
making the final at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
Johnson
will gladly accept the three semifinal appearances and the
second spot in the point standings he has claimed following
the first three events on the 2010 NHRA schedule, all while
breaking in his new HEMI®-powered Mopar Dodge Avenger.
But after coming up short in three consecutive semifinal showdowns
with defending NHRA Pro Stock champ Mike Edwards, Johnson
is itching to advance one more round and make his first final
appearance of the season and 18th of his 15-year NHRA career.
“We
have to at least get one step farther and get to the final,”
said Johnson, driver and owner of the J&J Racing team,
based in his hometown of Greeneville, Tenn. “I’d
like to be able to qualify in the top three and get on the
opposite side of the ladder so we don’t have to meet
Mike until the final. But he has shown he can be beaten, too
[Edwards lost to Jason Line on a holeshot in the NHRA Gatornationals
final].”
Inaugural
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals attendees will witness for the first
time in NHRA history four-wide racing during qualifying and
eliminations. “It’s certainly different. It
should be exciting for the fans,” Johnson said.
“I can roll with it as well as anybody can.
You’ve got to run your own race.”
Johnson
will once again lend his support to the non-profit organization
B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) at zMAX
Dragway. B.R.A.K.E.S. was founded by NHRA Top Fuel driver
Doug Herbert in memory of his two sons who were killed in
a car accident. By training and educating teenage drivers
and their parents, the foundation aims to promote safe driving
in an attempt to prevent injuries and save lives.
Johnson
will donate the jacket of his racing firesuit for a B.R.A.K.E.S.
silent auction at the event and will also appear as one of
many NHRA special guests at a B.R.A.K.E.S. pancake fundraiser
scheduled to take place Saturday morning, March 27, from 8
a.m. to 10 a.m. “I’ve been a huge supporter of
B.R.A.K.E.S. ever since the organization was founded,”
said Johnson. “The group’s mission to educate
teens about the need to be responsible and safe while driving
helps save lives.”
The
Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is scheduled to take place
March 25–28 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
|

"I
feel like I’m one of the top veteran drivers out there
and hopefully I can adapt easily to the situation. We did
pretty well at Concord last September, almost making the
final. Maybe we can take that and build on it. Hopefully
the format will play to our advantage and we can come out
on top."
—
Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson, on participating in the
Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Attendees will witness
for the first time in NHRA history four-wide racing during
qualifying and eliminations.

Johnson
has driven his new Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger to three
semifinals appearances in its first three races and holds
the second spot in the point standings.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Johnson Notches Third Straight Semis Appearance
of Season at NHRA Gatornationals.
NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson
advanced to the semifinals at the 41st Annual Tire Kingdom
NHRA Gatornationals on Sunday, March 14, losing to Mike Edwards
in the penultimate round. The outing at Gainesville (Fla.)
Raceway marked Johnson’s third straight semifinals appearance
since the debut of his new Pro Stock Mopar® Dodge Avenger.
The
Team Mopar driver qualified No. 4 in his HEMI®-powered
Dodge and went up against Shane Gray in the first round. Johnson’s
pass of 6.587-seconds at 210.64 mph bested Gray’s 6.616/209.69
pass. The quarterfinals saw A.J. face V. Gaines in a battle
of Mopar-powered Pro Stock Dodge Avengers, with the J&J
Racing driver and team owner knocking out Gaines with a pass
of 6.600/210.05.
Johnson
faced Edwards in the semifinals for the third straight event
and the second time in two days, following the running of
the rescheduled NHRA Arizona Nationals during NHRA Gatornationals
qualifying yesterday. Just as in their Saturday dustup, Johnson
was unable to get past the defending Pro Stock champion. The
Greeneville, Tenn. native’s 6.596/210.54 run was strong
and second quickest of the session but not enough to overtake
Edwards’ 6.564/211.23 pass.
“It’s
a case of, ‘We’re happy, but then we’re
not happy,’” said Johnson. “We’ve
been to three straight semis, we’re second in points
leaving here, and we’ve got to be happy with that. But
we have to figure out a way to outrun Mike. We’ll test
in Charlotte next week with the Mopar Dodge Avenger and work
on a few things. We’ll see if we can’t catch him
at the next race in Charlotte.”
Next
up is the Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, March 25–28
in Charlotte, N.C |

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson (far lane, shown racing fellow
Mopar-powered Pro Stocker V. Gaines) advanced to his third
straight semifinals appearance in his new Mopar Dodge Avenger
at the NHRA Gatornationals on Sunday, March 14. Johnson
moved up to second in the NHRA Pro Stock standings.
|
Team
Mopar® Driver Allen Johnson Eyes Twin Wins at NHRA Gatornationals.
Allen
Johnson will get a rare opportunity at the 41st Annual Tire
Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway
this weekend—the chance to claim two wins at one NHRA
Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event. The Team Mopar Pro
Stock driver is a threat to win both the postponed elimination
rounds of the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which will be contested
during qualifying at Gainesville on March 12–13, and
the Gatornationals crown on Sunday, March 14.
Johnson
has experience in the race-within-a-race format. He won the
2008 K&N Horsepower Challenge during the qualifying rounds
of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The Pro Stock
Mopar Dodge Avenger driver hopes to put his prior experience
to good use at Gainesville.
“It
would obviously be a huge early-season boost to double up
and win both the Arizona event and the Gatornationals in one
weekend,” said Johnson. “It
would be like the K&N Challenge. Gainesville is one of
my favorite races, being near spring time. I’ve always
wanted to win that race.”
Johnson
will join a number of his fellow Mopar-powered NHRA stars
as well as Dodge Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kurt
Busch and Mopar racing legend “Big Daddy” Don
Garlits in autograph sessions scheduled to take place at the
Mopar Image Center in the manufacturers midway at Gainesville.
Garlits
will sign autographs for fans at the Mopar Image Center at
3 p.m. on Friday, March 12. Johnson and Mopar HEMI-powered
Pro Stock drivers V. Gaines and Vinnie Deceglie will appear
from 10:30–11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 13. NHRA Funny
Car racers Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan and Melanie
Troxel will visit for a signing session following the first
round of qualifying on Saturday.
Busch
will race his 1970 Dodge Challenger in the NHRA Super Gas
Sportsman class at Gainesville. The driver of the No. 2 Miller
Lite Penske Racing Dodge Charger on the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series will also take part in an autograph session at the
Mopar Image Center. The date and time of Busch’s appearance
will be available later in the week at http://www.mopar.com.
The
41st Annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals is scheduled
to take place March 11–14 at Gainesville Raceway in
Gainesville, Fla. |

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson just missed winning the 2009
Gatornationals, losing in the final on a close holeshot
to Jason Line. Johnson will face Line in the second round
of qualifying at Gainesville, which will double as the quarterfinals
of the Arizona Nationals.

Allen
Johnson will talk with WFO Radio’s Joe Castello during
a live Web broadcast from the NHRA Gatornationals on Friday,
March 12 at 10:30 a.m. (visit http://www.wforadio.com
for more info). Johnson will sign autographs at the Mopar
Image Center in the manufacturers midway at Gainesville
on Saturday, March 13 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
|
Johnson
Among Pro Stockers to Finish Phoenix Eliminations at NHRA
Gatornatonals.
Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson qualified No. 4 and advanced to
the quarterfinals in his 2010 Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger
at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, Ariz., before the
remaining elimination rounds were postopned until qualifying
at the 41st annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville
Raceway. Johnson knocked out Larry Morgan in the first round
on Sunday, Feb. 21, before the delay.
Due
to forecasted cold weather and persistent rain, the unfinished
rounds will be completed during the second, third and fourth
rounds of qualifying for the event in two weeks at the historic
Florida dragstrip. The quarterfinal pairs will be matched
up during the second round of qualifying Friday, March 12,
with the semifinal pairs matched up during third round of
qualifying and the final round matched up during the final
round of qualifying Saturday, March 13. The runs will occur
during the scheduled qualifying sessions of the event and
the times posted during those runs will count toward qualifying
for the event.
In
NHRA Funny Car action, Jack Beckamn drove his Mopar-powered
Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger Funny Car to
a final round battle with John Force. The finals for Funny
Car and Top Fuel are scheduled to take place today at Phoenix
International Raceway. |

Team
Mopar driver Allen Johnson continues to impress in his new
NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger. Johnson qualified No.
4 and advanced to the quarterfinals at the NHRA Arizona
Nationals before racing action was postponed.
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Johnson
Steers Mopar® Dodge Avenger to Semis Debut at 50th Annual
NHRA Winternationals.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Allen
Johnson wrapped up his debut weekend in his brand new 2010
Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger in promising fashion, powering
his new ride to a semifinals result at the 50th Annual Kragen
O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Johnson claimed his 190th
career round win during the event and is third in the Pro
Stock point standings following the season-opening action
at Auto Club Dragway at Pomona, Calif.
Johnson
started his Mopar Dodge Avenger No. 4, gaining three bonus
points overall during qualifying. The Greeneville, Tenn.,
native knocked off Steve Spiess in the opening round on the
strength of a 6.637/209.49 run. Johnson dialed up another
solid mark in his quarterfinals defeat of Roger Brogdon, clocking
a 6.634/209.20 pass to collect career round win No. 190.
Johnson
drew a formidable matchup in the semifinals—reigning
Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards. To make matters even more
difficult, the J&J Racing driver and team owner lacked
lane choice. Johnson’s run of 6.645/209.95 was stout
but not enough to best Edwards’ 6.615/210.11 pass.
Although
a bit short in his quest for a first NHRA Winternationals
win, Johnson was energized by his impressive semifinals appearance
in the Mopar Dodge Avenger’s competition debut.
"We’re
tickled to death," said Johnson. "We
made three good runs today. We even made a decent run in that
right lane, which gives everyone fits. The new Mopar Dodge
Avenger has got a bigger window than our previous car, and
it’s faster. We really have got something to work with."
Vinnie
Deceglie qualified No. 7 in his first race in his HEMI®-fueled
Dodge Avenger. The Southern California native was dealt a
holeshot loss in a first-round fight with Ronnie Humphrey.
His quicker and faster 6.647/208.71 pass was negated by his
slower reaction time, .085 to Humphrey’s .033 (.000
is perfect).
Next
up for Johnson and his fellow Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger
drivers is the NHRA Arizona Nationals, Feb. 19–21, at
Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz. |

"I
felt like my driving was decent all day. I’m right
about where I want to be. I think we reached all of our
goals today in the new car’s debut, short of winning
the race. It gives us some momentum going to Phoenix, and
we’ll take it. We’ll head there and see if we
can go one better and go to the final."
—
Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson (above), on reaching the
semifinals of the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals
in the competition debut of his new Mopar Dodge Avenger
(below).

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Allen
Johnson to Unleash New Mopar® Dodge Avenger at 50th
Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals.
The
2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season will see
Team Mopar® driver Allen Johnson take the wheel of a fresh
yet also familiar ride. The NHRA Pro Stock veteran began his
career in 1996 driving a Dodge Avenger and he will happily
return to the car that started it all when he pilots his new
2010 Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger in its competition debut
at the 50th Annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals.
The historic event is scheduled to take place Feb. 11–14
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).
Johnson
will also celebrate his 15th year on the NHRA Pro Stock circuit
in 2010. The J&J Racing team owner and driver’s
entire career has been spent behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered
pro stocker. He previously competed in a Dodge Avenger from
1996–2000, capturing his first career win in 1999 at
Richmond. Johnson is excited to debut his new Mopar HEMI®-powered
ride.
"It’s
a treat to still be with Mopar after all these years and also
to be back in the Dodge Avenger," said
Johnson, who finished seventh in the 2009 point standings,
his fourth consecutive top-10 points finish. "This
new version of the Dodge Avenger puts us in a car that is
going to be ultra-competitive as far as aero goes. We’re
as good as the other guys. I feel like it’s the best
car we’ve ever had."
Johnson,
winner of two events in 2009, the O’Reilly NHRA Summer
Nationals in Topeka and the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
in Denver, spent most of his off-season dialing in the Pro
Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger. Johnson also teamed up in test
sessions with fellow Pro Stocker Vinnie Deceglie. The Mopar-powered
Deceglie will campaign in 2010 with Mopar HEMI engines supplied
by J&J Racing engine builder Roy Johnson. Deceglie’s
team will work closely with the J&J Racing squad and Mark
Ingersoll, Allen Johnson’s crew chief.
Johnson
and his J&J Racing crew tuned up for the Winternationals
during testing at the Pro Stock Showdown in Las Vegas last
weekend, qualifying second in the new Mopar Dodge Avenger
with an ET of 6.684. Deceglie was fourth in his Avenger with
an ET of 6.709. Johnson believes his Mopar Dodge will be formidable
out of the box in its competition debut at Pomona: "The
new car will compete just as well as the Dodge Stratus did,
right out of the gate at Pomona, if not better."
The
50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals is scheduled
to take place Feb. 11–14 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
(Calif.).
|

"To
be part of the 50th anniversary is big for the entire team.
The first memory I have of the event is looking up the track
and seeing the snow-covered mountains, while you've got
on a short-sleeve shirt. To a Tennessee boy, a country boy,
that was pretty awesome. It would be an absolute dream come
true to get my first win at Pomona in the new Mopar Dodge
Avenger this weekend."
—
Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson, on the 50th Annual Kragen
O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals.

Allen
Johnson will celebrate his 15th year on the NHRA Pro Stock
circuit by driving his new 2010 NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge
Avenger in its competition debut at the 50th Annual Kragen
O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Johnson made his first NHRA
Pro Stock start in 1996 driving a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger.
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Johnson
Works to Perfect Mopar® Dodge Avenger During Bradenton
Test Sessions.
Team
Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Allen
Johnson put his new NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger through
a third set of test sessions last week at Bradenton Motorsports
Park. Johnson recorded a best run of 6.54 seconds at 210.70
mph during four days of testing on Jan. 18–21 at the
Florida drag strip.
Johnson
gained valuable seat time and his J&J Racing crew gained
much-needed data, recording 19 passes during their Bradenton
visit. The longtime Team Mopar racer debuted his Mopar Dodge
Avenger during test sessions last month at Palm Beach International
Raceway and at Bradenton.
"We've
made quite a bit more progress since the last test sessions.
The Mopar Dodge Avenger ran real good the last couple of days,"
said Johnson, who finished seventh in the 2009 NHRA Pro Stock
standings, with two wins. "I felt we were
pretty close to where we need to be. We tried quite a few
different things, and I think we've got the car sorted out
pretty well."
After
a short break, Johnson and his J&J Racing crew will head
out west to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the
Pro Stock Showdown, Feb. 5–6. The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle
Drag Racing Series campaign will commence the following weekend
at the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in
Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11–14.
|

Allen
Johnson put his NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger through
19 test runs at Bradenton Motorsports Park on Jan. 18–21.
The Team Mopar veteran recorded a best pass of 6.54 seconds
at 210.70 mph.
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Mopar
Announces Debut of NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger.
Mopar
announced it will launch a new Pro Stock Dodge Avenger to
compete in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Attendees at the 2009 Specialty Equipment Market Association
(SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3–6, got the first glimpse
of the new Pro Stock Dodge Avenger. The 2010 NHRA Pro Stock
Mopar Dodge Avenger of Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson was
on exhibit in the Mopar display at SEMA.
The
new Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger has been officially approved
for competition by the NHRA. The Dodge Avenger is targeted
for its competition debut at the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly
NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11–14,
2010. The Mopar Dodge Avenger replaces the previous Dodge
Stratus R/T body, which had been in use by Mopar HEMI-powered
NHRA Pro Stock competitors since the midpoint of the 2003
season.
The
new Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger was developed in-house at
Chrysler Group LLC. The project utilized Chrysler Group LLC
tools and resources also employed to build the production
Dodge Avenger, creating a connection between the street and
the quarter-mile.
The
greatest challenge to the Dodge Motorsports Engineering team
tasked with the project was maintaining maximum identity of
the Dodge Avenger in the new body without forsaking performance
on the drag strip.
"Our
team worked within NHRA's rules to balance aerodynamic performance
goals and maximize Dodge Avenger identity,"
said Joe Vitous, SRT & Motorsports Aero-Thermal Manager.
"The new Mopar Dodge Avenger meets or exceeds the aero
goals we established."
"I'm
very excited to race the new Mopar Dodge Avenger," commented
Allen Johnson. "We've been racing the Stratus
since mid-2003. Just having a change is an upgrade. We feel
we've been at a disadvantage with some of our competitors
who have been racing in newer bodies for the last few years.
I was fitted for the new body in late September. NHRA was
there, and we spent a lot of time going over the templates.
That was exciting. I'm glad we're going ahead full bore." |

"The
introduction of the new NHRA Pro Stock Dodge Avenger will
invigorate our Mopar-powered Pro Stock racers. The production
Dodge Avenger is a perfect template for the drag strip.
The Dodge Avenger's bold styling and aggressive looks communicate
the performance capability of the Dodge brand's mid-size
sedan."
—
Jim Sassorossi, Director—Mopar Global Parts Sales
and Marketing, Chrysler Group LLC, on the new Pro Stock
Mopar Dodge Avenger (above), which is targeted to make its
competition debut at the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA
Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 11–14, 2010.

The
computer image above shows aero streamlines for the new
NHRA Pro Stock Dodge Avenger body.
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