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:

Magic will happen at Thunder Mountain for one lucky Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals attendee. Don’t miss out! E-mail your entry to: milehigh@moparspeed.com. Contest info is posted on the Bandimere Speedway facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bandimere-Speedway/58246049388. For rules and complete contest info visit http://www.mopar.com/performance/milehigh/.

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.

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.

"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, 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 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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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 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.

"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.

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.

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 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.

Johnson Steers Mopar® Dodge Avenger to Semis Debut at 50th Annual NHRA Winternationals.

"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).

Allen Johnson to Unleash New Mopar® Dodge Avenger at 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals.

"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.

Johnson Works to Perfect Mopar® Dodge Avenger During Bradenton Test Sessions.

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.

Mopar Announces Debut of NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger.

"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.