Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has one of the fastest cars in the class, as his team showed during the off-season, recording the quickest unofficial pass in Pro Stock history. In the season opening event at Pomona last weekend, Johnson consistently turned in some of the fastest passes each time he took to the track, qualifying in the fourth spot and advancing to the quarterfinals. He will look to build on that this weekend in the 28th Annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway near Phoenix, Ariz., Feb. 17–19.
“We made some pretty good runs at Pomona in our Mopar Dodge Avenger,” said Johnson. “I feel like we are about 90 percent of where we need to be right now. The entire team is working very well together and we are happy heading to Phoenix.”
Johnson, who was victorious at Firebird International Raceway in 2005, raced his way to the final round at the track last season, falling in an all-Mopar matchup with Vincent Nobile, after opening the event as the No. 6 qualifier. The Team Mopar veteran has reached at least the semifinals four times in his career at the venue, including in two straight starts. Johnson was the No. 1 Qualifier at Phoenix in 2008 and has qualified sixth or better in each of his last four appearances at the track.
“At Phoenix, we are certainly on the right track, and just have to do what we did there last year,” said Johnson. “We don’t have to change anything. If we do what we have been doing, we should be fine. We have a great team in place and the main thing is just letting everyone do their jobs and that includes me doing my job behind the wheel.”
Johnson heads to Phoenix fifth in the Pro Stock standings, with one of the most competitive fields in the history of the class assembled for the 2012 campaign. The second-generation driver is chasing his first title in his Mopar Dodge Avenger, which also carries the logo of Mopar’s aftermarket partner, Magneti Marelli, this season.
“Everyone is so close this year, and it’s tougher than ever,” noted Johnson. “You have to do a great job every time you go down the track. We have a very strong car in our Mopar Dodge Avenger and we learned a lot at Pomona that should help us this week. We have a good feel for the track in Phoenix and a good set-up as well. We’ll give it everything we have this weekend as we look for our first win of the year.”
Jeg Coughlin Jr. heads to Phoenix fresh off a final round appearance in his debut in the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger at Pomona last weekend. The native of Delaware, Ohio came from the No. 14 slot, first downing No. 3 qualifier Ronnie Humphrey in the opening round, before winning an all-Mopar matchup with Vincent Nobile, the No. 6 qualifier in the quarterfinals, followed by a victory over Mike Edwards, who qualified second, in the semis. Coughlin faced Greg Anderson in the final, falling to the fellow four-time Pro Stock champion.
Coughlin has two career Pro Stock wins at Phoenix, with the first coming in 2000, and the most recent in 2009. He is undefeated in both of his final round appearances at the track.
“Pomona was our first chance to truly see where we were with our new Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, because we were able to run alongside the best of the best in the sport,” said Coughlin. “To say we are pleased would be an understatement. The car performed great and (engine builders) Nick Ferri and Roy Simmons have really impressed us with their first few HEMI powerplants. It’s not very often that the first cake you ever bake tastes so good but these first few HEMIs they’ve put together are stout.
“To reach the finals in our first race really was important because it gave us some extra race day data. It also was a nice morale booster for everyone. We’ve all been hard at it for seven months and to see a good result is very uplifting.
“Something that’s exciting for us is that we see areas where we can peck away at this thing and make it better. Things like gearing and suspension can be adjusted before we get toPhoenixand should pay immediate dividends. And I know Roy and Nick already have ideas of things they want to do with the next motor. It’s really a fun time right now.”
Matt Hagan, the defending Funny Car champion, one of four Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T drivers for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR), looks to rebound after falling in the opening round at Pomona to start the season. The native of Christiansburg, Va. was the No. 5 qualifier at Phoenix last season, advancing to the quarterfinals. Hagan made his debut at Firebird International Raceway in 2009, and has reached the quarterfinals in all three of his starts at the facility.
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