Team Mopar Pro Stock Driver Johnson Carries Plenty of Speed into Phoenix

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.

Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock Driver Johnson Geared up for 2012 Season Opener

(Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has been counting the days until the season opening event at Pomona, ever since the 2011 campaign came to a close at that same track. Following off-season surgery to repair his right bicep, Johnson is back at full strength, as the 52nd Annual NHRA Winternationals take to the track Feb. 9–Feb. 12 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona, Calif. to open the 23-race 2012 season.

“I’m just dying to get going,” said Johnson. “It’s going to be an exciting season. We have such a strong team in place and a great car in our Mopar Dodge Avenger. It’s time to go and I am certainly ready. We look to start the season on a very strong note at Pomona.”

Johnson wrapped up 2011 as one of the most consistent drivers in the Pro Stock class. The native of Greeneville, Tenn. reached the final round in two of the final three races of the season, en route to finishing a career-best fourth in the standings. Johnson’s team recently recorded the fastest unofficial pass in Pro Stock history during pre-season testing in Florida, with a run of 6.466-seconds. Richie Stevens was piloting the Mopar Dodge Avenger during the test, as Johnson was still recuperating from his surgery at that time.

“We just have to continue what we were doing at the end of last year and making the right decisions and choices,” explained the second-generation driver. “We have the right personnel in place and we just have to let them do their job, and I have to do my job behind the wheel.”

Johnson’s J&J Racing team returns intact from last season, with Mark Ingersoll as crew chief and Jim Yates as team engineer. Yates joined the squad late in the 2011 season, providing vast knowledge and experience that instantly paid dividends with a final round appearance at Phoenix and in the following race at Las Vegas. Johnson’s father Roy will continue to build the HEMI® engines that the team uses, as he has done for many years.

“Mark (Ingersoll) and Jim (Yates) have been working very closely together,” shared Johnson. “We did a lot of testing in the off-season and they learned each other’s thinking and are working very well together. It’s great to have people like that on the team and we all have the same goal of winning and continuing to get faster each time we hit the track.”

Johnson, who will sport the logo of Mopar’s aftermarket partner, Magneti Marelli on his car this season, has advanced to the semifinals in three of his last four starts at Pomona, as he looks for his first win at the venue. He qualified in the No. 3 spot in last year’s season opener and has been among the top half of the field in nine of his last 10 appearances at the track, as he chases his first win at Pomona.

“Lane choice is always important at Pomona and you always work to put yourself in a position to have lane choice,” he said. “You have to keep up with the track in qualifying and throughout the day during eliminations. We’ve had success there in the past and learned a lot there last year that should help us this year. We’re looking to start strong right off the bat.”

The 2012 season marks the 17th consecutive season that Johnson has been behind the wheel of a Mopar-power Dodge in the NHRA Pro Stock ranks. With top-10 finishes in the standings in each of the last six years, including a career-best fourth last season, Johnson and his J&J Racing team have one goal this year and that is to stand on the top of the podium at season’s end.

“It means the world to have Mopar with us,” said Johnson. “My Dad and I have raced Mopars all our lives, and the brand has such a deep loyalty and commitment to us. It’s a great feeling to know we have an amazing partner like Mopar. We have one goal this year and that is to win a title for everyone at Mopar and we are going to give it everything we have.”

NHRA Preview: Allen Johnson Has Found the Formula for Success at Bandimere

(Allen Johnson, seen here qualifying for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series event at the now-defunct Memphis Motorsports Park, is the defending Pro Stock winner at Bandimere. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Allen Johnson’s streak on Thunder Mountain is at four and counting.

That’s four consecutive final rounds, for those who are keeping score.

Bandimere Speedway has long been a perplexing puzzle for NHRA’s greatest Pro Stock teams. The high altitude and warm summertime conditions typically combine to make even the sharpest crew chiefs do plenty of second guessing when it comes to tuning the naturally-aspirated engines that power the fan-favorite factory hot rods.

But Johnson, who drives the event sponsor’s flagship Team Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Avenger, has his machine dialed in for the one race each season where Pro Stock teams need to break out an entirely different book of tuning notes.

He’s won three of the last four final rounds at the scenic dragstrip located just west of downtown Denver, including the last two.

The Tennesse native will try to make it three wins in a row at the 32nd annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 22-24. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also are defending winners of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

Johnson says his edge at the kick-off for the NHRA’s grueling Western Swing all comes down to docking plenty of track time.

“For years we have tested and tested there with our Mopar Dodge, and we seem to have developed a combination that is superior,” Johnson said. “I feel like all that testing has led to our success at Mopar’s big race. And also, when you’ve done well at a track, you go back there with confidence, and we’ve definitely excelled at Thunder Mountain.”

Johnson comes into this year’s event riding high from a victory at Englishtown, N.J. and a No. 1 qualifying performance at his home track in Bristol, Tenn., along with a semifinal appearance. He’s ready to get back on the winning track after early round exits at the last two races in Norwalk and Chicago.

He says heading to Bandimere Speedway is a great way for his team to get back in the winning groove.

“I feel good about the Mopar/J&J Racing team’s chances of winning again at Bandimere Speedway,” Johnson said. “We have a really good race car, and our Mopar HEMI engines are performing at a high level. I really believe our success should continue.”

He’s currently sitting in eighth place in the Pro Stock point standings and knows that he’ll need a strong performance if he’s going to stabilize his top 10 points position and qualify for the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The competition has been strong this year with series leader Jason Line scoring three victories and defending world champ Greg Anderson, ’09 champ Mike Edwards and rookie Vincent Nobile taking two wins apiece.

“I feel good about the Countdown as it draws near,” Johnson said. “I think we had a little more momentum prior to the last two races, but we’ve still got some of our mojo left after our New Jersey win, and we’re heading to our favorite track on the circuit. We’ve got five races before the Countdown, and we’re going to go all-in starting at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals.”

In Top Fuel, longtime Funny Car ace Del Worsham switched categories this season and is leading the point standings behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing dragster. He’s raced to five victories and seems poised to maintain his top spot for the Countdown playoffs. His teammate, defending world champ Larry Dixon, is holding firm in third place with one victory, while Spencer Massey has scored two victories in his FRAM/Prestone dragster and sits second in the standings. Although he hasn’t won a race this season, seven-time world champ Tony Schumacher is a two-time winner at Bandimere and is hungry to win some races in his U.S. Army dragster before the regular season ends.

Mike Neff has been pulling double-duty as both driver and crew chief for his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in Funny Car and the combination has been working as he has raced to four victories in seven final rounds and holds a commanding series lead over his rivals. Neff’s top challengers this season are Jack Beckman, defending event winner Hight, Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan, Jeff Arend and Ron Capps. Defending world champ John Force, who has yet to win a race this season and sits eighth in points, is a five-time winner at Denver and can never be counted out.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, past world champ Eddie Krawiec holds the series lead on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson with two victories this season. Defending world champ LE Tonglet has posted two victories on his Nitro Fish Suzuki and 2008 world champ Matt Smith has emerged as a serious contender for the title this season on his Buell. Others to watch in the two-wheel category include the Lucas Oil Buell duo of Hector Arana Sr. and Hector Arana Jr., Jim Underdahl, Michael Phillips, Steve Johnson, Jerry Savoie and defending event winner Hines.

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WESTERN SWING PIVOTAL FOR DRIVERS SEEKING SPOTS IN FULL THROTTLE SERIES COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

MORRISON, Colo. – With only five races remaining in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series regular season, it’s now crunch time for teams in each of the four categories. It’s time for many of the teams on the bubble to take a quick inventory of their status to determine the best route for gaining entry into the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs.

Teams won’t have much time to gather their bearings, because the first three of those final five regular season races will provide a mini gut-check.

With this weekend’s Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 22-24 at scenic Bandimere Speedway near Denver, NHRA Full Throttle Series teams will embark on a three week challenge that will test their tune-ups, the quality of their high performance machines under very different atmospheric conditions, and most importantly, their patience.

Following the race in Denver, teams will head to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. and then forge on to Pacific Raceways near Seattle to complete the brutal three week stretch that has become known as the Western Swing.

For those drivers who are on the bubble in the point standings, a hot streak during the Western Swing may just provide the boost needed to secure a playoff spot. On the other hand, should a team get in a slump, points positions can slip away at a rapid pace.

For Top Fuel driver David Grubnic, who posted a runner-up finish at Route 66 Raceway two weeks ago, he’s eager to hold on to his 10th place position, or if possible keep the momentum going and move higher in the standings.

“Moving into the top ten in points was a huge accomplishment for us (at Chicago),” Grubnic said. “Hopefully now we can start getting more and more round wins and climb even further up in the points.”

The two Top Fuel drivers on the outside looking in are Terry McMillen, who has held the 10th spot for most of the season, and Bob Vandergriff, who is less than two rounds out of 10th after posting a runner-up finish at Topeka in his C&J Energy Services dragster.

A cluster of veteran drivers are hungry to make the top 10 in Funny Car. Two-time world champ Tony Pedregon and veteran racers Tim Wilkerson and Jim Head are sitting 11th-13th and desperately want to take the 10th spot that Service Central Dodge Charger driver Johnny Gray currently holds. Gray knows the next five races are going to provide a great challenge to make the playoffs.

“This is a very competitive, superb Funny Car group,” Gray said. “You can’t take anything for granted and the results from one race can mean jumping or falling multiple places in the standings – and now is not the time for falling.”

In Pro Stock, four drivers will jockey for the final two spots. Shane Gray and Ron Krisher are holding down the final two positions after the Chicago race, but Ronnie Humphrey and veteran driver Larry Morgan, who posted a runner-up finish in Norwalk in his Lucas Oil Ford Mustang, are gaining ground.

“For us to make the Countdown just a year and a half into this program with Ford would surprise some people, I promise you,” Morgan said. “It was the impossible dream, but we’re only a few rounds out now. We’re going to do what we can to make it happen.”

There are only four races remaining in the regular season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle teams and as many as seven riders will be competing for the final two spots in the top 10. While rookie Hector Arana Jr. seems to be making strides toward keeping one of the spots with back-to-back No. 1 qualifying efforts in the last two races, Michael Phillips’ untimely DNQ in Chicago has opened the door for Chicago runner-up Chip Ellis, who is sitting 11th, and Chicago quarterfinalist David Hope, who is 12th, to crash the party in the final hour. Veteran rider Steve Johnson, Angie Smith and Shawn Gann are also still mathematically eligible.

* SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 4:45 and 7:15 p.m. on Friday, July 22 and at 1:45 and 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 23.  Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 24.

* TICKETS: Tickets are available for the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Please call Bandimere Speedway at (800) 664-UWIN or visit www.ticketreturn.com.

* ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, July 23. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, July 24.

* LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals also will feature competition in five categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at noon on July 22. Lucas Oil Series eliminations begin at 10 a.m. on July 23 and continue through July 24.

* ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

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MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT:  32nd annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, the 12th of 22 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. NHRA is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2011 and will pay tribute to the evolution of the hot rod and honor its legendary racers as well as the sport’s current stars.

WHERE:  Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colo. The track is 10 miles west of Denver, just north of the historic town of Morrison. From Denver, take Interstate 70 west to C-470 and travel south to the Morrison Road exit. Take Morrison Road west to Rooney Road and go north to the track.

WHEN:  Friday through Sunday, July 22-24.

SCHEDULE:        

FRIDAY, July 22 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying at noon

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 4:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

SATURDAY, July 23 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 10 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 1:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, July 24 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.

FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:      

Saturday, July 23, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, July 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 7 p.m. (ET).         

2010 EVENT WINNERS:  Doug Kalitta, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Allen Johnson, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES:  Bob Glidden, 7, PS; Joe Amato, 6, TF; John Force, 5, FC; Warren Johnson, 5, PS.

TRACK RECORDS:            

Top Fuel – 3.862 seconds by Antron Brown, July ’09; 318.39 mph by Brown, July ’09.

Funny Car – 4.121 seconds by Ron Capps, July ’09; 303.37 mph by Jack Beckman, July ’09.

Pro Stock – 6.957 seconds by Mike Edwards, July ’09; 198.64 mph by Allen Johnson, July ’10.

PS Motorcycle – 7.238 seconds by Michael Phillips, July ’10; 186.54 mph by Ryan Schnitz, July ’05.

NATIONAL RECORDS:    

Top Fuel - 3.770 sec. by Larry Dixon, Feb. ’11, Pomona, Calif.; 327.03 mph by Tony Schumacher, Feb. ’11, Pomona, Calif.

Funny Car - 4.011 sec. by Matt Hagan, Oct. ’10, Reading, Pa.; 316.45 mph by Robert Hight, June ’11, Bristol, Tenn.

Pro Stock - 6.495 sec. by Rodger Brogdon, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.; 213.57 mph by Erica Enders, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

PS Motorcycle – 6.777 sec. by Hector Arana, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 664-UWIN. Tickets also are available online at www.ticketreturn.com.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $40-50; Junior (12 years and under), $18-24. Saturday: Adult, $40-50; Junior (12 years and younger), $18-24. Sunday: Adult, $48-58; Junior (12 years and under), $24-28.

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NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES POINT STANDINGS

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories following the 11th of 22 events.

Top Fuel:  1.  Del Worsham, 1,003; 2.  Spencer Massey, 872; 3.  Larry Dixon, 867; 4.  Antron Brown, 809; 5. Tony Schumacher, 764; 6.  Doug Kalitta, 589; 7.  Brandon Bernstein, 575; 8.  Morgan Lucas, 532; 9. Shawn Langdon, 523; 10.  David Grubnic, 429.

Funny Car:  1.  Mike Neff, 1,005; 2.  Jack Beckman, 833; 3.  Robert Hight, 786; 4.  Cruz Pedregon, 742; 5. Matt Hagan, 642; 6.  Jeff Arend, 612; 7.  Ron Capps, 599; 8.  John Force, 564; 9.  Bob Tasca III, 548; 10.  Johnny Gray, 451.

Pro Stock:  1.  Jason Line, 858; 2.  Greg Anderson, 804; 3.  Mike Edwards, 781; 4.  Vincent Nobile, 765; 5. Greg Stanfield, 721; 6.  Rodger Brogdon, 684; 7.  Erica Enders, 663; 8.  Allen Johnson, 643; 9. Shane Gray, 543; 10.  Ron Krisher, 501.

Pro Stock Motorcycle:  1.  Eddie Krawiec, 485; 2.  Karen Stoffer, 479; 3.  Matt Smith, 424; 4.  (tie) Andrew Hines, 401; LE Tonglet, 401; 6.  Hector Arana, 345; 7.  (tie) Jerry Savoie, 309; Jim Underdahl, 309; 9.  Hector Arana Jr, 257; 10.  Michael Phillips, 255.