Striking Distance

Words: Darren Jacobs

Team Mopar® driver Allen Johnson has his NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock competition right were he wants them. Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, was in the fifth spot of the NHRA Pro Stock point standings at press time, but the Mopar HEMI®-powered veteran was banking on his customary late-season surge to carry him to his first ever Pro Stock championship.

Johnson has been solid thus far this year, with a runner-up finish at the NHRA Gatornationals and a semifinals appearance at the NHRA Winternationals. The Greeneville, Tenn. native also advanced to the quarterfinals in NHRA events at Phoenix, Atlanta and Bristol, Johnson’s home track, and had accumulated an 8-8 round win record through the Bristol race. Johnson has also displayed his traditional consistency in qualifying, posting his Mopar-powered Pro Stock car in the top half of the field in seven of the first eight events of the 2009 season.

Still, for Johnson and his J&J Racing team, led by co-crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Jeff Perley and Mopar HEMI engine builder Roy Johnson, A.J.’s father, the second half of the season has historically been their “money” time. Two of the three No. 1 Qualifier spots Johnson captured in 2008 came in the second half, at Indianapolis and Memphis. Johnson also advanced to consecutive finals in 2008 at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver and the Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Seattle during the NHRA’s second half “Western Swing.”

In 2007, Johnson captured his fifth career victory at the Mopar Mile-Highs, advanced to the finals at Seattle and then finished out the “Western Swing” that year with a semifinals appearance at Sonoma. AJ also brought home a 2006 win at Seattle. With a track record like that, it’s no wonder Johnson can’t wait to get into the second-half of the 24-event NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule.

Johnson Triumphs at Topeka, Claims Sixth Career Pro Stock Win

Just as Mopar Magazine was set to go to press, Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver Allen Johnson’s hard work paid off with a well-deserved victory on Sunday, May 31, in the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas. The win was the Team Mopar driver’s first since the 2007 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals and his sixth career NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock win.

Johnson knocked off fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stocker Ronnie Humphrey with a pass of 6.683/205.72 to open Sunday eliminations, the quickest pass of the round, and then defeated Warren Johnson in the quarterfinals with a 6.716/205.07 run—also quickest of the stanza. A.J. faced Greg Anderson in the semifinals, beating the former Pro Stock champ with a 6.733/204.85 pass to Anderson’s 6.769/205.01 mark.

The finals saw a superb drag race between Johnson and Mike Edwards. Johnson recorded the slower pass for the first time of the day, with a 6.726/204.94 run to Edwards’ 6.718/205.88 pass. However, Johnson’s quicker reaction time off of the starting line, .035 to Edwards’ .045 mark (.000 is perfect), put him over the top for his first win of 2009 and his first at the Topeka quarter-mile.

“I feel like we accomplished our goals this weekend,” said Johnson. “Maybe now we can take this momentum and accomplish the rest of the goals that we have set for this year.”