A Dominating Debut

Team Mopar® driver Allen Johnson’s new 2010 NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger is one mean machine—it’s taken him all the way to second in the Pro Stock standings.

Words: Darren Jacobs

Introducing a new race car is an endeavor fraught with risk. Run aero tests until your eyeballs ache, dial it in on the dyno as much as you desire, but plain and simple, until a new drag machine proves itself on a Sunday at the strip, you can never be quite sure what you’re going to get.

So when Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series driver Allen Johnson rolled to the line in his new NHRA Pro Stock Mopar Dodge Avenger at the 2010 season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., butterflies were likely doing double time in the Greeneville, Tenn. native’s stomach. After logging long hours with Mopar and Dodge engineers, after all the pre-season testing with his self-owned J&J Racing team, would his new ride be up to snuff?

Johnson answered any and all questions quickly and in the affirmative, qualifying a superb No. 4 and making it all the way to the semifinals in the debut of his Mopar Dodge Avenger. He would go on to reel off four consecutive semifinals appearances until doing himself one better with a final-round appearance and runner-up finish at the NHRA Houston event. With seven races in the books, Johnson was second in the Pro Stock point standings at press time. All told, not a bad way to celebrate your 15th anniversary behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered Pro Stock car!

“The new Mopar Dodge Avenger has been awesome,” said Johnson, who made his Pro Stock professional debut back in 1996 behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger. “It’s definitely a better car than we had last year.”

Of course, some kinks did need to be worked out. The Mopar Dodge was a bit deficient in its 60-ft time on the track early in the season in comparison to Johnson’s previous pro stocker. The J&J Racing team, led by crew chief Mark Ingersoll and engine builder Roy Johnson, Allen’s father, also solved a problem that was causing tire shake in the car.

“After the St. Louis event, we stayed over for a test session and I believe we figured out a mistake that had been causing us problems,” said Allen Johnson. “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.”

Johnson also reached a significant milestone, earning his 200th career round win at the NHRA St. Louis event. The achievement left the Team Mopar veteran in awe.

“It’s amazing I’ve had 200 career races, let alone 200 round wins,” remarked Johnson, who has captured seven career Pro Stock national event wins. “We keep piling up stats. We need to keep piling up the win stats a bunch more. I want to get that number in the double digits big time this year.”

As well as the Mopar Dodge Avenger has performed, Johnson still awaits his first “W” in his new machine. In addition to that breakthrough victory, the man the Mopar Nation knows affectionately as “AJ” is also trying to keep pace on a performance level with defending Pro Stock champion Mike Edwards, the points leader at press time. Johnson’s goal, if he can’t overtake the formidable Edwards in the standings, is to hold his position until the beginning of the NHRA Countdown to 1 six-race playoff, in which the leader’s margin in the standings is whittled down to 30 points—and then all bets are off.

“I believe this Mopar Dodge Avenger is the best race car I’ve ever had and the J&J Racing team has just been awesome,” said Johnson. “I think I’ve been doing my job as the driver as well. We’re in a great position right now, and if we can’t get the No. 1 spot in the points before the Countdown playoffs begin, our goal is to work steadily to be on the same playing field performance-wise as the leader. Our game plan is to get me, the car and the engine as good as can be by the time the Countdown hits. Then we’ll have six races to battle it out for a championship.”