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CLERMONT, Ind. -- Seven-time NHRA winner Tommy Johnson, Jr. blasted his Skoal RacingSM Chevy Funny Car to the third quickest pass of his career (4.701 seconds) Saturday at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis to earn the provisional No. 3 qualifying position.
Entering the second day of qualifying for the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in the No. 5 qualifying position after carding a run of 4.747-seconds on Friday evening at ORP, the Iowa native used a tune-up from crew chief Mike Green to clock a run of 4.814 seconds at 318.32 mph on a sunny ORP quarter mile. It was the fourth quickest run of Saturday's first session.
Saturday evening under the lights at the storied Indianapolis-area drag strip, Johnson blistered the pavement in 4.701 at 325.14 to card the third quickest elapsed time in qualifying. It was the second quickest run of Saturday's second qualifying session (John Force - 4.691 seconds), and third quickest run of Johnson's career. Johnson qualified fifth at the U.S. Nationals last September.
"It was an outstanding run," Johnson said. "You hate to be disappointed with a 4.70, but we were looking for just a hair more. We were hoping to be No. 1. We've got a great running car and that gives us a lot of confidence heading into the Skoal Showdown on Sunday. We were fourth quick on Saturday with the sun on the track and second quick when the sun went down. We've got a car to beat."
On Sunday, Johnson and the Skoal Racing team look to earn a $100,000 bonus in the Skoal Showdown, which begins at 12:30 p.m. (ET) at ORP. The Skoal Showdown is a bonus event for the top eight Funny Cars based on qualifying points earned over the last season. Funny Car qualifying sessions Nos. 4 and 5 are scheduled for 12:45 and 4:10 p.m., while the final round of the Skoal Showdown is set for 4:30 p.m. at ORP.
Johnson Jr. Powers to Third Quickest Run of Career is Third at U.S. Nationals
CLERMONT, Ind. -- Seven-time NHRA winner Tommy Johnson, Jr. blasted his Skoal RacingSM Chevy Funny Car to the third quickest pass of his career (4.701 seconds) Saturday at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis to earn the provisional No. 3 qualifying position.
Entering the second day of qualifying for the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in the No. 5 qualifying position after carding a run of 4.747-seconds on Friday evening at ORP, the Iowa native used a tune-up from crew chief Mike Green to clock a run of 4.814 seconds at 318.32 mph on a sunny ORP quarter mile. It was the fourth quickest run of Saturday's first session.
Saturday evening under the lights at the storied Indianapolis-area drag strip, Johnson blistered the pavement in 4.701 at 325.14 to card the third quickest elapsed time in qualifying. It was the second quickest run of Saturday's second qualifying session (John Force - 4.691 seconds), and third quickest run of Johnson's career. Johnson qualified fifth at the U.S. Nationals last September.
"It was an outstanding run," Johnson said. "You hate to be disappointed with a 4.70, but we were looking for just a hair more. We were hoping to be No. 1. We've got a great running car and that gives us a lot of confidence heading into the Skoal Showdown on Sunday. We were fourth quick on Saturday with the sun on the track and second quick when the sun went down. We've got a car to beat."
On Sunday, Johnson and the Skoal Racing team look to earn a $100,000 bonus in the Skoal Showdown, which begins at 12:30 p.m. (ET) at ORP. The Skoal Showdown is a bonus event for the top eight Funny Cars based on qualifying points earned over the last season. Funny Car qualifying sessions Nos. 4 and 5 are scheduled for 12:45 and 4:10 p.m., while the final round of the Skoal Showdown is set for 4:30 p.m. at ORP.
