Johnson on a roll as he heads for the Fram Autolite Nationals, Stevens hopes to gain momentum with a good showing at the Fram Autolite Nationals in California
• Allen Johnson seeks more success after back-to-back finals’ appearances
• Richie Stevens Jr. looking for redemption after red lighting at Bristol
• Fram Autolite Nationals event details
Center Line, Mich. — Allen Johnson and Richie Stevens Jr., Team Mopar®’s NHRA POWERade Pro Stock duo, head for the West Coast this weekend for the Fram Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Johnson has posted back-to-back finals appearances during the last two races while Stevens, the No. 10 qualifier at Bristol, will seek redemption after red lighting in the first round of eliminations.
Johnson seeks more success after back-to-back finals
Team Mopar driver Johnson, pilot of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, has been on a roll lately as he has posted back-to-back finals appearances in the last two NHRA events. Riding this hot streak, Johnson is poised to clinch a spot in the Countdown to the Championship with a good showing at the Infineon Raceway this week.
At last week’s event, Johnson’s matchups in the eliminations not only presented a problem for him, but for the folks covering the race as well. After all, when Allen Johnson defeats Warren Johnson in the second round, then goes up against and defeats Kurt Johnson in the third, well, that’s a lot of Johnsons to keep straight. But for Allen, that’s just all background noise. “I don’t pay any attention to who’s next to me,” he said. “I only want to make sure I’m first to the finish line.”
Johnson also realized that you always need a little bit of luck to make it all the way through to the finals. He said, “We’ve been fast and consistent all year, but it’s only lately that we’ve started to get some breaks, too. With Warren and Kurt red lighting, it looks like we’re starting to get some things to go our way finally. The key will be to keep it going this week at Infineon. It’s all starting to come together just in time for the Countdown and we plan on being there when the smoke clears.”
Stevens Jr. hopes to get back on track at Infineon
It was a week that began with so much promise but also ended with disappointment as Richie Steven’s Jr. was unable to advance in the Pro Stock standings. After posting the 10th best qualifying time on Saturday, Stevens figured he was ready to pull off some upsets once the elimination rounds started. Unfortunately, he was a little too quick on the trigger and red lighted in his first race.
With the race at Infineon coming up this week, Stevens knows he has the car and crew to make a great showing at one of his favorite tracks. “It’s all coming together at the right time,” Stevens said. “If I just do my job, the results will take care of themselves.”
Fram Autolite Nationals Event Details
The Fram Autolite Nationals is scheduled for July 27–29 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, July 28 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2. Three hours of eliminations coverage will be broadcast on Sunday, July 29 starting at 8 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2. For more info on the NHRA, log on to NHRA.com.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s – the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, the Chrysler Group’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to DaimlerChrysler engineering standards.
