It was an all-Mopar® Pro Stock final-round in the 27th Annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz. near Phoenix on Sunday, as NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series teammates Allen Johnson and Vincent Nobile faced off, with Nobile earning the third win of his rookie season.
Johnson opened the event, which was the fourth round of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as the No. 6 qualifier, dispatching Greg Stanfield in the opening round with a pass of 6.653-seconds at 209.59 mph, coupled with a 0.020-second reaction time to his opponent’s 6.661/207.88. Johnson downed fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stocker V. Gaines in the quarterfinals with a run of 6.664/209.20. The semifinals pitted the native of Greeneville, Tenn. against Roger Brogdon, with Johnson using a 6.662/209.36 to move into the final against Nobile.
Nobile, the No. 8 qualifier, downed Larry Morgan in the opening frame, before defeating Mike Edwards in the quarters and Erica Enders in the semis, to advance to his fifth final-round of the season and second against Johnson.
Nobile got off the line first against Johnson with a 0.009-second reaction time, followed by a 6.678/208.30 number to defeat the Team Mopar veteran, who ran a quicker 6.655/209.49, with a slightly slower 0.034-second reaction time. For Nobile, it was the third win of his rookie season in a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger.
"This is amazing," said Nobile. "We’ve struggled at the last couple of races and coming here, we knew we needed to pull together and get ourselves back on track. I knew we could do it and we proved it today. The team supplied me with a fast car, and I did my job. It just proves that if you keep your head up that you can win races."
Nobile is currently third in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs with two races remaining, while Johnson is sixth.
Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series competitors is the 11th Annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Oct. 27–Oct. 30. For more information on the NHRA, visit NHRA.com.
Johnson opened the event, which was the fourth round of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as the No. 6 qualifier, dispatching Greg Stanfield in the opening round with a pass of 6.653-seconds at 209.59 mph, coupled with a 0.020-second reaction time to his opponent’s 6.661/207.88. Johnson downed fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stocker V. Gaines in the quarterfinals with a run of 6.664/209.20. The semifinals pitted the native of Greeneville, Tenn. against Roger Brogdon, with Johnson using a 6.662/209.36 to move into the final against Nobile.
Nobile, the No. 8 qualifier, downed Larry Morgan in the opening frame, before defeating Mike Edwards in the quarters and Erica Enders in the semis, to advance to his fifth final-round of the season and second against Johnson.
Nobile got off the line first against Johnson with a 0.009-second reaction time, followed by a 6.678/208.30 number to defeat the Team Mopar veteran, who ran a quicker 6.655/209.49, with a slightly slower 0.034-second reaction time. For Nobile, it was the third win of his rookie season in a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger.
"This is amazing," said Nobile. "We’ve struggled at the last couple of races and coming here, we knew we needed to pull together and get ourselves back on track. I knew we could do it and we proved it today. The team supplied me with a fast car, and I did my job. It just proves that if you keep your head up that you can win races."
Nobile is currently third in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs with two races remaining, while Johnson is sixth.
Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series competitors is the 11th Annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Oct. 27–Oct. 30. For more information on the NHRA, visit NHRA.com.
