<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/Moparlogo.jpg" alt="Moparlogo" align="right"borders="0"/>
• Johnson stats
• Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals event
Center Line, Mich. — Allen Johnson has ambitious plans for his Mopar®/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA Pro Stock team this weekend. The Greeneville, Tenn. native and veteran Team Mopar driver is seeking the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus and also the main event win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio on June 26–29.
Johnson is the No. 2 seed in the race-within-a-race K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event. The Challenge will take place on Saturday, June 28 during qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The top eight Pro Stock qualifiers dating back to the 2007 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will fight for the $50,000-to-win first-place bonus.
Johnson has been outstanding in qualifying during the K&N Horsepower Challenge 24-event stretch. With the help of his father and engine builder, Roy Johnson, and crew chief Mark Ingersoll, he has placed his HEMI®-powered Pro Stock car in the top half of the field in ten of 11 2008 NHRA POWERade events to date. Johnson also grabbed his fourth career No. 1 qualifier spot at the NHRA Phoenix event in February.
“It’s a big deal,” said Johnson of the bonus event. “We’re the No. 2 qualifier. The consistency in qualifying this year has been great, and it’s really a testament to the performance of the entire J&J Racing team, and also our Mopar HEMI engines. K&N is putting up a lot of money, and we’re one of the best cars in qualifying so far. We’re going to go out and try to turn our season around with a win on Saturday and then go into Sunday as the favorite to double up.”
Johnson, who will compete in the bonus event for the fifth year, added, “Last year we were really fast, but the transmission broke. I think this year we’re probably in better shape than any other if we can just get everything to come together. We’re hoping this weekend will be it.”
The Team Mopar drag racer has good reason to feel encouraged heading to the Summit Motorsports Park quarter-mile. Johnson advanced to the semifinals in the inaugural event at Norwalk last year. His momentum coming out of the event helped AJ claim victory at the next race, the 2007 Mopar Mile-High Nationals, and was the start of a 2007 second-half surge in which he became one of only four Pro Stock drivers to qualify in the inaugural NHRA Countdown to 1 title playoff.
“The facility is awesome. It’s one of the best in the country,” raved Johnson. “We came out of this race last year with a semis appearance and then had a strong run through the Western swing (Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma). That’s what we’re looking to do again. Even though we haven’t won a lot of rounds, we’ve been qualifying well and we’ve been in a position to win. If we can do what we did last year starting at this race and going through the next three or four, we ought to be up towards the top of the standings. That’s what we have in mind—using this race as a jump start beginning on Saturday.”
Johnson stats
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is scheduled for June 26–29 at Summit Motorsports Park. Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, June 28 starting at 10 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, June 29 starting at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. 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, Chrysler LLC’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 Chrysler Engineering standards.
Team Mopar® Driver Allen Johnson Eyes Twin Wins and $50,000 Bonus at Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
• Johnson stats
• Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals event
Center Line, Mich. — Allen Johnson has ambitious plans for his Mopar®/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA Pro Stock team this weekend. The Greeneville, Tenn. native and veteran Team Mopar driver is seeking the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus and also the main event win at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio on June 26–29.
Johnson is the No. 2 seed in the race-within-a-race K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event. The Challenge will take place on Saturday, June 28 during qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The top eight Pro Stock qualifiers dating back to the 2007 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will fight for the $50,000-to-win first-place bonus.
Johnson has been outstanding in qualifying during the K&N Horsepower Challenge 24-event stretch. With the help of his father and engine builder, Roy Johnson, and crew chief Mark Ingersoll, he has placed his HEMI®-powered Pro Stock car in the top half of the field in ten of 11 2008 NHRA POWERade events to date. Johnson also grabbed his fourth career No. 1 qualifier spot at the NHRA Phoenix event in February.
“It’s a big deal,” said Johnson of the bonus event. “We’re the No. 2 qualifier. The consistency in qualifying this year has been great, and it’s really a testament to the performance of the entire J&J Racing team, and also our Mopar HEMI engines. K&N is putting up a lot of money, and we’re one of the best cars in qualifying so far. We’re going to go out and try to turn our season around with a win on Saturday and then go into Sunday as the favorite to double up.”
Johnson, who will compete in the bonus event for the fifth year, added, “Last year we were really fast, but the transmission broke. I think this year we’re probably in better shape than any other if we can just get everything to come together. We’re hoping this weekend will be it.”
The Team Mopar drag racer has good reason to feel encouraged heading to the Summit Motorsports Park quarter-mile. Johnson advanced to the semifinals in the inaugural event at Norwalk last year. His momentum coming out of the event helped AJ claim victory at the next race, the 2007 Mopar Mile-High Nationals, and was the start of a 2007 second-half surge in which he became one of only four Pro Stock drivers to qualify in the inaugural NHRA Countdown to 1 title playoff.
“The facility is awesome. It’s one of the best in the country,” raved Johnson. “We came out of this race last year with a semis appearance and then had a strong run through the Western swing (Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma). That’s what we’re looking to do again. Even though we haven’t won a lot of rounds, we’ve been qualifying well and we’ve been in a position to win. If we can do what we did last year starting at this race and going through the next three or four, we ought to be up towards the top of the standings. That’s what we have in mind—using this race as a jump start beginning on Saturday.”
Johnson stats
- Currently seventh in the NHRA Pro Stock points standings
- Advanced to the semifinals in the inaugural running of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in 2007
- Has two semifinals appearances through the first 11 events in 2008
- Qualified in the top half of the field in ten of 11 2008 NHRA POWERade events to date
- Has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in seven of 11 2008 NHRA POWERade events to date
- Claimed his fourth career No. 1 qualifier award at the 2008 Phoenix event
- Has a 9-11 round win record through 11 events
- Reached the semifinals in the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
- Finished fourth in the 2007 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points standings
- One of only four Pro Stock drivers to qualify in the inaugural NHRA Countdown to 1 title playoff
- Captured his 5th-career win at the 28th Annual Mopar® Mile-High Nationals in July 2007
- Posted two runner-up finishes in 2007
- Advanced to 12 career final rounds
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is scheduled for June 26–29 at Summit Motorsports Park. Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, June 28 starting at 10 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, June 29 starting at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. 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, Chrysler LLC’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 Chrysler Engineering standards.
