[coverattach=1]Allen Johnson looks to build on strong start in NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs
Auburn Hills, Mich. — Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Driver Allen Johnson jumped out to a strong start in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs, advancing to the semifinals at the NHRA event last weekend in Concord, N.C. Johnson closed to within one round of second place and will seek to move up the Countdown standings with a victory this weekend at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. The event is scheduled for Sept. 24–27 at Texas Motorplex near Dallas.
The Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver defeated Jason Line to advance to the semis at Concord on the strength of a .012 reaction time off the starting line (.000 is perfect). Johnson credits his improved performance off the line to hours spent practicing on a simulator recently built by his J&J Racing team and says he expects his hard work to also pay dividends this weekend at Dallas.
“We built a simulator and I’ve been working my butt off on it the last three weeks,” said Johnson, currently fifth in the Countdown standings. “I’ve been doing about 200 lights a day, practicing my reaction times. I put my helmet on and it’s just like being in the car. It seems like it’s helped me immensely with my focus and my rhythm, as well as my confidence.”
Johnson’s surging confidence is much needed as the heat is on the Pro Stock field heading into the second event in the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs. The Greeneville, Tenn., native’s goal is to at least reach the semifinals at Dallas, and from there have a shot at his first career final appearance and victory at the Texas Motorplex venue.
“Right now, you’ve got to be perfect,” Johnson remarked. “I feel like we have to go to the semis at each race, and we did it at the first one [Concord] and it puts us in a position to go to Dallas and do the same thing. It would be really awesome for the top four or five drivers in the points to be within one round of each other heading into the last few races. It would be a lot of pressure, but a whole lot of fun.
“We had a pretty tough package to beat in our Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge last weekend. Hopefully we can take it to Dallas and close ground on [point leader] Mike [Edwards] a little bit, and put ourselves in better position in the Countdown standings.”
Johnson’s Statistics of Note
At Texas Motorplex
2008 Season
2007 Season
Career
Auburn Hills, Mich. — Team Mopar® NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock Driver Allen Johnson jumped out to a strong start in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs, advancing to the semifinals at the NHRA event last weekend in Concord, N.C. Johnson closed to within one round of second place and will seek to move up the Countdown standings with a victory this weekend at the O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals. The event is scheduled for Sept. 24–27 at Texas Motorplex near Dallas.
The Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver defeated Jason Line to advance to the semis at Concord on the strength of a .012 reaction time off the starting line (.000 is perfect). Johnson credits his improved performance off the line to hours spent practicing on a simulator recently built by his J&J Racing team and says he expects his hard work to also pay dividends this weekend at Dallas.
“We built a simulator and I’ve been working my butt off on it the last three weeks,” said Johnson, currently fifth in the Countdown standings. “I’ve been doing about 200 lights a day, practicing my reaction times. I put my helmet on and it’s just like being in the car. It seems like it’s helped me immensely with my focus and my rhythm, as well as my confidence.”
Johnson’s surging confidence is much needed as the heat is on the Pro Stock field heading into the second event in the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs. The Greeneville, Tenn., native’s goal is to at least reach the semifinals at Dallas, and from there have a shot at his first career final appearance and victory at the Texas Motorplex venue.
“Right now, you’ve got to be perfect,” Johnson remarked. “I feel like we have to go to the semis at each race, and we did it at the first one [Concord] and it puts us in a position to go to Dallas and do the same thing. It would be really awesome for the top four or five drivers in the points to be within one round of each other heading into the last few races. It would be a lot of pressure, but a whole lot of fun.
“We had a pretty tough package to beat in our Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge last weekend. Hopefully we can take it to Dallas and close ground on [point leader] Mike [Edwards] a little bit, and put ourselves in better position in the Countdown standings.”
Johnson’s Statistics of Note
At Texas Motorplex
- Qualified No. 4 at Dallas in 2008, bowing out in the first round
- Advanced to the semifinals at Texas Motorplex in 2007
- 2009 Season
- Clinched a spot in the 2009 NHRA Countdown to 1 six-race playoffs
- Captured two wins, at Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver and O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka
- Currently fifth in NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock point standings
- Has three finals appearances, scoring a runner-up finish at NHRA Gatornationals
- Captured seventh career No. 1 Qualifier Award at NHRA event in Seattle, reaching semis
- Made eight semifinals appearances through 19 events
- Qualified in top half of field in 17 of 19 NHRA events
- Has 27-16 round win record
- Qualified No. 3 at each of first three events
2008 Season
- Finished seventh in NHRA Pro Stock standings
- One of only 10 drivers to qualify for NHRA Countdown to 1 six-race playoffs
- Won K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event at Norwalk, recording perfect .000 reaction time to defeat Greg Anderson for victory
- Powered to three No. 1 Qualifier Awards
- Made eight semifinal appearances
- Posted two straight runner-up finishes at Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals and Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals
- Racked up 28-24 round win record
2007 Season
- Finished career-best fourth in NHRA Pro Stock point standings
- One of only four Pro Stock drivers to qualify for inaugural NHRA Countdown to 1 playoff
- Claimed win at Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver
- 2006 Season
- Finished sixth in NHRA Pro Stock standings, scoring win at Seattle
Career
- Qualified for Countdown to 1 in each of first three years since NHRA adopted playoff format in 2007
- Claimed seven career NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock wins
- Claimed 185 career round wins
- Recorded 17 career final round appearances
- Competed in 300th race at 2009 NHRA St. Louis event
- Scored second career win at Atlanta in 2002 and finished eighth in point standings
- Seized first career win in 1999 at Richmond and went on to claim first top 10 finish in standings
- Made NHRA Pro Stock debut in 1996
