Mopar driver Johnson starts sixth
(10-6-2012) MOHNTON, PA – Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson claimed the No. 6 position in Pro Stock qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 6, during the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa. For the current points leader, he has now qualified sixth or better in all 21 races this season.
Johnson, who earned six bonus points during the first three rounds of qualifying, leads Jason Line in the standings, heading into eliminations on Sunday, where he will face teammate and fellow Mopar-powered driver Vincent Nobile in the opening round. Three events remain this season in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, including this weekend.
“We were really good on Friday and okay today,” said Johnson. “On the last run today, we just made a little boo-boo and it cost us, because the air was so much better. We were experimenting a little bit today, and it will just make us have to go out and work a little bit harder tomorrow and really earn it. We know we have a good car in our Mopar Dodge Avenger and our HEMI engines are strong. Tomorrow is a new day and we’ll treat it that way.”
Johnson opened the weekend at Reading on Friday, Oct. 5, with a pass of 6.545-seconds at 211.39 mph, which at the time put him at the top of the leaderboard. In the second round of qualifying, the native of Greeneville, Tenn., turned in a run of 6.546/211.49 to earn the provisional No. 2 spot heading into today’s final two sessions. Johnson laid down a lap of 6.572/210.93 in the third of four qualifying rounds to remain second overall, and ran a 6.557/210.18 in the fourth session, which put him sixth overall.
“We have to go out and do our job in the first round tomorrow,” Johnson said. “Vincent is always a tough opponent and he has just as good of a car as us and we know he has plenty of horsepower under the hoods with the engines that dad (Roy Johnson) and his guys build. Every round out here is tough and tomorrow will be no different.”
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