Allen Johnson
Looking back on 2008, I think we had a good season overall. I was a little disappointed that towards the end of the year we didn’t win a couple of races after we got the car working a little better. I guess my feeling is a little disappointment at the season’s end, but really revved up about the prospects of testing and getting ready for the next season, because I feel like we used up all of our bad luck or bad karma, and something good has to start happening.
The highlights of my season were definitely the K&N Horsepower Challenge win at the NHRA event in Norwalk, Ohio, where I took home the $50,000 winner’s check, and the runner-up spot at the Mopar® Mile-High Nationals in Denver was pretty special. That was the second year in a row I put my Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T in the finals at the Mile-Highs, which is probably the biggest event of the year for Mopar, my primary sponsor, so that was huge.
I’ve made the Countdown to 1 now in the first two years since the NHRA playoffs were formed, so that’s something I’m proud of. I think I struggled a bit this year as a driver, but I feel like toward the end of the year I got back in my groove, and I look forward to coming out next year in that same groove and having a little more luck.
Once the season ended, it’s a little bit of a shock to have down time. Taking the whole crew, the engine guys and everybody from my team to the NHRA banquet every year is definitely a fun time and gives everybody a few days of R&R. We also had time to visit with some of our suppliers. My dad Roy, who builds my engines, and some of the guys went out to one of the piston companies and watched some pistons being made and went to a couple of vendors that supply parts for us. We won’t just be sitting around until the 2009 season begins in February at Pomona. We’re leaving on Sunday to go testing in West Palm Beach for three days with Johnny Gray’s team, who is partnering with our J&J Racing team in 2009.
We also made another hire we’re excited about. We brought aboard Jeff Perley, who worked as co-crew chief for the KB team the first three years they won world championships. We hired him to serve as co-crew chief with Mark Ingersoll on my car and act as a consultant, along with Mark, to Johnny and Vinnie Deceglie’s teams. All three of us will run Mopar HEMI engines supplied by J&J Racing. It’s just another set of eyes and ears that we need with all three of these cars that were going to be running next year. I think it will pay big dividends. I feel confident for next year. I think our Mopar HEMI engines are solid and the team has already found a little more horsepower. I’m more excited about the coming season than I’ve ever been.
After testing at West Palm, I’m heading to the PRI show in Orlando, where I’ll be making some appearances at the Mopar display at the event. Pam and I will just hang around home with family in Greeneville, Tenn. for Christmas, and then maybe get together with Dave Connolly and his girlfriend for New Years Eve somewhere. Pam and I also might take a skiing trip in mid-January somewhere out West, then we’ll head to Vegas for pre-testing and then on to Pomona!