Countdown Begins for Team Mopar's Allen Johnson at Inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals
Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson battled his way through the 18-race NHRA POWERade Pro Stock regular season to emerge as one of 10 drivers to qualify for the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs. One of the hottest drivers on the Pro Stock circuit will now enter the first event in the six-race playoffs, the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals. The race is scheduled for Sept. 11 – 14 at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C.
Johnson and his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T team have made four semifinals appearances since July, including two runner-up finishes. Johnson also captured his fifth career No. 1 qualifier award at the recent U.S. Nationals. The string of successes has Johnson feeling rejuvenated as he begins the final push for a first career NHRA Pro Stock title.
"Momentum is key," said Johnson, who has qualified for the Countdown in each of the first two years of the playoff. "We've got that momentum right now and we have to go and keep that momentum. We want to use this first race to put us in a position where we are out front or near the top."
Johnson has benefited from the recent stellar performance of his Mopar/J&J Racing crew. "I feel like our consistency as a team showed again up there in Indy," said Johnson. "We just have to transfer that to race day. The Mopar parts and the Mopar HEMI® engine are working awesome right now."
Mopar-powered driver V. Gaines also qualified for the Countdown to 1 and will join Johnson as one of ten drivers to battle for the title starting at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals, scheduled for Sept. 11 – 14 at zMax Dragway in Concord. Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, Sept. 13 beginning at 4 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, Sept. 14 starting at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. For more info on the NHRA, log on to http://www.nhra.com.