Team Mopar(R)'s Johnson Powers to Pole, Semis Appearance at Seattle
Mopar(R)/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson followed up his July 12 win at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals with a strong outing at the NHRA Northwest Nationals on Sunday, July 19. Johnson seized the No. 1 spot in qualifying and advanced to the semifinals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, Wash.
Johnson set both ends of the track record (later reset by Mike Edwards) to seize the No. 1 Qualifier Award in the first qualifying session on Saturday with a pass of 6.571/210.21. It was the first No. 1 Qualifier Award of the year for Johnson and the seventh of his career. It also marked the 13th time in 14 events in which Johnson posted his Mopar HEMI(R)-powered Pro Stocker in the top half of the field.
The Seattle outing seemed almost a repeat of the Mopar Mile-Highs, with Johnson once again facing Danny Gruninger, Rickie Jones and Jason Line in eliminations. Johnson took out Mopar-powered drivers Gruninger and Jones in the first and second rounds, respectively, then drew Line, the man he beat in the Mopar Mile-High finals, in the semis.
Johnson, the 2006 winner at Seattle, was in search of his fourth straight finals appearance at the venue and his third win of the 2009 campaign. The outlook looked bright for Johnson off the starting line as he had a slight lead on Line, but the Team Mopar driver's Dodge Stratus R/T went into tire shake shortly after takeoff, as Line motored down the track for the round win, ending Johnson's hopes for a sweep of the NHRA's Western Swing—Denver, Seattle and Sonoma.
Johnson will try to go 2-for-3 in the Western Swing with a victory in the FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., July 24–26.