Team MoparR Driver Allen Johnson Ends Season with Quarterfinals Finish at NHRA Finals

Nov. 15, 2009

Contact: Darren Jacobs, (248) 553-4566, Cell: (313) 530-9910
E-mail: djacobs@jrthompson.com  

 

TEAM MOPAR(r) PRO STOCK RACE REPORT
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 24 of 24
Nov. 12-Nov. 15
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals

Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Team Mopar(r) Driver Allen Johnson Ends Season with Quarterfinals Finish
at NHRA Finals


Pomona, Calif. (Nov. 15, 2009) - Team Mopar(r) NHRA Full Throttle Pro
Stock driver Allen Johnson wrapped up his 2009 season with a
quarterfinals finish today in the elimination rounds of the Automobile
Club of Southern California NHRA Finals. Johnson knocked out Vinnie
Deceglie in the first round before losing to Jason Line in the quarters.


 

Johnson, the No. 6 qualifier and driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge
Stratus R/T, drew Deceglie in an opening-round battle of J&J
Racing-prepped Mopar HEMI(r)-powered Dodges. The left lane appeared
problematic for the Pro Stockers during the first two matchups,
prompting Johnson to switch to the right lane. The decision proved
prescient as Johnson captured the round win with a 6.648-second elapsed
time (ET) at 207.18 mph, with Deceglie struggling to make it down the
track with a 7.187/128.19 mark.

 

Johnson squared off with Line in the second round. A.J. was first off
the starting line with a reaction time of .023 (.000 is perfect) to
Line's mark of .057, but his lead was short-lived, as his Mopar Dodge
shook the tires shortly after take off, bringing an end to his 2009
campaign.

 

"I'm not that happy with our ending today," said Johnson. "I think we
had a package there that maybe could have knocked him (Line) out. We had
a really good light. It's not the ending we wanted. But, you know, it's
been another year and we're all safe. We'll come back next year and try
to get that title."

 

Johnson finished the season with two victories, at the O'Reilly NHRA
Summer Nationals in Topeka and the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in
Denver. The two triumphs were a single-season career high for the
Greeneville, Tenn., native. The Team Mopar veteran also captured his
seventh career No. 1 Qualifier Award at the NHRA Northwest Nationals in
Seattle. Johnson is scheduled to switch to a new Mopar Pro Stock Dodge
Avenger in 2010.

 

"I was real happy with the first part of the season," said Johnson.
"Next year we'll look to at least double our win total from this year.
We're pumped up about the new Mopar Dodge Avenger. We can't wait to
start testing and then come back here to Pomona in February and show it
off."

 

Mopar-powered driver Johnny Gray went down in defeat in the first round,
losing to Kurt Johnson. HEMI-powered Pro Stockers Larry Morgan and
Rickie Jones also exited in the opening stanza.

 

Allen Johnson finished seventh in the final NHRA Pro Stock Countdown to
1 point standings. The 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will
commence with the 50th Annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in
Pomona on Feb. 11-14, 2010.