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NHRA - Richie Stevens Jr. and Allen Johnson Have Good Reason to Say Viva Las Vegas


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* Stevens looking to double-up at Las Vegas * With a recent finals appearance in the bank, Johnson aims to cash in * Richie Stevens Jr. stats * Allen Johnson stats * SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals event details

Center Line, Mich. ‹ Heading into the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Team Mopar® Pro Stockers Richie Stevens Jr. and Allen Johnson possess an optimism based on past success.

Stevens utilized J & J Racing-tuned HEMI® power to take his Team Mopar\Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T to the win last year at the fall Vegas event. Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J & J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, qualified third and advanced all the way to the finals in the previous event at Houston, moving him up to the eighth spot in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points standings. Both drivers will look to build on those positive results when they do battle in the Vegas desert this weekend.

Stevens looking to double-up at Las Vegas Stevens rebounded nicely from a tough outing at Gainesville, qualifying his Don Schumacher Racing-owned Dodge Stratus R/T sixth at Houston and taking his second round win of the year, before losing a battle of the teammates with Johnson in the quarterfinals. Bolstered by his solid Houston outing and his fall Vegas win, Stevens is looking to notch his name in the event win column for the first time in 2007 at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

³We won the fall race at Vegas in 2006, so coming back is going to be uplifting for me,² said Stevens. ³It¹s a track that I¹ve done decent at in the past. The weather is usually nice out there and the track is an awesome facility. I¹m looking forward to getting back out there. It¹s a track that I¹ve proven myself on and done real well at, and hopefully we can go and capitalize on what we did last year.²

For some, the call of the Vegas nightlife might be a strong draw, but Stevens is focused on winning at the track, and not on the famed Vegas Strip.

³You have to know your limits,² Stevens explained. ³When I get on the track, I¹m focused on one thing, and that¹s driving the car. We¹re saving the big party for Sunday.²

Recent test sessions have also paid off for Stevens and Johnson, who both drive cars tuned by J & J Racings¹s Roy Johnson. If all goes well, one of the

J & J drivers will be leaving Las Vegas with a Wally.

³We had a big test session before Houston, and we¹ve been working on the cars a lot,² said Stevens. ³We¹ve had the power all along. We¹re trying to get these cars to run identical, that way we can make similar calls on the cars. If I¹m a few pairs ahead, and my car doesn¹t respond right, we can make the adjustments on Allen¹s car, and vice versa. Allen and I ran really well down in Houston, and I think we¹re getting things back on track. Hopefully we will show it this weekend in Vegas.²

With a recent finals appearance in the bank, Johnson aims to cash in Coming off his best outing of the year, Allen Johnson¹s goal is to keep the momentum rolling as the J & J Racing team heads to the Vegas strip for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. And although victory is always the ultimate goal, Johnson has his team focused on one main objective: consistency.

³What we¹re trying to do is qualify both Richie and I in the top eight,² remarked Johnson. ³We¹re trying to be more consistent on each run, get down the track, and build on each run. That¹s our main goal and focus, to really be consistent and be in the top eight in qualifying, instead of rolling the dice and going for broke, or setting up too conservative and ending up fourteenth.²

Johnson¹s objective is to put both himself and Stevens in the top eight in points when the NHRA POWERade¹s Countdown to 4 cutoff hits. The new points system cuts the field down to the top eight drivers after the 17th race, with points readjusted in 10 point increments. After the 21st event, the field will be reduced to the top four drivers for the Countdown to 1 for the championship.

³We want to be consistent, be in the top eight in qualifying, and always go rounds on Sunday,² Johnson again emphasized. ³We want to work toward making the Countdown to 4.²

Richie Stevens Jr. stats * Took his sixth career win at the fall Las Vegas event in 2006. * Has a career-best speed of 208.71 mph (Richmond 2006) and career best ET of 6.600 (Richmond 2006). * Has made 11 career final round appearances. * In his career, Stevens has recorded 103 round wins. * Currently is 12th in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock points race.

Allen Johnson stats * His runner-up at the O¹Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals was his tenth career final round appearance. * Has racked up 108 round wins in his career. * Set a career best for speed (208.65 mph) at the NHRA Gatornationals * Has four career NHRA POWERade Pro Stock victories. * Captured two career No. 1 qualifier awards.

SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Event Details Stevens and Johnson will look to earn Team Mopar its first Pro Stock win of 2007 at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, scheduled for April 12-15 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Qualifying coverage will air Saturday, April 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., EDT, on ESPN2. Eliminations coverage will be broadcast on Sunday, April 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. EDT, on ESPN2. For more info on the NHRA, log on HERE.

About DaimlerChrysler¹s Mopar Brand When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts supplier led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Division. In 1937, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was created for the business of distributing parts through a depot system and car divisional wholesalers.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s ­ the muscle car era. Beginning in 1962, Mopar carried a line of ³Special Parts² for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, the Chrysler Group¹s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to DaimlerChrysler engineering standards.