Johnson Takes No. 12 Spot in First Day of NHRA Gatornationals Qualifying; Kurt Busch's Maiden NHRA Run Delayed

March 12, 2010

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

 

TEAM MOPAR(r) QUALIFYING REPORT
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 3 of 23
March 11-14
41st Annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals

Gainesville Raceway
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Johnson Takes No. 12 Spot in First Day of NHRA Gatornationals
Qualifying; Kurt Busch's Maiden NHRA Run Delayed


Gainesville, Fla. (March 12, 2010) - NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series driver Allen Johnson grabbed the No. 12 spot in his Pro Stock
Mopar(r) Dodge Avenger during a rain-shortened qualifying session today
at the 41st Annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville
Raceway. The wet weather also postponed the highly anticipated NHRA
debut of 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.

 

Johnson recorded a pass of 6.670/207.62 in the only qualifying session
held today due to rainy weather. The Team Mopar driver and Greeneville,
Tenn. native will look to improve his position in the final two
qualifying sessions tomorrow.

 

"We didn't make a very good run at all. We're still trying to find out
why," said Johnson. "The car was just way off in the 60-foot mark.
Hopefully, that's all it is, and we can fix it and jump right back up
there."

 

Tomorrow's qualifying sessions will also mark the postponed elimination
rounds of the NHRA Arizona Nationals. Johnson will face Jason Line in
the quarterfinals as he attempts to win the Arizona event and claim the
Gatornationals No. 1 Qualifier spot.

 

"We've got to correct what happened today, or we won't be doing that,"
said Johnson, who earned a runner-up finish in the 2009 Gatornationals.
"I've got faith in everybody on my J&J Racing team. We'll fix it. We'll
go out there tomorrow and run a 6.62, or close to it, in the Mopar Dodge
Avenger, move up towards the top and win some rounds."

 

Vinnie Deceglie was an impressive No. 4 with a pass of 6.631/207.53 in
his Mopar-powered Dodge Stratus in the first round of qualifying. V.
Gaines clocked in at No. 21 and will look to crack the Top 16 tomorrow
in his Dodge Avenger.

 

Dodge Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch will have
to wait to debut his Mopar HEMI(r)-powered 1970 Dodge Challenger in NHRA
Super Gas competition. The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger driver's
first official run in an NHRA event will take place at the earliest on
Sunday after rain washed out Super Gas qualifications yesterday and
today and caused saturated conditions in the Sportsman pits.