Johnson Jr. outduels Fuller in day one of Yas Drag Festival

(digital image attached)

News From Don Schumacher Racing and Yas Marina Circuit

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CONTACT: Ted Yerzyk, Don Schumacher Racing
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JOHNSON, JR. OUTDUELS FULLER IN DAY ONE OF YAS DRAG FESTIVAL

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (March 19, 2010) ­ Tommy Johnson, Jr. scored
two wins Friday evening at Yas Drag Centre behind the wheel of his Yas
Marina Circuit Top Fuel dragster during the Inaugural Yas Drag Festival.
Teammate Rod Fuller notched one win light during the three match races in
Abu Dhabi. Johnson also posted the quickest elapsed time of the day at
3.899-seconds. 

Johnson, a nine-time NHRA winner with wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car,
outraced Fuller on Fridayıs opening match using a run of 3.917 seconds at
499.17 kph (310.16 mph) to hold off Fullerıs lap of 3.988 at 486.78
Johnsonıs speed was the fastest of the day. Fuller, a seven-time NHRA Top
Fuel winner, evened the score during the second race at the spectacular Yas
drag strip clocking a run of 3.908 at 497.48 to edge Johnsonıs 3.938 at
488.27. In the rubber match, Johnson powered to the win with a pass of 3.899
at 496.72, while Fullerıs teal and white rail lost traction and slowed to a
pass of 4.177 at 488.17.
³This is exactly what we came here to do,² Johnson said. ³We wanted to put
on a great show for everyone here at Yas Marina and really show the world
what Top Fuel drag racing is all about. It was a great day.²

Johnson set both ends of the Yas Drag Centre track records at 3.899 seconds
and 499.17 mph. On Saturday, Johnson and Fuller look to clock runs in the
3.8-second range and surpass the magical 500-kph mark. ³We made three great
side-by-side runs in a country that has never seen Top Fuel racing,² Fuller
said. ³The crowd response was overwhelming. Now, our goal is to go out and
break the 500-kph mark on Saturday. It would be so cool if both Tommy
(Johnson) and I could put a 500-kph speed on the board on the same run.²

The Yas Drag Festival continues on Saturday with the two Yas Marina Circuit
Top Fuel dragsters scheduled to make runs at 6:30, 8:30 and 10 p.m.

Run 1
Johnson, Jr. (.065) 3.917 ET, 499.17 KPH def. Fuller (.063) 3.988 ET, 486.78
KPH

Run 2
Fuller (.083) 3.908 ET, 497.48 KPH def. Johnson, Jr. (.060) 3.938 ET, 488.27
KPH

Run 3
Johnson, Jr. (.083) 3.899 ET, 496.72 KPH def. Fuller (.099) 4.177 ET, 488.17
KPH

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