Ahten Sees Improved Performance at Seattle Regional

KENT, WA – The Seattle Regional Race at Pacific Raceways this past weekend was to be a charm for Johnny Ahten. For the past two years he has made it to the final round. This year, Ahten may not have advanced that far, but he did achieve some performance progress.

“We went back to what we know and softened it up a bit more, and I’m pleased with the progress,” said Ahten. “We have a hot rod again and now all we need is a little luck.“

The Island Renovations / Combust Filters dragster started Friday qualifying with a fine 5.399/262.90 to go to the number four slot. The next two qualifying attempts were treated like a test session, and a few tweaks were planned. Those adjustments proved that the Stump Puller can make power, but getting it to the pavement is a tricky application. Ahten ended up in the number six position after final qualifying. A match up with last year’s champ Chris Demke in the first round was the next challenge.

Sunday’s elimination round against CleanBoost Oil teammate Demke got off to a great start with Johnny getting the advantage off the line. Both cars blasted down the quarter mile and Demke’s 5.302/271.57 took the win in a tight battle to the finish line to Ahten’s 5.329/264.96.

“We lost a close one to the champ, nothing to be ashamed of. Each time out we are running quicker,” added Ahten.

Johnny Ahten did not get what he wanted from Pacific Raceways. He did get what he needed, which was a dose of confidence, performance, and nitro fumes. The added boost will help finish the year strong. The next outing for Johnny and the Stump Puller will be the Sept. 18-20 LODRS Regional race at Woodburn Dragstrip. To stay informed with the latest please visit: www.facebook.com/JohnnyAhtenRacing