Johnson No. 2 with Chandler’s Make-A-Wish Dodge Funny Car during hot Seattle event, Schumacher leads DSR’s dragsters
SEATTLE – Setting records has been the norm this year on the NHRA Mello Drag Racing Series tour but a new 
category for all-time highs appeared Friday on opening day of the NHRA Northwest Nationals near Seattle.
Don Schumacher Racing and other teams in the Mello Yello Series were greeted in the Northwest by astounding temperatures in the low 90s when racing began late Friday afternoon.
The Northwest Nationals shapes up to be one of the most memorable closing events of the three-week Western Swing that began with races near Denver and at Sonoma, Calif., with temperatures below normal.
Compounding the heat was track temperatures in the scolding range of 135 degrees and a haze from about two dozen wildfires north of Seattle.
Regardless of the weather conditions at Seattle, Tommy Johnson Jr. always likes being at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash.
The driver of Terry Chandler’s Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car Powered by Pennzoil for Don Schumacher Racing holds the No. 2 qualifying position heading to Saturday’s last two sessions before championship eliminations at 11 a.m. (PDT) on Sunday.
Johnson, who is ranked fifth in points with crew chief John Collins and assistant Rip Reynolds, was third quickest in the first session with a time of 4.011 seconds at 319.60 mph and then improved with a 3.930 (324.05) on the evening run.
“That’s a heckuva a lot better start for us than last week,” Johnson said.
He was referring to an early qualifying run at Denver last Friday when a rear axle broke at over 250 mph but the veteran driver was able to keep his Dodge from sustaining major damage with a hard hit to the guardwall.
His masterful Make-A-Wish crew was able to make necessary repairs and although the body was damaged, he drove the same chassis to No. 2 on Friday.
“That shows how talented our guys are back at the DSR fab shop for building such a strong car and how good our Make-A-Wish team is at getting it ready for me,” said Johnson, whose first professional win was at Seattle in 1993 driving the Mopar Top Fuel dragster.
“This is always is a good track for me. I don’t know why, but I’m always comfortable coming here.”
Not far behind Johnson, are teammates Jack Beckman (Terry Chandler’s Infinite Hero Dodge) in fifth, Matt Hagan (80th Anniversary Mopar/Express Lane) in seventh and reigning world champion and points leader Ron Capps (NAPA AUTO PARTS) in 10th.
In Top Fuel, eight-time world champion and four-time Seattle winner Tony Schumacher leads DSR’s dragster trio with a pair of strong, consistent runs including his best of 3.802 (322.96) in the night session. Not far behind is three-time and reigning world champ Antron Brown (Matco Tools) in fourth. Leah Pritchett, who debuted with Papa John’s Pizza a year ago at Seattle is 10th with her dragster co-branded with FireAde2K and PACCAR, which is headquartered in Renton, Wash.
