Ahten Family
Ahten Feels the Heat in Seattle
KENT, WA – Johnny Ahten returned to the dragstrip at Pacific Raceways for the LODRS Regional race and was 
greeted with a twenty degree temperature increase from the National event just a week ago. Returning the favor, Ahten lit up the track with a hot 5.346/266.64 run that slotted the Island Renovations / Combust Filters car in the number three spot for the day.
“We have been chasing a tune-up for this chassis for a while now, “said Ahten. “It turns out we had a bad clutch and it was throwing things off. Now that we have the clutch sorted out, we are looking forward to the business of going rounds.”
Battling the increased temperatures and solid competition, crew chief Al Ahten and team partner Howard Katano are have things well in hand. Bob Ahten, Kevin “Shark” Colvell, Chuck Costabile, and John Mark are sticking together in the Seattle sun. The Stump Puller seems to be enjoying the heat, and Johnny Ahten is hoping to keep things hot in Seattle.
Ahten Finds Upside of Early Exit at Northwest Nationals
KENT, WA – Johnny Ahten and the Island Renovations / Combust Filters team gained more than they lost at the 
Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The results page may say Ahten was ousted by the former world champ Chris Demke in the first round, but the real winner was the Ahten Racing tuning book. Two runs in the 5.30’s will be a confidence builder heading into the final stretch of the season.
“We ran our quickest run of the weekend and got beat,” said Ahten. “Running a 5.34 and finishing on seven cylinders is a positive we are going to build on. We have been dealing with some clutch issues and I think things are starting to come together. I love racing at this track and we are excited by what we learned.”
Johnny Ahten Switches Helmets for the Northwest Nationals
KENT, WA – Instead of fighting wildfires in California, Johnny Ahten is at Pacific Raceways near Seattle this 
weekend where he is working to keep all the cylinders firing on his racecar.
“The oxygen rich air here is the perfect opportunity for the Stump Puller to run well,” said Ahten. “I love this place because of the tree-lined track and great surface. We have run in the twenty’s here and advanced to two finals at Regional races. The progress we made at Woodburn a few weeks ago will give us a good game plan for this weekend.”
The Island Renovations / Combust Filters A/Fuel dragster ripped off a few 5.30 runs at the Woodburn Regional and crew chief Al Ahten and Team Partner Howard Katano are looking to continue improving at the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals. Crewmembers Bob Ahten, Kevin “Shark” Colvell, Todd “Rocky” Rockwell will be on hand to make sure Johnny Ahten can concentrate on the clutch.
Clutch Performance at Woodburn Gives Ahten Hope
Woodburn, OR – There were several questions going into the LODRS Regional race at Woodburn Dragstrip that had Johnny Ahten and the team anxious. They were racing with an unknown clutch combination and were working on suggestions and best estimates.
“I was optimistically challenged by the opportunity to make this clutch work,” said Johnny Ahten. “Being the driver and clutch guy for the Stump Puller brings a great deal of responsibility. We were working with a borrowed clutch from Randy Eakins at East West Clutches because something was not right with ours. We had to estimate counter weights and some settings on the borrowed clutch. It was not a direct replacement, so we had to feel it out. “
Ahten Looking to Come Through in the Clutch at Woodburn Regional
Woodburn, OR – There are several reasons why Johnny Ahten is excited about racing this weekend at Oregon’s 
Woodburn Dragstrip. First off he has a special crewperson on hand. Johnny’s son Eli is on his first solo trip as a member of the crew. Returning to racing after several weeks off is another reason to be giddy. As if these were not enough, Johnny has a new clutch and flywheel in his possession. The gremlins are running scared and the Stump Puller is going to be ready.
“To have Eli here is huge,” said Ahten. “His older brother Owen did this a few years ago and now it is Eli’s turn. I have some practice with this so I don’t think it will be a distraction. I couldn’t be more excited for him. I can remember following my dad to races when I was younger and here I am living the dream.”
Challenging Mission Regional Leads to Discovery for Ahten
Mission, BC – Last weekend Johnny Ahten traveled to British Columbia’s Mission Raceway Park for a West Regional 
race. The long trip ended with a picturesque racetrack, but the journey was just beginning.
Hours of work were spent going over the Stump Puller since the last race, and hopes were high. A first qualifying run on Friday was a conservative-tuned 5.604/258.32 that put Johnny in the number three spot for the day. Saturday’s Q2 session saw more favorable conditions and things were spiced up. The 5.698/256.92 was not what they had in mind. Frustration and wonder began to rise. The adjustments for the final session resulted in a 6.387/172.81 and the journey seemed to be getting longer. The Island Renovations / Combust Filters Dragster ended up in the number seven slot and garnered a first round match-up with number two qualifier Garrett Bateman. Discussions and inspections led to the conclusion that something was indeed wrong in the clutch. Round one was in the morning and pressure was on.
National Blues, Regional Desires Fuel Ahten Racing
Las Vegas, NV – After a very long weekend at the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals, Johnny Ahten and the 
Island Renovations / Combust Filters team is anxious to get back to racing at this weekend’s Regional race at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Ahten Racing truck and trailer pulled into the Vegas racetrack on Thursday afternoon in preparation for the National event. By Friday morning, it had already seemed like a week.
“We were chasing an ignition gremlin and it was a thrash just to get to the line for the first qualifying session, “said Johnny Ahten. We went back to a familiar combination and we thought we had the car sorted out. Our first and second qualifying passes proved us wrong on that one. As it turns out, we had a drivetrain issue that was preventing us from launching the car under power. By the third qualifying session on Saturday we had found the issue and laid down a decent pass. It was a long couple of days that made that full qualifying pass feel very satisfying.”
A Big Vegas Jackpot is Waiting for Johnny Ahten
Las Vegas, NV – Johnny Ahten is at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 17th Annual DENSO Spark Plugs 
NHRA Nationals and he is putting his money and his Island Renovations / Combust Filiters dragster on the line. The games of chance under the bright lights of the casinos have nothing on the real thrill of hitting the jackpot at the track.
“We have run well here in Vegas, and our confidence is high with the power of the car, but the consistency needs improvement,” said Ahten. “Since the Phoenix Regional race, we went through the combination and we have a plan in place. Our first two races of the year showed promise, and now it’s time to capitalize on it.”
Ahten Goes to Semi-Finals at Phoenix Regional
CHANDLER, AZ – Racing is an inexact science. Sometimes things break, snap or wiggle loose. Such was the case at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park last weekend for the LODRS Regional race with Johnny Ahten. Making it to the semi-finals, Ahten was paired against Chris Demke. After a routine burnout, Ahten found that he could not get the car to go into reverse. Something had wiggled loose on the burnout and he had no choice but to abort the run. Demke went on to the final while Ahten returned to the pits.
“I’m disappointed in the fact that we did not get a chance to race Demke,” said Ahten. “We had the Stump Puller loaded up and I feel we would have given him a great race and move on. We got back to the pits and diagnosed the problem in no time. We spent five days in Phoenix which included a few test passes on Thursday. We will get things together and right for the Vegas races.”
Ahten Celebrates 2016 with Hedman Hedders and Strong Outing in Pomona
Pomona, CA – Johnny Ahten celebrated his ten year partnership with Hedman Hedders at the 56th running of the 
Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Pomona with a round one win and strong performance numbers. Ahten recorded a career best MPH, as well as a best ET and MPH for the newest incarnation of the Stump Puller. Hedman Hedders and Johnny Ahten plan on continuing this type of celebration for the rest of the 2016 season.
Ahten’s first two rounds of qualifying were challenging. A fuel issue thwarted the first run, and tire smoke ended the second. On Saturday’s final qualifying session, the Island Renovations/Combust Filters A/Fuel Dragster launched well and recorded a 5.324/276.80 pass. This put the Stump Puller in the number nine slot, and earned a career best speed record for Ahten. These accomplishments landed a round one battle with previous series champion Chris Demke.
