Bristol, TN – The 14th annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Thunder Valley Nationals hold a bit more importance than usual for a few Mopar drivers this weekend. Since the national event was added to the NHRA Mello Yello drag racing schedule, there has been extra incentive to do well as a home event for the Greenville, Tenn.-native Allen Johnson and his engine builder, Roy Johnson, but the father-son duo have some unfinished business they’d like to take care of this Father’s Day weekend in the new Dodge Dart.

While both the elder and younger Johnson have previously won sportsman races at Bristol Dragway as drivers — Roy did it twice in the early 1970s in Stock and Super Stock classes, while Allen won as a teen in 1981 in Super Stock— a Pro Stock win has eluded them. In 2012, on route to their first NHRA Pro Stock World Championship, they came as close to a win as is technically possible with the closest finish in NHRA history when Johnson’s Mopar finished runner-up to competitor Mike Edwards by less than .0000 of a second. Johnson earned three consecutive pole positions from 2010 to 2012 and added a No.2 qualifier position last season. With three wins so far this year, two of which have been in the new Dodge Dart, Johnson is hoping to add another this weekend.

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Englishtown, NJ –Jeg Coughlin Jr. drove the JEGS.com Mopar Dodge Dart to victory at the 45^th annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Summernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey, to earn his 58th career Pro Stock national title after reaching the final round of eliminations for a third consecutive event. The defending NHRA factory hot rod world champion has been on a tear, jumping from ninth place in the points standings to second with his two wins and a runner-up finish, combining with his teammate, Allen Johnson, to put the new Dodge Dart in the winner’s circle at each of the last three events.

“These last three weekends have been a helluva hat trick for J&J Racing, winning all three races,” said Coughlin who earned both his wins this season against Greg Anderson in the final round, this time with an elapsed time run of 6.510 seconds (213.94 mph). “I got Atlanta and Englishtown and A.J. won in Topeka, so we’re on a great run.”

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Englishtown, NJ – Picking up right where he left off last weekend with his Pro Stock title win at the Kansas Nationals, Allen Johnson drove his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart to the top spot on both qualifying days at the 45^th annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Summernationals to earn his 33rd career No.1 qualifier position.

With cool evening conditions on Friday, Johnson drove his HEMI^®-powered Mopar to the provisional pole position by setting the track elapsed time record at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park with a 6.502 second / 213.00 mph pass. He followed up that performance by improving on it in the final session on Saturday with the second quickest pass in Pro Stock history to take his second No.1 qualifier honor of the season.

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Auburn Hills, MI – “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson raced to his second victory in three years and third straight final-round appearance at the NHRA Kansas Nationals, defeating teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a repeat of last year’s all-Mopar final at Heartland Park Topeka. Flipping the results from his runner-up finish against Coughlin at the venue in 2013, Johnson drove to his class-leading third victory of the season, third overall at Topeka and 23rd of his career.

Following on the heels of Coughlin’s win in the rain-delayed NHRA Atlanta event on Monday, Johnson’s triumph is the second in less than a week for Mopar Dodge Dart drivers, and third overall since Johnson inaugurated the new Mopar Dodge Dart Pro Stock body with a win in its race debut at the NHRA Gatornationals in March. Counting Johnson’s victory at Phoenix in his since retired Dodge Avenger, Mopar Pro Stockers have accounted for four wins in the eight 2014 NHRA events held to date.

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Auburn Hills, MI – Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Dart driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. will look to keep a pair of streaks alive when he starts from the No. 4 spot in eliminations tomorrow at the NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. Coughlin will seek to defend his 2013 event win at Topeka, and will also attempt to double up following his victory earlier this week in the rain-delayed NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing event in Atlanta.

Inclement weather also played a role in Friday qualifying at Topeka, with the Pro categories limited to just one qualifying attempt. Coughlin made the most of that single session, recording his quickest qualifying effort with a 6.618-second elapsed time, at 208.65 mph. After more wet weather, the defending Pro Stock series champ added runs of 6.627/207.53 and 6.624/207.53 in his final two qualifying attempts on Saturday. Coughlin draws Rodger Brogdon to begin eliminations tomorrow.

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Commerce, GA – After winning the 2013 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock Championship, Jeg Coughlin Jr. was back in the winner’s circle for his first win of the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing series season aboard the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Dart at the rain delayed 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday.

The victory at Atlanta Dragway was the 57^th of Coughlin’s illustrious Pro Stock career and the second for the Dodge Dart, which made its debut earlier this season at Gainesville with a win by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) HEMI^®-powered teammate Allen Johnson.

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Commerce, GA – The elimination ladders are set for the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Southern Nationals near Atlanta, Georgia, and for nearly every Mopar entry, qualifying presented a bigger challenge than expected and produced either a somewhat positive or rather unusual result. Intermittent rain delays on both qualifying days pushed the sessions later into the evening than normal and into cooler and slightly better racing conditions under the lights at Atlanta Dragway.

The second day of qualifying started off on a positive note for the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Mopars with Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.051 seconds), Matt Hagan (4.103 seconds) and Jack Beckman (4.168 seconds) posting the top three quickest times in the first Funny Car session of the day.

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Commerce, GA – Following a two week break from National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing action, Mopar teams are back on track at the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals near Atlanta, Georgia. Coming off final elimination appearances at the SpringNationals in both Pro Stock, with Allen Johnson, and Funny Car, with Jack Beckman, Mopar teams and drivers are now looking to get on a roll starting this weekend at Atlanta Dragway for the first of three national events in as many weeks.

For Friday’s two qualifying sessions, the track that normally boasts a “Hot-lanta” moniker saw cool temperatures in the 60 degree Fahrenheit range set up the opportunity for quicker lap times, but instead the Mopar contingent saw mixed results in both categories.

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Baytown, TX – Mopar drivers Allen Johnson and Jack Beckman took their HEMI-powered Dodge machines to their respective Pro Stock and Funny Car final elimination rounds at Royal Purple Raceway to come away with runner-up finishes at 27th annual NHRA SpringNationals near Baytown, Texas.

Pro Stock No.1 qualifier, Johnson took his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart through the eliminations ladder to advance to his third final round appearance of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. He defeated Greg Stanfield, Jonathan Gray and Vincent Nobile on route to a final elimination match-up with the second seeded Eric Enders-Stevens.

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Baytown, TX – It was a happy “HEMI Day” for Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson who kept his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart atop the leaderboard at Royal Purple Raceway to secure the No.1 qualifier position for Sunday’s elimination rounds at 27th annual NHRA SpringNationals near Baytown, Texas. In tribute to the Gen II 426 Race HEMI, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this season, Mopar and aficionados of the iconic engine have designated April 26 (4-26) as “HEMI Day”.

Johnson secured his first pole position of the 2014 season, the 32^nd of his career, with his second qualifying pass in the cool Friday evening air by posting a 6.555-second elapsed time run at 211.63 mph. The Mopar driver also earned a total of nine qualifying bonus point by posting the second quickest passes in three other sessions. His closest qualifying rival in the hotly contested Pro Stock category was second seeded Erica Enders Stevens.

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