Mopar
Despite Difficult Day at Bristol Mopar Still on Top
Bristol, TN – Eliminations on Father’s Day at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals did not quite go as planned for the 
Mopar contingency, but while none of the Dodge entries in either class were able to advance past the second round at Bristol Dragway, a few positives remained. Despite the shortened race day, Matt Hagan and the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Don Schumacher Racing machine remain atop the leaderboard in the Funny Car points race, while Allen Johnson and Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. are tied for the second spot in the Pro Stock standings.
Another top highlight took place prior to first round action, as driver of the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger, Johnson along with his father and engine builder Roy Johnson, were presented with the “Mopar President’s Award” by Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. They were recognized in front of their hometown fans and family for their contributions as brand ambassadors, their five decades of loyalty, dedication and service to Mopar, and for bringing home a long sought after 2012 NHRA Pro Stock World Championship. Father and son are the first recipients of this special award.
Allen, Roy Johnson Presented with ‘Mopar President’s Award’ on Father’s Day at Bristol
Bristol, TN – A special surprise Father’s Day presentation was made to the father and son team of Roy and Allen Johnson during the driver introduction ceremonies in front of their hometown crowd at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway to honor them for their years of dedication and loyalty to the Mopar brand.
The pair was presented with the “Mopar President’s Award”, as a special honor to reward the outstanding contributions by brand ambassadors that uphold the qualities and values that add to Mopar’s legacy and reputation.
Johnson Qualifies Second in Pro Stock at Home Track; Beckman, Hagan Second and Third in Funny Car at Bristol
Bristol, TN – Following four rounds of qualifying, the field is set for the Father’s Day edition of the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway on Sunday. Hometown favorite Allen Johnson qualified his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger second on the strength of his best elapsed time on Friday night of 6.645 seconds and a top speed of 207.85 mph while his nemesis Mike Edwards earned his ninth No.1 qualifier position of the season with a 6.632-second e.t. (208.23 mph). In Funny Car, Don Schumacher Racing teammates Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan were the top Mopar Funny Car qualifiers in second and third place respectively.
While Johnson would have liked to have posted a No.1 qualifying position for a fourth year in a row at his home track, he’s keeping things in perspective.
Mopar’s Father and Son Team Working Towards a Memorable Father’s Day at Bristol
Bristol, TN – This Father’s Day weekend the Mopar contingency will compete in the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, but for Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson it is anything but an ordinary race weekend. While he and his Mopar team’s engine builder and father Roy Johnson, have a plethora of good memories at the Greenville, Tenn.-native’s home track, they are hoping to add one more special one this Sunday.
While both men have won sportsman races as drivers at Bristol Dragway and their Pro1 Mopar Dodge Avenger has earned three consecutive No. 1 qualifier honors, a Pro Stock win has eluded them. The father and son team came as close to their first professional win at their home track as is actually technically possible in last year’s final round of eliminations by finishing runner-up to Mike Edwards in the closest finish in NHRA history, a race that was decided by less than .0000 of a second.
No.1 Qualifier Hagan Wins All-Mopar Final; Johnson Runner-Up at NHRA Summernationals
Englishtown, NJ – No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan took the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Charger R/T to victory circle for the second time this season by beating his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman in the final elimination round at the 44th annual NHRA Summernationals at the historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. This was the third Mopar versus Mopar Funny Car showdown in the finals this season, all of which involved Hagan who now has a total of four championship round appearances in nine races thus far in the NHRA Mello Yello series season.
“That’s our fourth final of the year and it’s still a young season,” said Hagan who won the 2011 NHRA Funny Car Championship but then had a difficult 2012 season without a victory and narrowly missed the playoffs. “All of these guys didn’t know if they’d have jobs this year. They toughed it out. To come back and be this strong blows me away. It’s just an awesome feeling to see those win lights turn on every time. It’s something that you can’t buy out here.”
Mopar Looking to Repeat or Make New History at Summernationals
Englishtown, NJ – This weekend the Mopar contingency competes at the 44th annual NHRA Summernationals taking place at the historic Old Bridge Township Raceway Park affectionately known to drag racing aficionados as “Englishtown”. It seems that each Dodge driver is either looking to either repeat past history of success at the track, extend a streak, start a new one, or replace a missed opportunity with a new memory.
The current Funny Car points leader, Johnny Gray of Don Schumacher Racing, is the defending winner of this event and is looking to continue a hot streak that saw him drive his Dodge Charger R/T to the winner’s circle in the last two NHRA National events in Atlanta and Topeka for a total of three victories so far this season that has doubled his career totals. Last year’s action at the New Jersey track also saw DSR teammate Ron Capps, won here in 2006, set a track record with a 3.96-second pass to set the quickest run in Funny Car history.
Seventh Edition of Mopar® ‘Top Eliminator’ Program Debuts with New Details
Auburn Hills, MI – Mopar fans get your rides ready. The Mopar “Top Eliminator” program is back and is bringing new elements to the competition. The program, which is in its seventh season, recognizes the best of the best — the most skilled Mopar enthusiasts and their restyled, accessorized and performance enhanced Chrysler Group LLC vehicles.
The long-running program shines a light on passionate and dedicated Mopar enthusiasts who display unmatched skill in modifying or preserving a classic or modern-day Mopar vehicle. Two winners will be chosen from Mopar “Top Eliminator” competitions being held at “Mopars in the Park” and the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals. These two victors will be honored by having their vehicles showcased in the Mopar display area at renowned Woodward Dream Cruise in suburban Detroit on Aug. 17 rather than the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas as it was in previous years.
Two Title Wins for Mopar with Coughlin and Gray at NHRA Kansas Nationals
Topeka, KS – For a second time this season, two Dodge entries doubled up to take title wins in both the Pro Stock and Funny Car classes at the NHRA Kansas Nationals with drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Johnny Gray taking home special-edition silver Wally trophies in honor of the event’s 25th anniversary. Each driver’s trip to the winner’s circle was notable for number of reasons.
Before the final elimination round came down to a Mopar versus Mopar face-off between Coughlin and his teammate Allen Johnson, his second round victory gave him a milestone 500 career round wins. He becomes the fifth Pro Stock driver to reach that plateau along with Greg Anderson, Bob Glidden, Kurt Johnson, and Warren Johnson.
Johnson and Gray Top Mopar Qualifiers at Kansas Nationals
Topeka, KS – Under grey skies and humid conditions at Heartland Park near Topeka, Mopar drivers wrapped up two days of qualifying in preparation for Sunday’s 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals. Defending Pro Stock winner of the event, Allen Johnson was the top Mopar entry with a third place qualifying spot, while Johnny Gray was fourth quickest to lead the Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car contingency.
Johnson quickest run was made in Friday’s second qualifying session when both he and teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. not only posted the exact same elapsed time of 6.633 seconds, but matched incremental times as well at 60 ft (0.997 sec), 330 ft (2.784), 660 ft (4.272) and 1,000 ft (5.553) marks. Only a 0.16 mph difference put the Johnson’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge in third spot ahead of the Jegs.com Mopar with the quicker speed of 208.62 mph.
Mopar’s 2012 NHRA Champs Johnson and Beckman Look to Defend National Title Wins at Kansas
Topeka, KS – Not only will Mopar take on the 25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals as the defending winner in both Pro Stock and Funny Car categories, but last year’s two title victors also went on to earn their first career NHRA Championships, so you’ll have to forgive Allen Johnson and Jack Beckman for hoping that their defense of those victories might have a similar ending this season as well.
“Every single title the J&J racing team won last year was very important in our chances to become number one at the start of the Countdown and take a run at the championship but Topeka win gave us the confidence that we were headed down the right path,” said Johnson who had a near perfect weekend at the 2012 edition of the Kansas Nationals by securing the top qualifier position, taking almost every bonus point and working his way through the elimination rounds to post his second win of the season on his way to his first world championship title with a total of seven wins and 11 final-round appearances.
