Mopar® Racer Johnson Maintains No. 3 Position During Second Day of U.S. Nationals Qualifying
Courtesy of Mopar
Clermont, IN – In a wet and rain-delayed second day of qualifying at the 58th Annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Team Mopar® driver Allen Johnson held on to the third spot in qualifying on Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway in his Mopar Dodge
Avenger NHRA Pro Stock car. Johnson enters final qualifying on Sunday with his eye on a class-best tenth No. 1 spot this season and second career pole at Indy.
Johnson, ranked first in the point standings, put up a pass of 6.639-seconds at 208.20 mph in the first qualifying session, which featured an hours-long delay due to the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, which brought intermittent rain showers to the Indianapolis area. Johnson’s run was the second quickest of the session. The second Pro Stock qualifying round under the lights was cancelled due to safety concerns regarding track conditions due to condensation and excess humidity.
Needing to merely qualify for the U.S. Nationals to earn the No. 1 position in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship Pro Stock playoffs and a 30-point bonus, the Team Mopar veteran tripped the timing lights with a 6.634/208.42 to take the third spot in the single qualifying session on Friday.
“We’re happy with the improvement we’re making, and we’re getting to test a little bit along the way too,” said Johnson, who has four wins on the season and is seeking the first Indy victory of his career. “We’re not trying to be too aggressive; we’re trying to learn stuff. That run (the qualifying session that was cancelled), we were going to get aggressive and try to take the pole. But if you’re in the top two or three cars each run, you’ve got to be happy.
“If we can keep the rain away, the first session tomorrow will be the best for the air (conditions), and also if the humidity will get out of here. That’s all we’re hoping for right now.”
On the NHRA’s decision to call the final Pro Stock qualifying round today, Johnson said, “It was the right call. All that fog on the windshield was on the track as well. Somebody was getting ready to put it on its lid and mess up a good race car.”
Johnson had plenty of HEMI-powered company at Lucas Oil Raceway, as six Dodge Avenger drivers are battling to make the 16-car field at Indy. Vincent Nobile, No. 2 on Friday in his Dodge Avenger, recorded a 6.660/207.43 today and remains in the second position. After a long layoff from Pro Stock, Richie Stevens Jr. continued his strong U.S. Nationals outing, maintaining his No. 7 qualifying spot with a 6.666/206.99 effort today.
Longtime Mopar-powered driver V. Gaines was listed at No. 11 with a 6.678/207.66 mark as he and fellow Mopar HEMI pilot Jeg Coughlin Jr. are among six racers fighting for the final four spots in the Pro Stock Countdown to the Championship, the six-race playoff that begins at the next NHRA event in Charlotte. Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger driver Coughlin Jr. clocked a 6.678/206.76 to remain No. 12 on the starting grid. Coughlin Jr. also remains alive in Stock eliminations, advancing to the fourth round as he does double-duty driving his JEGS.com Mopar Challenger Drag Pak at Indy. Dodge Avenger driver Chris McGaha rounded out the Mopar-fueled Pro Stock contingent, at No. 19 with a 6.716/206.16.
Mopar HEMI-powered drivers continued to hold spots on the top half of the NHRA Funny Car qualifying charts. Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger R/T driver Jack Beckman earned the provisional pole on Friday thanks to a 4.051/302.62 mark, was low of the round in the first Saturday session with a 4.056/310.70 pass and is No. 2 heading into Sunday. Funny Car points leader Ron Capps jumped up to the No. 5 spot with a 4.064/312.13 pass during the night session after shaking the tires in his earlier qualifying attempt. Johnny Gray, another member of the four-man DSR/Mopar Funny Car gang, is No. 8 with a best mark of 4.079/310.98.
Sporting special Mopar 75th Anniversary graphics on his Mopar Dodge Charger R/T, DSR driver and defending Funny Car champion Matt Hagan put up a 4.119/307.65 mark to move up one spot to the No. 12 position. Hagan is currently one spot out of the NHRA Funny Car Countdown as he seeks to capture the final berth in the Funny Car playoffs. Dodge driver Jon Capps was fourteenth on Saturday with a best run of 4.170/290.94.
The final two qualifying sessions for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals are scheduled to begin tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 2, beginning at 11 a.m. For more information on the NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
