[Mopar Speed]
Allen Johnson put together an impressive outing in his J&J Racing Mopar Dodge Stratus R/T at the Pontiac Performance NHRA Nationals at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio, capturing the No.1 qualifier spot and advancing to the semifinals for the first time in 2006.
Johnson took the pole with a pass of 6.679 at 205.82 mph. He dispatched of Greg Stanfield in the first round, then defeated defending and three-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson in the quarterfinals, setting up a Hemi vs. Hemi match up in the semis against V. Gaines. Johnson was unable to get to the final, as Gaines took the win in his Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T (Gaines lost in the final to Jim Yates).
Richie Stevens Jr., driving his Team Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T, had the misfortune of facing Greg Anderson without lane choice in the first round. Despite a slightly better reaction time (.044 for Stevens Jr.; .045 for Anderson) and the lead at half-track, Stevens Jr. couldn’t hold off the defending champ. Stevens Jr.’s fellow Team Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing teammate, Shaun Carlson, continued to get valuable seat time in his Team Mopar/SRT Dodge Stratus R/T, but was unable to qualify in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock class.
Johnson, Stevens Jr., and Carlson will head next to the O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, scheduled for this Thursday through Sunday. Qualifying coverage can be seen on ESPN on Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST. Finals coverage begins Sunday, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. For more info on Stevens Jr., Carlson, Johnson or the NHRA, log on to shoeracing.com, allenjohnson.com or nhra.com.
