Allen Johnson Racing

Allen Johnson Posts Season High No. 8 Qualifying Spot Heading into Raceday at New England Nationals

Allen Johnson Posts Season High No. 8 Qualifying Spot Heading into Raceday at New England Nationals

EPPING, N.H. (June 3, 2017) – The Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing team has really begun to hit their stride as of late. The red, white, and blue group is showing their true talent with a No. 8 qualifying spot at the Fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.

Allen Johnson began his quest to his highest qualifying spot of the season on Friday at New England Dragway with a solid 6.562-second pass at 211.10 mph placing him in the No. 5 spot. Johnson bettered his performance in the second session on Friday evening with a 6.551, 211.43.

Saturday, Johnson remained consistent when he drove his Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart to a 6.552, 210.77 and with a .975-second 60-foot time, he was second fastest to the 60-foot mark. Where starting line advantages and quick 60-foot times are crucial, the performance was a definite confidence booster.

Moments before the final qualifying session, the J&J Racing team discovered the engine was broke and they did a last minute engine swap. With one pair in the burnout box as he pulled into the staging lanes, Johnson rushed to get suited up and make his final run. In all the chaos, Johnson was able to run another dependable 6.559, 209.79.

“The motor didn’t sound right when I cranked it over right before our third qualifying run but it made a good pass so I didn’t think too much of it,” Johnson explained. “Right before they called us to the lanes, I asked the boys if we could crank it over one more time. When I did that, it was making a squeaky noise and I knew we had to swap the engine quick. That was at 3:40 and we were scheduled to run at 4:00. We swapped it in 20-25 minutes and were able to make the run.”

Johnson wrapped up qualifying at the Fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals in the No. 8 spot and will have a matchup against Jason Line in the first round.

“Our Marathon Petroleum team has made some serious strides these last few races,” Johnson added. “Like I said last race in Topeka, if we can start out qualifying well and progress all four runs, we can get real close to those top guys. We’ve got another engine now with a different setup that is just as good as this one we’ve got right now. We really are gaining on them.”