Western Swing a Marathon Not a Sprint for Allen Johnson

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (August 2, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson makes his way to the upper part of the Pacific Northwest this weekend for the 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Johnson has been in the finals three times at Pacific Raceways and took home the win in 2006 against Tom Martino. One decade later, he’s anticipating a good weekend ahead regardless of his trying second round loss last weekend in Sonoma.

“I always look forward to racing in Seattle,” Johnson said. “It’s one of our favorite places to go and we always seem to do pretty good up there. Our goal is to keep our momentum from our Denver win and maintain lane choice every round on Sunday. If we could’ve kept lane choice on Sunday in Sonoma, we would’ve had a better outcome.”

Including Seattle, there are three races left in the regular season before the point standings are reset for the Countdown to the Championship and it’s of upmost importance to start the countdown as high in the points as you can be.

“Our mission for the next three races is to try to get closer to the front two or three cars before the Countdown starts,” he added.

Qualifying for the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals begins on Friday August 5th with two qualifying sessions at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. (PT) Two more qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday August 6th at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations will be at 11:00 am on Sunday morning starting with Top Fuel.

Tire Shake Ends Allen Johnson’s Day Early at Sonoma Nationals in Marathon Dodge Dart

SONOMA, Calif. (July 31, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson went to the second round of eliminations before lane conditions sealed his fate and ended his day at the 29th annual Toyota Sonoma NHRA Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

Johnson began raceday in the top half of the field from the No. 6 spot. Johnson clocked in with a stout 6.587-second pass at 209.72 mph to take the win over Aaron Strong’s 6.633, 208.71.

Losing lane choice to Shane Gray by only .005-seconds second round, Johnson was put in the left lane – a decent but less preferred lane. Johnson launched and immediately went into severe tire shake and aborted the run. Johnson clocked in with a 13.925, 88.88 and Gray advanced to the semifinals with a 6.609, 210.44.

“It’s a bummer that it was a loss for us because of what lane we were in,” Johnson said. “Every year when the sun comes out, the left lane goes away; there was nothing there. McGaha shook right before me and Nobile shook right after me and barely got the track but it’s our fault. We lost lane choice by five-thousandths and we had more left in it in first round. But you know what? We’ll leave here in good point standings and head to Seattle and get better.”

The next event on the NHRA Mello Yello is at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington next weekend for the Protect the Harvest Northwest Nationals. Qualifying will begin on Friday, August 5th at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. (PT)

ALLEN JOHNSON
MARATHON PETROLEUM/J&J RACING DODGE DART
QUALIFYING REPORT: 29TH ANNUAL TOYOTA SONOMA NHRA NATIONALS
SONOMA RACEWAY
JULY 29-31

Consistency Will Win Sonoma Nationals for Hopeful Allen Johnson

SONOMA, Calif. (July 30, 2016) – After two days of qualifying, Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson landed in the No. 6 spot on the ladder at the 29th annual Sonoma NHRA Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

In the weekend’s first session on Friday, Johnson started his qualifying efforts with a conservative 6.644-second pass at 208.62 mph. It was a stellar 6.588, 209.95 that closed out Johnson’s Friday and put him in the No. 4 spot heading into Saturday.

For Saturday’s first session, Johnson ran a clean 6.603, 208.33. Returning for his final qualifier, Johnson clocked in with a 6.646, 209.01.

“I feel good. We made two good runs on Friday and today we did a little bit of testing and learned a few things,” Johnson said. “We’ll go back to Friday’s setup tomorrow and try to be very consistent for raceday. That’s always our deal on our Marathon Petroleum team.”

Starting raceday in the No. 6 spot, Johnson will have lance choice over No. 11 Aaron Strong in the first round of eliminations.

“Even though we did some testing today, we got some good data for tomorrow,” he added. “Our tune-up for tomorrow will be a combination of all four runs. Consistency and retaining lane choice will be the way we win the race tomorrow.”

Eliminations at Sonoma Raceway begin tomorrow at 11:00 am starting with Top Fuel.

Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Hopes to Go Two for Two at Sonoma Nationals

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 26, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has one Western Swing race win under his belt and as this weekend’s race at Sonoma Raceway approaches, being the first non-KB winner of the season is giving his team some serious propulsion.

“After a few days of rest at home, we are ready and excited about going to the wine country in Sonoma,” Johnson said. “We’re going to repair some parts we hurt in Denver and try some new combinations at this race so I’m looking forward to seeing the results from that too.”

Since his win at the end of the 2015 season and the last race with carburetors, the Pro Stock class has only seen two winners that both belong to the KB Racing team. It is only fitting that Allen Johnson was the first to take home the win in Denver and claim his spot as the first non-KB car to win and the first Mopar Pro Stocker to win a race in 2016.

“Sweeping the Swing” is on every racer’s mind when it comes to the Western Swing. With one race down, Johnson is that much closer to becoming the second driver in Pro Stock history to sweep all three races.

“We have always carried momentum into the Western Swing and hopefully we can do the same this year.”

The King of the Mountain Allen Johnson Earns Seventh Mopar Mile-High Trophy on National Television

DENVER, Colo. (July 24, 2016) – When it seems all the cards are stacked against you, that is when some of the most incredible outcomes come to fruition. Coming from the bottom half of the field in the No. 10 spot, Johnson and his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team pulled together and became the first non-KB Racing team to take home the Wally in the 2016 season. This win marks his 10th straight final and seventh win at this race located at Bandimere Speedway.

In the first round, Johnson had a matchup against Drew Skillman. Johnson and Skillman were identical on the tree with .032-second reaction times and Johnson was able to outpower Skillman to take the win. Johnson clocked in with a 7.000-second pass at 196.59 to Skillman’s 7.047, 197.74. Continue reading The King of the Mountain Allen Johnson Earns Seventh Mopar Mile-High Trophy on National Television →

Qualifying Journey to Raceday Leaves Allen Johnson in Unfamiliar Territory on the Mountain

MORRISON, Colo. (July 23, 2016) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 10 spot after four rounds of qualifying at the 37th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

For Friday’s initial qualifying session, Johnson drove his Marathon Dart to the No. 4 spot with a 7.004-second pass at 197.22 mph. With a baseline to work off of and a two-hour rain delay, he came back with an improved 6.988, 197.25 at 10:00 p.m. at night in the cool track conditions.

In Saturday’s first session, Johnson experienced some trouble as he passed the 60-foot mark and ended up aborting the run; he clocked in with a 12.390, 72.14. For his final qualifying attempt on Bandimere Speedway, Johnson clocked in with a 7.886, 128.44 after his engine broke and smoked trailed behind him as he crossed the finish line.

Finishing qualifying in the No. 10 spot, Johnson will have a first round pairing against No. 7 Drew Skillman.

“This is the most trying Denver we’ve had in a long, long time if not ever,” Johnson said. “It seems that nothing has gone right since the first qualifying run but I still have confidence. I have confidence because it’s going to be Sunday in Denver.”

Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson Sets Sights on Mopar Mile-High Nationals to Continue Reign as King of the Mountain

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 19, 2016) – If one person has been dominant at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, it would be Allen Johnson. Nicknamed the “King of the Mountain”, Johnson matches his six wins at the event with six No. 1 qualifiers throughout his notable career since his debut in 1996. Reaching his tenth final round at last year’s event, Johnson is eager to get back to Bandimere Speedway and ink his seventh Mile-High win. Continue reading Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson Sets Sights on Mopar Mile-High Nationals to Continue Reign as King of the Mountain →

Allen Johnson Has More to Show After K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals

JOLIET, Ill. (July 10, 2016) – Coming into raceday in the No. 5 position, Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson drove his Dodge Dart to the second round of eliminations.

Johnson staged his red, white and blue racing machine in the first round with lane choice over his competition Kenny Delco. As the two got up on the two-step and let out the clutch, Johnson had .033-seconds advantage over Delco. Johnson clocked in with a 6.649-second pass at 208.91 mph over Delco’s 6.670, 207.82 and inked his name on the ladder for second round. Continue reading Allen Johnson Has More to Show After K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals →

ALLEN JOHNSON
MARATHON PETROLEUM/J&J RACING DODGE DART
QUALIFYING REPORT: 19TH ANNUAL K&N FILTERS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
JULY 8-10

Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart Pays Dividends for Allen Johnson in Qualifying at Route 66 Raceway

JOLIET, Ill. (July 9, 2016) – Pro Stock World Champion Allen Johnson’s team has been hitting the dyno since they arrived home from Norwalk and it translated into four consistent passes during qualifying this weekend at the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Johnson promoted himself to the top half of the field in the No. 5 spot thanks to the hard work of the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team and Johnson’s impeccable driving. Continue reading Allen Johnson Racing–Route 66 Nationals Qualifying →

ALLEN JOHNSON
MARATHON PETROLEUM CO./J&J RACING DODGE DART
RACE PREVIEW: 19TH ANNUAL K&N FILTERS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
ROUTE 66 RACEWAY
JULY 8-10

Route 66 Nationals Defending Champ Allen Johnson All Set for Repeat in 2016

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 5, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson rocketed his Dodge Dart to the final round at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals just one year ago. As he approaches the 13th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Johnson is looking forward to letting his presence be known as the defending Route 66 NHRA Nationals Pro Stock winner.

With two weeks since their last race in Norwalk, Ohio, Johnson expressed his eagerness to get back to the racetrack and take home the win at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois.

“We had a good weekend up there last year,” the Greeneville-based driver laughed as reminiscing about his win in 2015. “I beat Larry Morgan and then he came back and beat me the next race in Denver after that staging duel.”

“The boys have been hard on the dyno since we got home,” Johnson said. “Doing well in Chicago is what we’re concentrating on because we need to get our momentum back as we head into the Western Swing.”

Qualifying at the 19th annual K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals will begin on Friday July 8 with two qualifying runs at 5:15 and 7:45 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions will be on Saturday July 9th at 3:15 and 6:00 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday July 10th.

Allen Johnson’s Saturday Night Teardown Leads to Sunday Round Win

NORWALK, Ohio (June 26, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson took his Dodge Dart to the second round of eliminations after qualifying in the bottom half of the field in the No. 13 spot.

Coming into raceday in the bottom half of the field was unfamiliar territory for the Greeneville, Tenn.-based driver. With a first round matchup against Bo Butner, Johnson knew a good reaction time would be a big part of guaranteeing him a win into later rounds. At the launch, Johnson had .031-seconds advantage over Butner and when Butner stumbled half track, Johnson was able to charge right through for the win with a 6.670-second pass at 208.39; that stellar 6.670 pass was quicker than his qualifying efforts all weekend by .073-seconds.

Second round, Johnson found himself with lane choice over Shane Gray. Johnson ran a 6.694, 205.10 but was unable to outrun Gray’s close 6.681, 207.37.

“We had a really trying weekend but as this Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team always does, they kept digging and we were able to find the problem last night. We went out first round and made a very good, decent run but we were pretty conservative. We didn’t know what setup would work in the first round but I think we had two hundredths left in it. I believe we could’ve run a 65 if we weren’t so conservative; we’re closing the gap on those KB boys and I think it’ll pay dividends in Chicago in a few weeks.”

Allen Johnson Looking to Turn Struggles into Success at Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2016) – Pro Stock World Champion Allen Johnson experienced trials and tribulations during qualifying at the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals but has the fighting spirit to win from the No. 13 spot on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.

In Friday’s first session, Johnson aborted the run about 100 feet out and coasted to the finish line with a 19.134-second pass at 71.31 mph. Johnson bounced back in the second session on Friday with a 7.093, 152.90 even though he experienced tire shake again on that run. Continue reading Allen Johnson Looking to Turn Struggles into Success at Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals →

Allen Johnson Approaches Four in a Row Conclusion with Optimism

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 22, 2016) – After an earlier than planned exit at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals last weekend, Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson is ready to get back up on the wheel and take top honors this weekend at the 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Johnson won the K&N Horsepower Challenge back in 2008 when the bonus race was contested in Norwalk, Ohio before moving to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson also has battled his way to the final round twice in 2010 and 2013 and is ready to seal the deal this weekend at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. Continue reading Allen Johnson Approaches Four in a Row Conclusion with Optimism →

Win Not in the Cards for Hometown Allen Johnson

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 19, 2016) – Allen Johnson came into raceday at the 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals with positive vibes from friends and family but he unfortunately came up short in the second round to Jeg Coughlin.

In the first round, Johnson clocked in with a 6.695-second pass at 207.59 mph and took the win over Alex Laughlin’s 6.760, 206.29.

Johnson came into second round with lane choice over 5x Pro Stock World Champion Jeg Coughlin. Johnson and Coughlin had almost identical reaction times with only .003-seconds separating the two competitors. Johnson ran a 6.971, 167.32 after shoving in the clutch down track when he made a sharp move out of the groove and towards the wall. Coughlin advanced with a 6.746, 204.63.

“We thought we ran slow in the first round so we kind of got after it in second round and just blew the tires off,” Johnson admitted. “No matter what, coming here and spending time with our friends and family at our home track is really special to me.”

Johnson has plans to stay an additional day at Bristol Dragway to test on Monday.

“We’re doing some testing for Goodyear but we’ll test some other things that we think will help us for Norwalk,” he added.

Allen Johnson Thunders to the No. 6 Spot in the Valley

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 18, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson returned to his home track, Bristol Dragway, for the 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and qualified in the No. 6 spot. Johnson will race Alex Laughlin in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

In the first session of qualifying, Johnson set the tone with a 6.726-second pass at 205.47 mph. After a late evening rain delay, the Marathon team came back at nearly 9:30 p.m. to make their second pass in front of the spectacular fans at Bristol Dragway. Johnson made a big improvement with a 6.708, 204.66.

On Saturday, Johnson approached the burnout as he does on any other pass and came up to the stage beams. When he let out the clutch, his Dodge Dart shut off after the 60-foot cone and he coasted to a stop; no time was posted for Johnson on that run. The team regrouped and came back with a stout 6.709, 206.51.

“We consistently did what we meant to do in qualifying,” Johnson said. “We made a mistake in the third qualifying session which was pretty big but I think we have a great racecar for tomorrow. The track is going to be a little grimy because we go behind the fuel cars but hopefully the track will come to us tomorrow.”

Johnson closed out qualifying in the No. 6 spot and will race No. 9 Alex Laughlin. Just one week ago, Johnson edged out Laughlin in the first round of eliminations in Englishtown, New Jersey.

“Raceday is always a driver’s day,” he added. “If you do your job as a driver, you’ll do good tomorrow.”

Pro Stock Champ Allen Johnson on Home Turf for Father’s Day in Bristol

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 15, 2016) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson heads to Bristol Dragway this weekend for the 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Johnson hopes that being at his home track will be the edge he needs in order to bring home his first win of 2016. Continue reading Pro Stock Champ Allen Johnson on Home Turf for Father’s Day in Bristol →

Early Exit at NHRA Summernationals Leaves Allen Johnson with Lessons Learned

Englishtown, N.J. (June 12, 2016) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the second round of competition today at the 47th annual NHRA Summernationals by defeated Alex Laughlin in the first round.

Johnson qualified No. 5 after four rounds of qualifying at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Being on the top half of the ladder gave Johnson lane choice over Alex Laughlin. In the first round of eliminations, Johnson pulled the chutes at the finish line with a 6.688-second pass at 208.88 mph over Laughlin’s close 6.698, 209.33.

In the second round, Johnson left the starting line and went into quick tire shake. Trying to recover, Johnson shifted into the next gear and crossed the finish line with a 7.003, 161.00. Although his efforts were valiant, his elapsed time was not enough to turn on the win light against Nobile’s 6.639, 210.37.

“We tried a lot of new parts on the car this weekend to free it up and it seemed to like it during qualifying but the car just couldn’t get any grip today whatsoever,” Johnson admitted. “We definitely shot ourselves in the foot today but we can always take a positive out of a negative and learn from it.”

“We usually run well in the hot track conditions and we just didn’t do the right thing in those conditions otherwise we would’ve been okay today,” he added.

The next event will be the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 17-19, 2016. Qualifying will begin on Friday June 17th at 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. (ET).

Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Steady Through NHRA Summernationals Qualifying

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 11, 2016) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the number five spot after four rounds of qualifying at the 47th annual NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Continue reading Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson Steady Through NHRA Summernationals Qualifying →

Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson in the Groove for Englishtown

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 7, 2016) – The Eastern Swing can present its challenges with four races back-to-back but with a final round appearance just a few days ago at the rain-delayed NHRA New England Nationals, Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson got in an early groove that was exactly what he was hoping for. Johnson plans to take that momentum to the 47th annual NHRA Summernationals this weekend and go one step further than Epping – straight to the winner circle. Continue reading Pro Stock Champion Allen Johnson in the Groove for Englishtown →

Allen Johnson Catapults to First Final Round of 2016 with Good Luck Angel on his Side at New England Nationals

EPPING, N.H. (June 6, 2016) – The Fourth annual NHRA New England Nationals quickly became the affectionately known “Monday Nationals” at New England Dragway when Mother Nature caused raceday on Sunday to be postponed to Monday. Although the weather delayed raceday action, Allen Johnson and his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team took out Chris McGaha, Vincent Nobile, and Shane Gray on their way to the final round today in Epping. Continue reading Allen Johnson Catapults to First Final Round of 2016 with Good Luck Angel on his Side at New England Nationals →