Johnson Jr. Deals Mopar Dodge Vegas Runner-up; Keeps Funny Car Crown Hopes Alive
Tommy Johnson Jr. races Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T to seventh final round of season
In stellar outing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnson Jr. uses Mopar-power to set track record, claim pole and close points gap to 97 markers
Despite early second round exit, Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T driver Jack Beckman remains second, just 38 points out of lead
Including Mopar Express Lane Dodge driver Matt Hagan and Ron Capps, all four Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car drivers are in top-five heading to final event
“Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart NHRA Pro Stock pilot Allen Johnson bows out early in inches-close opening round match at Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada (Nov. 1, 2015) – Tommy Johnson Jr. steered his Make-A-Wish 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to its seventh final round of the season and second of the six-race National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship playoffs” on Sunday at the Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Third in the standings, the Mopar-powered driver trimmed his deficit to 97 points, giving Johnson an outside shot at the Funny Car championship with just one race remaining.
The final was the fourth for Johnson at the Vegas quarter-mile and the 32nd overall of his career. The money round appearance also marks the 22nd time in 23 events thus far that the new 2015 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car has reached the final.
Johnson rocketed to his third pole of the season with a track record 3.931-second elapsed time (ET) during qualifying, then kicked off eliminations by dispatching Bob Bode with a 4.014-second ET at 310.98 mph to Bode’s 9.484/92.63. Johnson encountered a tighter battle in the quarterfinals, where he and Alexis DeJoria posted identical ETs, 4.008 (at 309.13 mph) for Johnson to 4.008/291.32 for DeJoria. Johnson was also first to leave with a .064 reaction time and was able to hold off DeJoria to advance to the semifinals.
It was HEMI power vs. HEMI power in the semis, with Johnson matched up against fellow Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate Ron Capps, who qualified No. 5 in his 2015 Dodge Charger R/T and dispatched Cruz Pedregon and DSR teammate Jack Beckman to reach the penultimate round. Johnson seemed to experience some cylinder trouble as he neared the finish, but he was still able to advance with a winning 3.968/313.07 against Capps’ 3.978/319.22.
In the final, Johnson cut a .049 reaction time to Hight’s .086, but he smoked the tires shortly after launch, recording a 8.279/85.02 to Hight’s 3.955/323.97.
“I’m happy but disappointed with a runner-up finish,” said Johnson Jr., who has five runner-ups on the season. “Going into the day qualifying No.1, we wanted to do everything we could to keep ourselves in the championship chase and I felt confident. Winning the first round and running well, then watching (Del) Worsham and Beckman go out in front of me in the second round gave us some hope. The semifinal matchup with Ron (Capps) was a pivotal round for us because he was so close to us in points and it was a must win to have any shot at the championship.
“We didn’t change anything for the final because we knew the track was going to be a little better, but we don’t really know why the car smoked the tires so early. It’s frustrating. I was on my game and had a big advantage on the starting line. It was not just a final, it was a big one.
“We are better than this and should be winning each race. Going into Pomona, I’m happy the car is running so well, but with as fast as our car has been, when we get there, I expect to win. I know a lot has to happen to have a shot at the championship; we will need to run really well, because I’d need 20 points to set a record to really have any chance.”
No. 4 qualifier Beckman, currently second in the standings, was looking to gain ground on leader Worsham, but he’ll be happy to leave Vegas with the same deficit at which he entered Sunday eliminations. The Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T driver used a 4.002/319.60 pass to defeat Tony Pedregon in round one, setting up an all-Mopar quarterfinals fight with DSR Dodge teammate Capps. Both drivers posted the exact same elapsed times, 3.988, but Capps was first out of the gate with a .070 reaction time to Beckman’s .084. “Fast Jack” began to close the gap but faded towards the finish.
The impact of the loss was lessened immensely when Worsham also saw his day end in the second round. Seeking his second Funny Car World Championship, Beckman will head to the final race remaining just 38 points behind Worsham.
“That’s a tough one to come out on the losing end of, but I think we showed for everybody in the stands and at home that DSR races for it, no matter what the stakes are,” said Beckman. “If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Del lost that round. We’re still two rounds out. It’s real simple. We need to out-qualify him at Pomona and we need him on the same side of the ladder as us and we need to win the race. You want to talk about having to be perfect to win the championship, and maybe that’s what the fans deserve to see.
“We will do everything we can to come to Pomona and be perfect and as flawless as a Nitro Funny Car team can be. We have a great team right now and we are absolutely capable of winning that race. The thing is we have to win that race and we have to gain two rounds on Del.”
Matt Hagan was hoping to deliver a first-round knockout of the only driver in the top-five not racing a Mopar DSR Dodge: points leader Worsham. However, the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T driver and No. 11 qualifier hazed the tires early and slowed to a losing 4.773/167.59 to Worsham’s 3.977/322.19.
“It just wasn’t in the cards,” said Hagan, the 2011 and 2014 NHRA Funny Car World Champion. “Just one of those deals where it wasn’t meant to be, I guess. Obviously, we needed to win that round for our team and for our teammates and it just didn’t happen.
“We’re going to stay (in Vegas) on Monday and test and see what’s going on with it and try to fix it. We have to figure out what’s going on with this race car, because the performance isn’t there and we’re smarter than that. It’s easy to get lost but it’s also easy to get back on track. We just want to finish the best we can now.”
Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car driver Gary Densham fell to Hight in the opening round, while Paul Lee’s Dodge was taken out by Courtney Force in round one.
Lady Luck was not with Team Mopar veteran and No. 10 qualifier Allen Johnson during NHRA Pro Stock eliminations at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Lined up in his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart against Vincent Nobile in round one, Johnson was quicker on the trigger, leaving the starting line first with a .014 reaction time to Nobile’s slower .017. Despite leading until approximately the 1,000 ft. mark, Johnson’s 6.632/208.59 was chased down by Nobile’s quicker and faster 6.625/209.07. Nobile’s margin of victory: approximately 18 inches.
“We were way more conservative than we should have been,” said Johnson, the 2012 NHRA Pro Stock champ, who has one win this season. “We went too light on the clutch. We went 6.60 yesterday in the exact same conditions and then went 6.63 today, so that’s disappointing. We didn’t make the right calls and made a bad run and that’s all she wrote. All we needed was four-thousandths to win that round but we didn’t do the job.
“The fact is that even with the Pro Stock Championship decided, we have a goal to finish in the top-three. That’s what we’re going to be shooting for the finale in Pomona.”
Like Johnson, Mopar-powered Dodge Dart NHRA Pro Stock drivers V. Gaines and Deric Kramer were unable to advance past the opening round. No. 14 starter Gaines ran a losing 6.670/207.53 to Bo Butner’s 6.619/208.75. Deric Kramer secured the 16th and final spot in the field, earning a date with top qualifier, event winner and 2015 Pro Stock World Champ Erica Enders. Kramer’s 6.692/206.23 was overmatched by Enders’ 6.585/209.59, which was quickest of the first round.
Next up for the Team Mopar contingent is the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, scheduled for Nov. 12-15.