Allen Johnson Friday rain-out report

Team Mopar's Allen Johnson Remains No. 4 after Friday NHRA Winternationals Rainout

Pomona, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2010) -- Mother Nature prevented Mopar Dodge Avenger NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson from attempting to move up from the No. 4 spot in qualifying for the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals after today's session was washed out due to rainy weather.

The Team Mopar veteran recorded a 6.568-second elapsed time at 211.36 mph in Thursday's sole qualifying stanza to take the preliminary No. 4 spot. Johnson, who finished the 2010 season with four consecutive poles, hopes the rain clouds part just enough to allow him to try to keep his No. 1 streak alive in the new year after tomorrow's final two scheduled qualifying sessions.

"That first run yesterday, even to be fourth, we left a lot on the table," said Johnson, who claimed the pole at the NHRA Finals in Pomona back in November. "We knew we had to get down the track because of the chance we might only get one run in this weekend, so we were way conservative on the clutch. But that run was a good indication of how this car can go outside the optimum window of the setup and still get down the track and make a pretty fast run.

"I hope this weather gets through here quicker and we can get one run in tomorrow. It's not any fun when this happens at the first race of the year; you're all excited and you want to go, go, go, and you wind up just sitting around. It's eating my insides up. Hopefully, we'll get one more run in tomorrow so we can go to No. 1. I think we can do it."

Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger driver V. Gaines was No. 14 in Thursday qualifying, with rookie HEMI-powered Pro Stocker Vincent Nobile No. 18 in his Mopar Dodge. Barring weather delays tomorrow's first Pro Stock qualifying session is set to go off at 11 a.m. PT.

-source: mopar