Johnson on top of Mopar Mile High NHRA Nationals Pro Stock qualifying

Defending title winner of the Mopar Mile High National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals, Allen Johnson, picked things up right where he left off last year by earning the provisional No.1 qualifier position after two sessions at Bandimere Speedway near Denver, Colorado, on Friday evening. 

Johnson not only has won five Pro Stock titles in seven years (2013, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2007) at Mopar’s signature event, but also has seven consecutive final round appearances and four straight No.1 qualifier positions at the scenic Rocky Mountain drag strip.

This weekend, he is working to keep those streaks of success going with the new “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Dodge Dart which made its debut at the Gatornationals and that Johnson has already taken to the winner’s circle for two of his three wins this season. The HEMI-powered driver went to the top of the score sheets on his second qualifying pass with an elapsed time run of 6.928 seconds at 198.90 miles per hour to set the track speed record.

 “We were hoping to run a 6.91-second pass,” said Johnson who is looking to remain the top seed for eliminations after two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. “We left that much on the table but we’ll go out there tomorrow and keep tuning on it and see if we can do better.”

 “It’s your sponsor’s race and it’s the 50th anniversary of the HEMI and everything about this event makes us step up and do it,” added Johnson when asked what it was about this track that breeds success for his Mopar team. “We’ve really worked our tails off at this track testing over the years, trying to come up with a package that is superior, so that we can impress all the Mopar and Chrysler executives that come to out to see us this race.”

Mopar Motorsports