Las Vegas II: Allen Johnson final report

JOHNSON RAKES IN SEMIS FINISH WITH MOPAR® POWER AT VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (November 2, 2008) -- Team Mopar® NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson scored his eighth semifinals appearance of the season today in the elimination rounds of the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Johnson defeated Vinnie Deceglie and Ron Krisher before losing to event winner Jeg Coughlin in the semis.

Johnson, steering his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, took out Deceglie in a first-round battle of J&J Racing prepped HEMI®-powered Dodge Stratus R/Ts. In the quarterfinals A.J. left the starting line last but was able to reel in Ron Krisher in one of the closest drag races of the day. Johnson's nail-biter of a win came on a splendid pass of 6.716/204.63 to Krisher's 6.747/204.17, with a narrow six ten-thousandths of a second margin of victory.

Lady Luck turned her back on the Greeneville, Tenn. native in the semis. Johnson was on possibly his best run of the weekend when a transmission problem cropped up. The problem led to a 6.744/204.01 run by Johnson--not enough to best Coughlin's 6.719/204.51 mark. Johnson remains seventh in the NHRA Countdown to 1 Pro Stock points standings.

"We had a really good day all day. The car was making better runs every run," said Johnson. "We were probably on a mid-.70s run there, which would have been our best of the weekend. It was just the bad-luck bandit that got us. The transmission dead-headed and there's nothing you can do."

Nonetheless, Johnson leaves Vegas in a positive frame of mind.

"I'm really happy with the crew, I'm really happy with our HEMI engines," Johnson said. "We'll go to Pomona and try to win that race and be ready for next year."

Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T driver V. Gaines, ninth in the Countdown, exited in the first round, losing to Krisher. Richie Stevens Jr. was unable to move his Nitrofish Dodge Stratus R/T out of the opening stanza as well, falling to Kurt Johnson. Rookie and Quarter Max Dodge Stratus R/T driver Rickie Jones fell in a first round battle with Coughlin.

-credit: mopar