Allen Johnson - 2012 NHRA Prostock World Champion.

POMONA, Calif. (November 12, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson took the stage for driver introductions for the last time in his full-time professional Pro Stock career this morning at the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals but not before he was surrounded by his fellow competitors on stage sporting ‘AJ’s Final Stage’ shirts.

“It meant a lot to me that my fellow Pro Stock competitors would do that for me today,” Johnson smiled with a tear in his eye. “That was really cool for me and I can’t thank the racers, fans, and sponsors for the support they’ve given me since we began this 22 years ago.”

For raceday, Johnson came into eliminations in the No. 10 spot and had a first round matchup against his long-time friend Erica Enders. Johnson and Enders left together at the starting line but the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dart started to drift towards the centerline after half-track. To avoid crossing the centerline or a more serious situation, Johnson pushed back in the clutch and coasted to the finish line with a 6.979-second pass at 153.25 mph; Enders’ 6.554, 209.82 advanced to the second round.

“It’s a little bit of weight lifted off my shoulders now that it’s over,” he admitted. “Losing to one of my best friends out here is probably the best way to lose in my last race. I didn’t want to lift but I was fixin’ to crash and I didn’t want my last memory in Pro Stock to be upside down. I figured I better lift.”

Johnson finished his final NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season No. 8 in the Pro Stock point standings.

POMONA, Calif. (November 11, 2017) – In his 504th race in Pro Stock, Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson is competing in his 399th raceday this weekend at the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals.

On Friday, Johnson built a foundation for his race weekend with a solid 6.595-seconds pass at 209.95 mph. The Adam Hornberger and Roy Johnson-led team came back in the second session and produced an extremely consistent 6.596, 209.56.

Saturday, Johnson picked up over a thousandth of a second in his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dart when he crossed the finish line at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with a stout 6.583, 209.46 in the opening session. Wanting to test some things in the final qualifying round before raceday, Johnson slowed to a 6.618, 208.14 but it provided the team with the direction for what will work best for Sunday’s eliminations.

“I feel like the first three runs were great,” Johnson said. “We gained on every run and then in the final session, we tried some out of the box stuff and it caused me to hit the limiter bad in second gear so boo on me. We really stepped it up in Q3 [third qualifying session] and if we can go back to Q3’s stature, we’ve got a good chance on winning in the first round tomorrow.”

Ending his professional Pro Stock career with 399 starts leaves fans questioning what it would take to get him to come back and hit the 400 raceday start milestone.

“The only way I’ll come back and get my 400th raceday start in my setup is if someone brings me a check for two million dollars tomorrow,” he laughed.

Johnson closed out qualifying in the No. 10 spot and will have a first round matchup against long-time friend Erica Enders.

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (November 8, 2017) – 2012 Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson is entering in his last official race in Pro Stock after an extraordinary 22-year career in the NHRA but admits that he has a “never say never” attitude about returning if the opportunity presented itself.

“I don’t have any plans of racing in Pro Stock in the future but I never say never,” Johnson said. “We’re probably gonna do some sportsman racing in the future here and there but you know, if someone called me and told me the field was short and they had an extra car for me to drive, I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it.”

This weekend’s 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals marks his 504th race in Pro Stock and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona holds a lot of memories for the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver.

“My favorite memory of racing in Pomona is when we won the championship in 2012,” he added. “To win those last three races that year and cap off the championship in Pomona has to be one of my favorite memories. I’m trying to be upbeat at this last race and just enjoy the friendships, fans, and atmosphere but to be honest, my retirement is starting to grip me a little bit emotionally and shoot, it’s hard.”

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (October 29, 2017) – Allen Johnson powered the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the quarterfinal round at the 17th annual NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.

Johnson came into raceday in the No. 11 spot and had a first round matchup against Erica Enders. Johnson went straight down the boulevard at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a victorious 6.716-second pass at 202.82 mph over Enders’ troubled 7.026, 163.49.

“She broke a motor I think,” Johnson said at the top end about competitor Erica Enders. “We’ve still got something wrong with the car and if we can figure it out before second round, we can run right with them.”

Second round, Johnson took on Bo Butner. Johnson grabbed over three-thousandths of a second advantage over Butner at the starting line but immediately found himself in trouble with tire shake and he had to abort the run. Butner’s 6.695, 204.35 advanced to the semifinal round.

“We were first pair out and we just simply missed the setup right there,” he added. “We blew the tires off. If we could’ve had the same run as round one, we could’ve won with the starting line advantage I had on him. We had a good car all weekend but it kind of bit us right there.”

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (October 28, 2017) – Qualifying at the 17th annual NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is in the books and Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson finished in the No. 11 spot and will take on Erica Enders in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning.

“We’re making some good runs in our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart but it just doesn’t seem to be as fast as we’d like it to be in the back-half,” Johnson said. “It’s not running the speed we’d like to see out of it and we’re still trying to figure out the problem before first round. If we can find the issue, we can definitely run with the top five cars. We are running with them right now to the eighth mile so I know the potential is there. It’s just time to go out there first round and make a good lap; that’s all we gotta do.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (October 25, 2017) – Two more to go. Two races left in what many would consider to be an impressive career in any professional sport. Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson has set specific goals heading into the 17th annual NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the last two races of the season.

“We’re gung-ho these last two events and want to move up in the top five in points before this season is done,” Johnson said. “Of course, I’d love to win a race before the end of the year but my plan is to go rounds, jump into the top five, and go out on a good note.”

In his 22-year career, Johnson has won at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway three out of the four times he’s appeared in the final round. At the fall Las Vegas event, he has been to two final rounds and won most recently in 2012 over Vincent Nobile.

“Racing wise, we’ve really done well there,” Johnson looked back. “The track is somewhere between sea level and Denver’s altitude and it seems like in the past, that’s played into our good fortune. I feel confident going there with my Marathon Petroleum team.”

ENNIS, Tex. (October 14, 2017) – In high track temperatures during qualifying, Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson qualified No. 11 and is looking forward to the cooler track temperatures on raceday as he takes on the competition at the 32nd annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals.

On Friday, Johnson’s Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart sounded troubled when he went up on the two-step as he staged and when the car bogged off the line, Johnson decided to coast to the finish line with a 21.095-seconds pass at 50.59 mph. Seeking improvement in the next session, the Adam Hornberger-led team came back and made a massive improvement when he clocked in with a 6.658, 207.24.

Saturday, Johnson ran a consistent 6.662, 207.43 in his red, white and blue Dodge Dart at Texas Motorplex. He closed out qualifying with a 6.674, 206.35 on a blistering 117-degree racetrack.

Johnson locked in the No. 11 spot for raceday and will take on Brian Self in the first round; the pair has not competed against each other on raceday before.

“The weather is going to play a big part in tomorrow,” Johnson said about the 20-degree cooler weather forecasted for tomorrow. “Upsets will probably happen. It’s definitely going to be a crew chief day tomorrow; whoever hits it the closest will win it. I feel good about our chances tomorrow in our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (October 10, 2017) – As the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads into the second half of the Countdown to the Championship, Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing’s Allen Johnson is hungry to knock out one more victory in his Dodge Dart before his retirement at the conclusion of this season.

“We have nicknamed the last part of this season ‘AJ’s Final Stage’ and we’re going to have fun with it and hopefully be competitive,” Johnson said. “Going to Texas Motorplex is always fun and one of my favorite memories down there is the year I won the championship and I got on the hood on my Mopar with that cowboy hat on. We always love racing at the Motorplex.”

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (September 30, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 10 seed at the Sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park.

On Friday, Johnson found a solid baseline when he powered his red, white, and blue Dodge Dart to a 6.575-seconds pass at 209.39 mph. In the evening session, Johnson drifted towards the centerline and hit a timing block at the finish line and his 6.578, 207.82 was disallowed.

“I think it was just dark at the end of the track and I drove it over to the right,” Johnson explained regarding his disqualified run. “I couldn’t see where I was going and got in the marbles and ended up getting real loose out there.”

Moving past the uncharacteristic pass the evening prior, the Adam Hornberger-led team showed consistency to early Friday with a 6.573, 209.72 in the opening session on Saturday. The Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team closed out qualifying with their fastest of the weekend in the final session - 6.560, 209.65.

“I think we’ve been chasing a clutch problem all weekend,” he said. “We traded out a lot of parts between Q3 [third qualifying session] and Q4 [fourth qualifying session]. Our setup that was a guess ended up being our fastest of the weekend so far so I know we’re headed in a positive direction just at the right time for raceday at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.”

Johnson qualified No. 10 and will have a first round matchup against Erica Enders in the morning. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. (CT) starting with Top Fuel.

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (September 26, 2017) – Coming off a semifinal appearance at last weekend’s Dodge NHRA Nationals, Johnson heads to the Sixth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals No. 7 in the Pro Stock points and is hoping to continue his upward swing in performance at Gateway Motorsports Park this weekend.

“I remember racing Jim Yates in the finals in 1999 and I got real close to the center line and got loose and I remember thinking I should’ve won that one,” Johnson reminisced. “I’ve been to the finals three times at Gateway Motorsports Park without winning and I think it’s about time we changed that.”

READING, Pa. (September 24, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the semifinal round after defeating Kenny Delco and Drew Skillman in eliminations at the 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Johnson came into raceday as the No. 4 seed and had lane choice over Kenny Delco in the first round of eliminations. The duo was almost identical on the tree at the launch but Johnson showcased the pure power of his Adam Hornberger-led Dodge Dart when he clocked in with a 6.641-second pass at 208.26 mph and turned on the win light over Delco’s 6.753, 204.51.

Second round, Johnson remained consistent on a tricky race surface when he ran a 6.649, 208.46 and advanced to his first semifinal round since the U.S. Nationals in 2016 when Drew Skillman ran a troubled 15.286, 55.62.

“How about that?” Johnson said at the top end at Maple Grove Raceway after his second round win. “We’re making great runs. The right lane was a little suspicious and I was a little worried when I saw Tanner shake right in front of me but we got it done. My team has done a great job and it might just be our day.”

With his second round win, Johnson moved around Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the points and inked his name in the No. 7 spot in the Pro Stock Countdown to the Championship points.

In the semifinal round, Johnson fell off his consistent raceday performance with a 6.682, 207.46 and Bo Butner’s 6.656, 206.54 narrowly edged out Johnson for the winning ticket to the final round.

“I really think we hurt the engine in the second round and that’s why we slowed down in the semis,” he said. “I can’t be happier for the team and can’t be happier celebrating our 500th race with this performance. Things are coming together and maybe we can have even more success these last few races before we retire.”

READING, Pa. (September 23, 2017) – Allen Johnson qualified No. 4 in the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart at the 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. In his 500th race of his Pro Stock career, Johnson will have lane choice over Kenny Delco in the first round.

On Friday, Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum team were greeted with uncommon Reading, Pennsylvania sunshine. Capitalizing on similar track conditions to the Carolina Nationals last weekend at zMAX Dragway, the Adam Hornberger-led team went back into their data logs and put a tune-up in it for Maple Grove Raceway. Johnson rocketed to the No. 3 spot with a 6.589-seconds pass at 209.79 mph and collected one bonus point for being third quickest of the session.

In Friday’s evening session, Johnson bettered his elapsed time by over one-hundredth of a second when he crossed the finish line in his red, white, and blue Dodge Dart with a 6.572, 209.95. Johnson collected another bonus point in the second session for being third quickest of the session once again.

Saturday, Johnson started out the second day of qualifying at the Dodge NHRA Nationals with a 6.595, 209.04. He showed his consistency in the final qualifying session when he clocked in with a 6.599, 208.88.

“You know, I’ve known we had a good car for a while but I think it’s finally translating to the track,” Johnson said. “We hit it a little bit better yesterday than we did today but we’ve got a top six car right now and we can definitely win with that. I just have to do my job in my Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart and if we can make the same runs we did in qualifying, we could come home with it this weekend.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (September 20, 2017) – Legacy is one word that comes to mind when you think of Allen Johnson’s monumental Pro Stock racing career. This weekend’s 33rd annual Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway marks Johnson’s 500th race in the Pro Stock category – the most of any current driver in the class.

Johnson’s first start in Pro Stock was Phoenix in 1996 and 22 years later, he admits he never envisioned celebrating such a milestone.

“In no way did I think we would’ve raced this long but it’s been a great ride,” Johnson beamed. “It’s been a lot of fun doing this with my family and it’s been well worth it.”

Getting his first Pro Stock win in Richmond in 1999, Johnson had collected 26 other victories and a Pro Stock World Championship in 2012.

In his final Countdown to the Championship, Johnson heads into the Dodge NHRA Nationals No. 9 in the point standings in the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart.

“We really do have a good car right now and we just need to get some breaks,” Johnson said. “We’ll keep digging and I hope we can make up some ground in Reading. We may have to go on the offense a little bit and that’s what we gotta concentrate on this weekend.”

CONCORD, N.C. (September 16, 2017) – The first raceday of the Countdown to the Championship is on the horizon and Allen Johnson comes into the fight No. 9 in the Pro Stock points. On the eve of raceday at the 10th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, Johnson finds himself as the No. 10 seed in the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart and will race Drew Skillman in the first round of eliminations.

“All weekend we’ve been right there with the fastest in the pack,” Johnson said. “Luckily, it was hot today and that gives us a good idea of what setup we can run tomorrow. You’ve gotta respect the track in this heat and run it a little different. In Q4 [final qualifying session], we ran one-hundredth of a second off the fastest car that session – we’ll take it.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (September 12, 2017) – After announcing his retirement from professional drag racing after the 2017 season at the U.S. Nationals, Johnson is switching his mind frame to focus on ending his monumental 22-year Pro Stock career with a bang and perform in the Countdown to the Championship one last time.

“The reset of points for the Countdown to the Championship is big for our Marathon Petroleum team,” Johnson said. “I think the last couple races we’ve had some good momentum and had some close races. We’ve got a decent car making decent runs so we’ve gotta take advantage of the points reset and give ourselves an early opportunity to move up a few positions and build points.”

In his last Countdown to the Championship of his professional career, Johnson acknowledges their upward swing in performance and admits he’s in a lot better shape than when he was here in the spring for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

“Oh, we aren’t even in the same atmosphere as when we came here in the spring,” he laughed. “We stunk it up early in the year and I think we’re about five hundredths [of a second] better compared to the No. 1 qualifier than when we came here in April. We’ve got a much better chance at winning in Charlotte this time around.”

#AJsFinalStage – Carolina Nationals and Updated Career Statistics

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 4, 2017) – Allen Johnson went to the quarterfinal round of eliminations today at the 63rd annual NHRA U.S. Nationals after defeating Johnny Gray in the first round.

After clinching his spot in the Countdown to the Championship during qualifying yesterday, the pressure was off for the 2012 Pro Stock World Champion to outperform competitors below him in the point standings. He came into raceday as the No. 10 seed and had a first round matchup against Johnny Gray.

Johnson staged his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart against Gray and the battle was on. Johnson clocked in with a 6.662-second pass at 207.05 mph and turned on the win light on against Gray’s 6.688, 207.18.

“That was a pretty good run down low and we’re just one hundredth behind the top car of the session,” Johnson laughed at the top end. “You know, we’re making good runs in the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart and we’re going rounds here at the U.S. Nationals. “

The Greeneville, Tenn.-native found himself in a duel with Tanner Gray in the second round. Johnson ran a consistent 6.679, 206.89 in the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart but Gray’s 6.669, 207.43 advanced to the semifinal round over Johnson.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 3, 2017) – It’s been an emotional weekend so far for the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team led by 2012 Pro Stock World Champion Allen Johnson. With Johnson’s retirement announcement coming on Friday afternoon at the 63rd annual U.S. Nationals, he quickly turned his focus back to performing on track and working to win his first U.S. Nationals in his 22-year career.

On Friday evening, Johnson’s Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart squared the tires at the hit and coasted to a12.528-seconds pass at 86.68 mph.

Saturday, Johnson made a solid 6.676, 206.51 and went straight down Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Capitalizing on the good track conditions, the Adam Hornberger-tuned team came back and made a huge improvement when Johnson crossed the finish line with a 6.601, 209.43.

“I think we missed the setup and it wasn’t quite right in the first or second session,” Johnson admitted. “I think it might’ve been a set of tires giving us some trouble or the clutch package. We don’t know which one it was so we just put everything back to where we had it in Brainerd and it ran pretty okay.”

Sunday, Johnson suffered tire shake in the fourth qualifier and clocked in with a 10.564, 85.40. The Greeneville, Tenn.-native finished strong with a 6.655, 207.66.

Johnson qualified No. 10 and will race Johnny Gray in the first round of eliminations.

“We supplied Johnny Gray motors for two years when he ran Pro Stock last,” he added. “Johnny can drive just about anything so I’ve got to be up on my game tomorrow.”

With the conclusion of qualifying, Johnson clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship and will run for the championship the last six races of the season before he retires from professional drag racing. He admits that this weekend has felt different since his retirement announcement.

“It’s weird,” he said. “Every person you see says something about it and it’s a little strange. Everyone has thanked me for all the years we’ve raced and being a great ambassador for the class; it’s been real nice.”

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 1, 2017) – Longtime Pro Stock fan-favorite and 2012 NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Allen Johnson announced his retirement from Pro Stock competition at the end of this season during a press conference on Friday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.

“It’s been an amazing run for my dad (Roy) and I, but it just felt like now was the right time to step away from the Pro Stock chapter of our careers,” said Johnson, whose wife Pam and mother Revonda are also familiar figures in the Pro Stock pits.

“We’ve celebrated an NHRA World championship, captured wins at historic tracks like Gainesville, Pomona and Bandimere, and basically lived our dream for 22 years. We couldn’t have done it without the help and hard work of our J&J Racing team members over the years.”

The retirement announcement by Johnson comes on the heels of a season-high No. 3 qualifying effort in his Dodge Dart at the recent NHRA Brainerd event and a string of encouraging performances.

“We thought we were done at the end of 2015 and Marathon Petroleum Corporation stepped up to help us out,” Johnson added. “They’re a great partner of mine in business and they saw the value in the NHRA and our program and they stepped up and saved the day. The people at Marathon Petroleum have gone above and beyond for me in business and on track and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for our team the last two years.”

“These past two years with the Johnson and Johnson Racing Team have been very special for the Marathon Brand,” said Bill McCleave, brand marketing director. “While our partnership on the racing side will come to an end, we have the privilege and honor of continuing to work with Allen as Marathon Branded Jobber Greenville Oil and Petroleum. We’re also excited for Allen, Pam, Roy and Revonda as they enter this next chapter.”

Johnson currently owns 27 NHRA National event wins, good for ninth overall in Pro Stock class history. His 37 No. 1 qualifier spots also rank sixth all-time in Pro Stock and are tied for 22nd overall in NHRA history. Johnson, with his father Roy Johnson by his side and building his engines, has raced to 59 final rounds in 497 career races during his 22-year career — all spent competing in a Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge Pro Stock machine.

“Allen Johnson has served Mopar as a beloved ambassador for more than 20 years and has earned a special place in the hearts of our fans and in the history of our brand,” said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar) FCA – Global. “We will never forget Allen succeeding in his long quest to capture a Pro Stock championship, or his amazing run of victories at our showcase event, the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

“I speak not just for the Mopar brand, but also on a personal level, when I say we cherish the special bonds we have built with AJ and his father Roy over the years. It’s been a family affair for them, and we wish them both, as well as the entire J&J Racing team, nothing but the best as they move on to their next challenge.”

Johnson saved his best for the Mopar brand’s biggest event, the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals held each July at Bandimere Speedway near Denver, earning the nickname “King of the Mountain.” Carrying the Mopar banner, he tasted victory at the event seven times, tied for most alongside Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden, and advanced to a record 11 final rounds. Between 2007–2016, Johnson built an amazing streak of 10 consecutive final-round appearances and a near-perfect 37-3 round-win record at the venue.

“Mopar has been there for all those 22 years, through the good times and the bad, either as our primary or associate sponsor, and it’s been just an amazing relationship. I’ve gotten close to so many folks from the brand, including Pietro (Gorlier, Head of Mopar), who has shown us great support and will often text or email me despite his busy schedule,” Johnson said. “We’ve also become friends with thousands of Mopar fans, who are some of the most passionate people you’ll run into. They’ve always had our back and cheered us on, I think because they know dad and I are just like them — our whole lives, all we’ve ever driven is Mopar.”

Johnson is currently ninth in the Pro Stock standings and seeking to lock up a top-10 spot this weekend at the U.S. Nationals to secure his berth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs for an 11th consecutive season. He has never missed the postseason dating back to 2007, when the NHRA first adopted the playoff format.

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (August 29, 2017) – The biggest race of the year is upon Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Team. Johnson reached his first U.S. Nationals final round last year and is hoping to take it one step further this season and bring home the win to Greeneville, Tennessee.

Johnson is No. 9 in the Pro Stock point standings and will be fighting to keep his name in the top ten and clinch his spot in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway.

“We had the win within our grasp last year,” Johnson said. “To win Indy is very special for anybody and I hope our high qualifying gains from Brainerd will carry us to a great performance this weekend at the U.S. Nationals. We tested some new components on the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart yesterday at zMAX Dragway and we’re really figuring out what this car does and doesn’t want.”

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 20, 2017) – Allen Johnson took his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the quarterfinals at the 36th annual NHRA Nationals this weekend at Brainerd International Raceway after earning a season-high No. 3 qualifying position.

In the first round, Johnson staged up against Mark Hogan. Johnson was awarded a bye-run and clocked in with a 6.641-second pass at 207.11 mph when Hogan suffered mechanical issues at the starting line and was unable to stage.

“I didn’t realize anything was wrong with Mark [Hogan],” Johnson admitted. “I just thought he was taking his time to stage until Mike Gittings [NHRA Chief Starter] told me I had a single.”

Second round, the Greeneville, Tenn.-based racer staged up against Greg Anderson. The duo battled it out two weeks prior in Seattle, Washington and Johnson came out victorious. Today, Johnson improved his first round elapsed time when he ran a 6.628, 207.21 but was barely edged out by Greg Anderson’s 6.594, 208.30.

“It feels good to grab some round win points going into Indy,” Johnson said. “There’s a few racers behind me in the points that are lurking and I can guarantee they’ll have good power in Indy. We just gotta keep doing what we’re doing. We’re decent right now; we’re not in the top two cars but I think we’re a top five car for sure. I’m leaving Brainerd feeling really good about our Marathon Petroluem/J&J Racing team.”

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 19, 2017) – After four rounds of competitive qualifying, Allen Johnson catapulted the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to a season-high No. 3 qualifying position at the 36th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

In the first qualifying session, Johnson started out with a solid 6.658-second pass at 206.46 mph landing him in the No. 5 spot. The 2012 Pro Stock World Champion came back in the Friday evening session and crossed the finish line at Brainerd International Raceway with an impressive 6.622, 206.86; that run awarded him one bonus point and his second bonus point for the 2017 season.

“We were only a hundredth off the fastest car; that run was real great,” Johnson beamed. “We’re not having to make any big changes and we’re able to run the same motor and all the same parts. We’re in the finessing part of our tune-up right now and it feels really great to not have to make big changes with our tune-up every run.”

On Saturday, the Roy Johnson and Adam Hornberger-led team guided Johnson right in the middle of the groove and the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart clocked in with a 6.651, 206.73. It was a 6.648, 207.18 that closed out qualifying for the red, white, and blue team and landed Johnson as the No. 3 seed going into raceday.

Johnson will take on Mark Hogan in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning.

“Going into raceday that high up the ladder, it really puts us in a good mood,” he added. “You can’t take anyone lightly in the first round so we’re really gonna go after it. We gotta give it everything we’ve got.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (August 15, 2017) – 818 by any standards is a monumental number. For Allen Johnson, that is the amount of times he has staged his car on raceday during eliminations in his 21-year Pro Stock career. As the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team heads to 36th annual NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn. this weekend, he finds himself in the No. 10 spot with a target on his back with two races left before the drivers in the Countdown to the Championship are decided. With some recent momentum on his side, Johnson is ready to go rounds at Brainerd International Raceway.

“Being No. 10 in the points with two races left before the Countdown, I definitely think there's a target on our backs,” Johnson said. “There are a few racers not in right now that want to be in just as bad as I do so we just gotta do our best out there and it’ll all fall the way it’s supposed to.”

“I think that round win over Greg [Anderson] in Seattle gave us some momentum,” he added. “I think we’re close to finding another hundredth or two on the car so I think we can go to Brainerd and really be in the mix with the top dogs.”

KENT, Wash. (August 6, 2017) – Allen Johnson powered to the second round of eliminations after defeating Greg Anderson in the first round at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

First round, Johnson’s and Anderson’s qualifying times were only separated by .001-seconds. The duo staged and the battle was on. Johnson clocked in with a stout 6.592-second pass at 209.88 mph and out-powered Anderson’s 6.611, 209.14.

Second round, Johnson lined up the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart against Tanner Gray. In the hot track conditions, Johnson slowed to a 6.616, 209.17 and was narrowly edged out by Gray’s 6.584, 209.14.

“It felt really good to get a round win,” Johnson said. “We’re happy. We’re gaining on them like I’ve said all year. I think if we keep doing what we’re doing, by Countdown to the Championship time, I think we will be right there with the top four or five cars.”

KENT, Wash. (August 5, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team made some of their biggest on-track performance strides of the season during qualifying at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

On Friday, Johnson began qualifying with a 6.646-second pass at 207.53 mph. With a good starting point to work off of, the Adam Hornberger-led team came back and made a massive improvement when Johnson blazed down the 1,320-foot race surface with a 6.617, 209.52.

Saturday, Johnson bettered his qualifying effort once again with a 6.601, 209.49 in the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart and was third quickest to the 60-foot timing blocks in that session. Johnson closed out qualifying at Pacific Raceways with a troubled 7.262, 143.00 after drifting out of the groove and coasting to the finish. Notably, Johnson was first to the 60-foot mark in the Pro Stock class in the final session and was set to run his best of the weekend before Johnson decided to abort the run to avoid potentially an unfortunate situation.

Johnson ended up in the No. 8 spot and will have a first round matchup against Greg Anderson on Sunday, August 5th.

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (August 1, 2017) – This weekend marks the 17th of 24 events in 2017 for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. With three races left before the Countdown to the Championship, it is crucial for Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson to qualify well and remain in the top 10 in points.

“Our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team is trying some things to get ready for the Countdown,” Johnson said after qualifying last weekend at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. “We’re finding out what this car wants and once we get a few lucky breaks our way, we will gain some momentum.”

Allen Johnson: History at Pacific Raceways

SONOMA, Calif. (July 29, 2017) – At most racetracks on the circuit, having lane choice during eliminations is of utmost importance for raceday success and Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing’s Allen Johnson will start his raceday from the top half at the 30th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

On Friday, Johnson began qualifying at Sonoma Raceway with a solid 6.593-second pass at 210.05 mph. As the temperatures dropped for the evening session, Johnson and crew chief Adam Hornberger capitalized on cooler conditions and bettered their performance with a 6.581, 210.64.

Saturday, the first session of the day proved to be difficult for teams to get any power to hold on the racetrack but Johnson proved why he has had so much success in the Pro Stock class when he was one of the only cars to get down the track with a stout 6.584, 211.03. Johnson closed out qualifying with his quickest of the weekend so far - 6.578, 210.41.

“Our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team is trying some new things for our long-term performance right now,” Johnson said. “I think we have a chance at it tomorrow if we can execute and get a few lucky breaks our way. In the last session today, we were only a little over one hundredth of a second behind them and that’s the closest we’ve been all year.”

No. 8 Johnson will have lane choice over No. 9 Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the first round.

“When you have a matchup against Jeg first round, it’s going to be a tuner and driver combination that will win,” he added. “He can be tough on the tree and usually runs well. I will go up there and plan to be 20 or better on the tree. The stuff we are trying is paying dividends so I think we can do well tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 25, 2017) – Perseverance. This word can be used to describe the 2012 Pro Stock World Champion team that goes to battle week in and week out with Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing’s Allen Johnson at the helm. This week is no different as they make their way to Sonoma, California for the 30th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals held at Sonoma Raceway.

With an early exit at the Mopar Mile High Nationals last week in Denver, Johnson is looking forward to translating their performance gains into round wins on raceday.

“We need some luck,” Johnson laughed. “I feel really good about our performance right now and we have gained a lot but we keep running into a dang brick wall with unfortunate circumstances on raceday like we did in Denver. We just gotta keep diggin’ and not panic; the luck will turn around for us sometime and I hope it is soon.”

Johnson had an impressive wire-to-wire win in 2012 at Sonoma Raceway when he was No. 1 qualifier and took out Greg Anderson in the final round to take top honors.

“I won the silver 25th anniversary Wally and it’s different than any other trophy I have,” he said. “That trophy will always be special to me.”

DENVER, Co. (July 23rd, 2017) – Fans came from far and wide to see the spectacle that is racing on the mountain at Bandimere Speedway and Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson was just happy to be a small part of it all.

Johnson came into raceday in the No. 6 spot, his second highest qualifying position of the 2017 season. In his 494th raceday start in his illustrious 20-year career, Johnson had a first round matchup and lane choice over current points leader Bo Butner.

At the launch, Johnson was .035-seconds on the tree and drove the red, white, and blue Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart straight down the boulevard and clocked in with a 6.995-second pass at 196.87 mph. Butner clocked in with an identical 6.995 at 197.36 and barely edged out Johnson will a small starting line advantage.

“We started running the brand new implemented Goodyear tire in Chicago and we’ve got limited amount of tires with very limited runs on them,” Johnson said. “We came in this morning and the set we really prepared with a lot of runs on them had a hole in it and we really couldn’t fix it so we had to go to a set of tires that we haven’t run since Chicago which are practically brand new. They don’t have as many runs and they’re bigger and that changed our setup. We missed the setup with them and they were slower down the back-half of the track. The combination of those two things are what got us first round, sadly.”

His early exit at Bandimere Speedway is the first time he hasn’t advanced to the final round since 2006.

“The last decade at Bandimere has been real great,” he smiled. “We love it and it’s been so good to us. We’ve never had bad luck at this track and we just came up with a little bit of bad luck today but this race will always be special to us. I will never forget the run we had here and hopefully we can pick up where we left off next year.”

DENVER, Co. (July 22, 2017) – Defending Mopar Mile High Nationals Pro Stock winner and reigning King of the Mountain Allen Johnson knows he has a target on his back going into raceday at Bandimere Speedway in his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

On Friday, Johnson came into the weekend with a solid 6.959-second pass at 197.48 mph. After persistent rain showers, NHRA made the executive decision to eliminate the second session of the night due to the unfriendly racing weather conditions.

“I don’t think them taking out one session really hurt us at all,” Johnson admitted. “I thought it might actually work in our favor because we have data from our test session here last week but everyone has adjusted really quickly with the fuel injection. Everyone’s got a pretty good handle on it now.”

Saturday, Johnson slowed slightly to a 6.987, 197.48 in the second qualifying round. The 2012 Pro Stock World Champion closed out qualifying with an improved 6.965, 198.35 in the final session landing him in the No. 6 spot.

In his 494th race of his career, Johnson will have lane choice over current points leader Bo Butner in the first round.

“We’re used to having a target on our backs at this race,” he smiled. “Last year, we qualified tenth and still got it done so we gotta run every round by itself and this driver needs to do his job.”

“I’m enjoying this whole deal. It’s going to be tough to get it done tomorrow just like we knew it was going to be last year but it’s fun basking in this moment for the last 10 years. I’d like to think we’re building a legacy and I feel really good going into tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 19, 2017) – When people talk about special moments in NHRA Drag Racing’s history, Allen Johnson’s domination at Bandimere Speedway will be one of them. Last year, Johnson took the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the final round for the eleventh time in his career and the tenth year in a row.

“We’ve had a lot of success and put in a lot of hard work up on the mountain to get the title of King of the Mountain,” Johnson laughed. “We worked out tails off every year testing before the race and our team developed a great setup for that race over the years. EFI took the way our advantage last year but some way or another, we still got it done last year. The term ‘King of the Mountain’ is one of the top two or three things that has happened to me in my career.”

With a reputation for success on the mountain, it would make sense for a driver to put extra pressure on themselves coming into this event but the 2012 Pro Stock World Champion couldn’t be calmer heading into Denver.

“You know, I used to put a lot of pressure on myself but now I think we have been success at this track and I don’t feel the need to put so much pressure on myself with all that we’ve accomplished in Denver.”

JOLIET, Ill. (July 8. 2017) – Allen Johnson will take on the competition at the 20th annual Children of Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N from the No. 10 spot.

On Friday, Johnson powered his Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart to a solid 6.668-second pass at 206.51 mph. In the night session later that evening, Johnson made a big improvement by over four-thousandths of a second when he drove the Marathon Petroleum Dart across the Route 66 Raceway finish line with a 6.620, 208.36.

Saturday, he once again improved his qualifying efforts with a 6.612, 208.75. For the final session, the Adam Hornberger-led team showed their consistency with a 6.610, 209.82.

“We got better every run and the car is working good,” Johnson said. “We just are trying to figure out how to matchup with those top two or three guys. They’re killing us in the first eighth mile of the track but we’re right with them in the second half of the track. If we can figure out how to pick up in the front half of the track, we can be right there with them the whole time.”

No. 10 will take on No. 7 Vincent Nobile in the first round of eliminations tomorrow morning.

“I think both lanes will be pretty even tomorrow,” he added. “I feel good and we’ve got something to tune off of. I think we’ve got a good setup for a hot racetrack tomorrow and let’s see if we can’t make the track come to us tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (July 4, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team have hit the half-way mark of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season. In the first race of the second half of the season, Johnson finds himself in the top ten in points for the first time in 2017 as they head to the 20th annual Children of Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N at Route 66 Raceway.

“I feel like everything’s going in a positive direction and everything’s turning around for our Marathon Petroleum team,” Johnson said. “We’re getting our stride on for the western swing and ultimately, the Countdown to the Championship.”

The day after the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Johnson opted to stay back and test at Summit Motorsports Park in his red, white, and blue Dodge Dart.

“Testing went okay but we were mainly getting ready for the new tires we have to run,” he admitted. “Basically, we were breaking in those tires during that test session and running the combination that we might bring in come Denver. We didn’t knock it out of the park or anything but we’re still trying to develop a winning combination.”

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the quarterfinal round of competition after taking out Chris McGaha in the first round of eliminations at the 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Johnson came into raceday in the No. 9 spot and had a first round matchup against Chris McGaha. When Johnson reacted at the launch with a strong .022-second reaction time, his win light was already turned on in his lane because McGaha turned on the red light by .012-seconds. Despite the red light, Johnson still crossed the finish line at Summit Motorsports Park first with a 6.627-second pass at 209.43 mph over McGaha’s 6.670, 208.91.

In the second round, Johnson had rare circumstances as he was trying to stage the car. When Johnson was fully staged and began engaging the two-step, the car rocked in and out of the beams and Johnson rolled through the beams trying to fully stage again. Greg Anderson’s 6.597, 210.90 advanced to the semifinal round and Johnson unfortunately had no recorded time.

“I eased in and when I went wide open on the two-step, the light flickered,” Johnson explained. “In that moment, you either gotta try to get it back in the beams or let off. That was just a bad break right there. I still stand behind my car and my Marathon Petroleum team; we’ve got a good car right now and we’re starting to go some rounds.”

Unofficially, Johnson’s quarterfinal appearance was enough to move him in the No. 10 spot in the Pro Stock point standings.

“That’s the first time we’ve been in the top ten all year,” Johnson smiled. “Everything is headed in a positive direction. Top ten? How about that!”

NORWALK, Ohio (June 24, 2017) – In the most closely packed Pro Stock field in ages, Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson will take on the competition from the No. 9 spot at the 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

On Friday, the 2012 Pro Stock World Champion began qualifying with a 6.654-second pass at 207.21 mph. Johnson and crew chief Adam Hornberger adjusted the tune-up to accommodate the ever-changing weather and improved by over two-thousandths when he clocked in with a 6.633, 207.56.

Starting Saturday in the No. 8 position, Johnson made a big improvement once again when he clocked in with a 6.623, 208.91. The Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing driver finished qualifying with his best run of the weekend - a 6.619, 208.59.

No. 9 Johnson will race No. 8 Chris McGaha in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning.

“I’ve said this the last few races but we really do have a good car right now,” Johnson said. “It’s just two or three thousandths moves you four or five positions. The cars making perfect runs are in the top five and you got six more grouped together within three thousandths so I think tomorrow will be a driver’s day, for sure. If I can do my job as a driver, we should do well tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 21, 2017) – After an early exit at the Thunder Valley Nationals, there is nothing more crucial to Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson than getting back on the racing surface. He will get his chance this weekend at the 11th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals and he hopes to have his best performance of the season so far while in Marathon Petroleum’s backyard.

“I’m really eager to get to Norwalk because we have a great car but the driver let us down last weekend,” Johnson admitted. “I hope I can make up for it with all the Marathon Petroleum people here this weekend. I always look forward to this race because a lot of them are able to join us at Summit Motorsports Park.”

Wednesday, Johnson will display the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart at the Marathon Petroleum campus located in Findlay, Ohio. All Marathon Petroleum employees are then invited to Employee Day at Summit Motorsports Park on Saturday where they can enjoy the sights and sounds of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing and root on their favorite red, white and blue Pro Stock competitor.

“Norwalk is a real cool place to race,” Johnson said. “The Bader family really makes that place special and they take a lot of pride in their facility. We have a good time when we go to Norwalk.”

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 17, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson drove his way to the No. 7 spot after four rounds of qualifying at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

On Friday, Johnson began his qualifying efforts with a solid 6.730-second pass at 205.13 mph. Battling against high humidity, the entire Pro Stock class made their best attempts in the extreme conditions. In the second session, Johnson and the Adam Hornberger-led team clocked in with a 6.745, 204.26.

Saturday, the red, white, and blue Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart crossed the finish line at Bristol Dragway with a 6.752, 205.60. It was a 6.738, 204.63 that closed out qualifying for the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team after a brief rain delay.

“In the final session, we really got after it and it finally 60-footed better,” Johnson said. “I know we can be competitive tomorrow.”

No. 7 Johnson will have lane choice over No. 8 Alex Laughlin in the first round. In eliminations, Johnson is 5-0 against Laughlin.

“Our tune-up is really close to the top right now,” he added. “It’s going to be hot and tricky out there but we have a setup for that kind of weather. We don’t change our tune-up a lot during raceday unless the weather changes a bunch but we just gotta get after it tomorrow like we did today in the final session. If we can do that, we could very well win this thing tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 14, 2017) – There are only eight racetracks on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing circuit that Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing driver Allen Johnson has yet to win at and his home track of Bristol Dragway is one of them. With new found momentum, Johnson is ready to capitalize on their performance gains this weekend at the 17th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Johnson has been to the final round 59 times in his 20-year Pro Stock career and surprisingly, only one of those has been at Bristol Dragway back in 2012. He’s been the No. 1 qualifier at this event in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and it is more than possible for Johnson to outperform the competition this weekend and bring home the elusive Thunder Valley Nationals win once and for all.

“I love this race because this is where we get to sort of give back to all of our friends and our employees that allow us to race like we do,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of employees that have a suite and it’s always fun coming here. My dad has raced in the area since the 1960’s and it’s nice to be gelling as we head into this race. We’ve got a shot to win it for the first time.”

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 11, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove the Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the quarterfinal round of competition after defeating Matt Hartford on raceday at the 48th annual NHRA Summernationals.

First round, Johnson began raceday in his highest qualifying position of the season at No. 4 and had lane choice over Matt Hartford. Battling high track temperatures, the Pro Stock class knew it was a driver and tuner combination that would win each round of racing in Englishtown. Both competitors were almost identical off the tree and Johnson's 6.637-second pass at 209.59 mph was enough to take out Hartford’s 6.645, 209.79.

“The track is hot and grimy,” Johnson said at the top end following first round. “We got a little aggressive and the car spun like crazy. I started going towards the centerline and I just started pulling gears and it was good enough to win.”

Johnson took over lane choice against Greg Anderson in the second round with his performance in the first round of eliminations. Johnson crossed the finish line at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park with an improved 6.622, 209.56 but fell short in a very close matchup against Anderson’s 6.611, 210.14.

“We’re in the ballpark now,” he smiled. “It’s just a matter of a few breaks coming our way but I’m tickled to death that the car is running good. We’re just a little bit out of practice on raceday but if I can get my left foot off the clutch faster and tune it back up, they better watch out for our Marathon Petroleum team.”

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 10, 2017) – What a weekend it has been for the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team so far at the 48th annual NHRA Summernationals. 2012 Pro Stock World Champion drove to his highest qualifying position of the season after only participating in three out of four sessions.

On Friday, Johnson clocked in with an honorable 6.640-second pass at 210.54 mph. Knowing they had more in it, the Adam Hornberger-led team finessed the tune-up and improved eight thousandths of a second in the evening session when he crossed the finish line with an impressive 6.567, 210.90.

Saturday, Johnson ran a 6.582, 210.44 and electrified the competition when he was second fastest of the session. His performance collected him two bonus points and his first bonus points of the season. Immediately after his run, Johnson hopped on a plane back to Tennessee to support his wife Pam in her charity event with Dancing with the Tri-Cities Stars. He did not compete in the final session but he remained in the No. 4 spot.

“You know, we just keep gaining on them and we’ve really turned a corner with our program,” Johnson said. “We’re taking baby steps each run and to make a big jump up to No. 4 like that was really awesome. We just gotta keep diggin’ you know?”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (June 6, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson is ready to put the early exit at the New England Nationals in the rear-view mirror and redirect his focus to this weekend at the 48th annual NHRA Summernationals.

Johnson has been in the final round three times at this event and won in 2011 over Vincent Nobile. He always went on to be the No. 1 qualifier in 2006 and 2014.

“Englishtown has always been one of my favorite races,” Johnson said. “Englishtown was a Mopar race for a really long time after I first started racing Pro Stock and through the Mopar race, we’ve gotten to know a lot of great people at this race. The Summernationals always is pretty good to our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team.”

Despite a first round loss just a few days ago in Epping, Johnson still remains confident in the advancements in their performance the last three races.

“We’ve got a setup for if the track gets hot and grimy and we’ve got a setup for if it gets cold out there,” he added. “I feel like I have more confidence right now than I have in a long while which is good going into this long stretch. Maybe we can go some rounds and get some crucial points this weekend.”

EPPING, N.H. (June 3, 2017) – The Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing team has really begun to hit their stride as of late. The red, white, and blue group is showing their true talent with a No. 8 qualifying spot at the Fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals.

Allen Johnson began his quest to his highest qualifying spot of the season on Friday at New England Dragway with a solid 6.562-second pass at 211.10 mph placing him in the No. 5 spot. Johnson bettered his performance in the second session on Friday evening with a 6.551, 211.43.

Saturday, Johnson remained consistent when he drove his Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart to a 6.552, 210.77 and with a .975-second 60-foot time, he was second fastest to the 60-foot mark. Where starting line advantages and quick 60-foot times are crucial, the performance was a definite confidence booster.

Moments before the final qualifying session, the J&J Racing team discovered the engine was broke and they did a last minute engine swap. With one pair in the burnout box as he pulled into the staging lanes, Johnson rushed to get suited up and make his final run. In all the chaos, Johnson was able to run another dependable 6.559, 209.79.

“The motor didn’t sound right when I cranked it over right before our third qualifying run but it made a good pass so I didn’t think too much of it,” Johnson explained. “Right before they called us to the lanes, I asked the boys if we could crank it over one more time. When I did that, it was making a squeaky noise and I knew we had to swap the engine quick. That was at 3:40 and we were scheduled to run at 4:00. We swapped it in 20-25 minutes and were able to make the run.”

Johnson wrapped up qualifying at the Fifth annual NHRA New England Nationals in the No. 8 spot and will have a matchup against Jason Line in the first round.

“Our Marathon Petroleum team has made some serious strides these last few races,” Johnson added. “Like I said last race in Topeka, if we can start out qualifying well and progress all four runs, we can get real close to those top guys. We’ve got another engine now with a different setup that is just as good as this one we’ve got right now. We really are gaining on them.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (May 30, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson is heading back to New England Dragway this weekend. The Epping, New Hampshire-based track has brought much success for Johnson; he has been in the final round three times since the inaugural event in 2013.

Johnson drove his way to the winner circle at the inaugural event in 2013 and returned to the final round two more times in 2015 and 2016.

“We always enjoy coming back to Epping,” Johnson said. “The area around the track kind of reminds me of the mountains where I live so I feel at home when we come here. Being the first winner there in 2013 makes me feel like there’s some prestige when we race there every year. We’re real excited to get there because we finally have some momentum on our side.”

The New England Nationals is the beginning of what could be considered the most strenuous section of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Racing every weekend in June, Johnson knows the importance of keeping everything in tip-top shape during the four-in-a-row.

“We have to make sure all of our parts, pieces, and employees are fresh and everything is good to go because it can take a toll on you,” he added.

Johnson was able to break through into the second round for the first time this season at the last event in Topeka, Kansas and that performance seems to have boosted moral in the Marathon Petroleum pits.

“The whole team is a little more upbeat and more confident in what we’re doing,” he said. “I hope we can take that little bit of momentum from the last two races and project it into a win this weekend at the New England Nationals.”

TOPEKA, Kans. (May 21, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the quarterfinals on raceday at the 29th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals.

No. 10 Johnson had a first round matchup against No. 5 Matt Hartford. Only two hundredths apart between their qualifying positions, Johnson knew if he could do his job at the starting line, there was a very good chance at inking his 451st round win of his career.

In first round, Johnson was .029 on the tree and had over four hundredths on Hartford at the launch. Johnson crossed the stripe at Heartland Park Topeka with a 6.587-second pass at 209.39 mph and carried that starting line advantage to a holeshot win over Hartford’s 6.578, 210.67.

Second round, the 2012 Pro Stock World Champion lined up against Jeg Coughlin. Johnson slowed to a 6.634, 209.98 after tire shake at the launch and wasn’t able to recover in time to outrun Coughlin’s 6.575, 209.23.

“As a team, we picked up and we’re within two hundredths when we were about six or seventh hundredths a few races ago so we’ve made a big jump in performance this weekend,” Johnson beamed. “If we can start there next race, we can take it down to one hundredth and be even closer. A round win for the first time this year isn’t anything to brag about and it’s been a tough season so far but I think we’ve got the data to run right with them now. We’re really close.”

TOPEKA, Kans. (May 20, 2017) – Allen Johnson powered the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 10 position after three rounds of qualifying at the 29th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals.

On Friday, it was all but considered a wash-out as Mother Nature lingered overhead with dark clouds and persistent rain all throughout the afternoon. With a brief break in the storms, the NHRA Safety Safari was able to dry the track in record time and Pro Stock was able to make one run. Johnson crossed the finish line at Heartland Park Topeka with a 6.697-second pass at 206.13 mph.

Saturday’s weather presented a different set of challenges for the Marathon Petroleum team. The Adam Hornberger-tuned team turned heads in the first session of the day when he clocked in with a 6.583, 209.17. That pass was sixth fastest of the session – one of their best performances of the season thus far.

“That run sure felt good,” Johnson smiled. “Each week, we try to do ‘knock it out of the park’ type stuff and you know, it’s basically starting over every week because we try new stuff on the dyno and then bring that to the next race. That run felt real good and it’s still got a little left in it. It feels really good to be as close as we are to the competition.”

Johnson finished qualifying with a consistent 6.587, 210.11 and landed in the No. 10 position. He will race Matt Hartford in the first round of eliminations tomorrow; the last time this pair staged up against each other in eliminations was Dallas, Texas in 2014. Despite losing lane choice for first round, Johnson is confident it’ll be a driver-tuner combination that’ll come out victorious on raceday.

“Everybody on this Marathon Petroleum team is gonna have to do their job tomorrow,” he added. “Everybody is so close right now and it’s anybody’s game right now. We’ve got a shot at it.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (May 16, 2017) – If there was one word to describe Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing driver Allen Johnson’s season, it’d be progress. He is hoping to take that progress and ink his first victory of the season at this weekend’s 29th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

“It’s getting to the part of the season where it’s very important to do well,” Johnson said. “We’ve made a few more gains this past week on the dyno so we’re hoping our performance may be just a little better than it was in Atlanta. It’d be nice to get lane choice for first round and start winning some rounds.”

In the eighth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, there are eleven races in the regular season left to get into the Countdown to the Championship. Sitting on the outside looking in, Johnson knows the importance of knocking down some of his competition on raceday.

“Points are important and we have to start paying attention to them because we’re not in the top ten right now,” Johnson admitted. “You know, we’re just gonna take it round by round like we always do in our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart and try to get better. We gotta get better to get points and win rounds.”

With questionable weather on the horizon that may threaten Friday’s qualifying, capitalizing on the qualifying runs they do get is very crucial.

“We just go into each race with the best setup we have on the dyno,” Johnson admits. “We haven’t tested it because we made some big changes. If the weather cuts our qualifying short, we’re prepared to go up there with our best estimated and educated guess from the dyno.”

COMMERCE, Ga. (May 6, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team have smiles from ear to ear after qualifying a season high No. 9 at the 37th annual NHRA Southern Nationals.

After qualifying got cancelled before any runs were made at Atlanta Dragway on Friday for the Pro Stock class, Johnson knew capitalizing on Saturday’s qualifying would be crucial.

“When you only get two runs, you gotta be perfect in qualifying just like you have to be on raceday,” Johnson said. “You gotta be more focused.”

On Saturday, the team was greeted with sunshine and no clouds in sight. On the first run, Johnson clocked in with a 6.623-second pass at 208.62 mph which put him in the No. 9 spot. In the second and final qualifying session, Johnson posted a consistent 6.652, 208.78 up on the scoreboard at the Commerce, Ga.-based track.

After the second qualifying sessions, Johnson remained in the No. 9 spot. That No. 9 position granted him a first round matchup against No. 8 Vincent Nobile in the first round.

“We tried to start today just how we ended in Charlotte and build on it,” he smiled. “We had a plan for this weekend to stay very close to what we did in Charlotte and not change a whole lot. I’m really excited about being No. 9. It just psyches the heck out of me.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (May 2, 2017) – Allen Johnson took home the win at Atlanta Dragway fifteen years ago in 2002 and he can’t think of a better time to bring his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart all the way to the winner circle once again.

The 37th annual NHRA Southern Nationals is the seventh of 24 races in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series and as of the last two races, Johnson has found some major performance gains in their engine department.

“We made some serious gains in Houston and Charlotte and I’m looking forward to going to this final race in the three-in-a-row to see what’ll happen,” Johnson said. “We’re not 100% there yet but if I had one word for last weekend in Charlotte, it’d be progress.”

CONCORD, N.C. (April 30, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson fell in the first round of eliminations at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals but the team is looking to next weekend’s race in Atlanta with fresh eyes and a positive outlook on their current race setup.

Johnson qualified No. 12 and had a first round quad against Chris McGaha, Jason Line, and Alan Prusiensky. Johnson improved his qualifying time by over four-thousandths in the first round when he clocked in with a 6.612-second pass at 209.26 mph. The Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team made great improvements in that round but Johnson not able to advance to the second round over McGaha’s 6.601, 210.24 and Line’s 6.594, 210.67.

“That’s the closest we’ve run to the field all season,” Johnson said. “If we can qualify like that, we can get a better spot on the ladder and that’ll give us a better draw on raceday. We’ve had a lot of progress this weekend and I’m tickled to death. This weekend was definitely a step in the right direction.”

CONCORD, N.C. (April 29, 2017) – Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson will head into raceday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in the No. 12 position in his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart.

On Friday, Johnson hit zMAX DRAGWAY with a tune-up to see what the track would hold. The Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart launched a little too aggressively and he shook a little after the 60-foot mark; he coasted to a 12.005-second pass at 94.79 mph. The Adam Hornberger-led team came back in the second session on Friday and greatly improved with a 6.657, 208.33.

In the first session on Saturday, Johnson ran his best of the weekend when he lit up the scoreboards with a 6.644, 208.55. Johnson clocked in with a 6.674, 209.14 in the closing round of qualifying but he felt there was more out there for his car in the final session.

“The run in the third session was the best run we’ve made all year compared to the rest of the field,” Johnson said. “We were sixth-fastest of the session in Q3. I think we could’ve done that the fourth round too if the car in front of us wouldn’t have leaked any fuel on the track the pair before us.”

“We definitely made some improvements here at zMAX DRAGWAY this weekend so far in our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart,” he added.

Johnson’s No. 12 qualifying position will line him up against Jason Line, Chris McGaha and Alan Prusiensky in the first round of eliminations tomorrow.

“With the Four-Wide, I need to focus on my own lane and just get staged first, get on the throttle first, and hopefully get off the clutch first.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (April 25, 2017) – Performance gains couldn’t have come at a better time for Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team. In the second of three races in a row, Johnson is hoping to translate his performance momentum into round wins this weekend at the eighth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

“We tested at zMAX Dragway two weeks ago,” Johnson said. “We should be able to use most of that data for this weekend and the track surface should be close to what it was when we were testing.”

The uniquely-formatted NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presents different challenges than a regular raceday but despite the challenge of staging and competing against three other racers, Johnson seems to be almost unaffected by it all.

“I don’t have to change my routine really,” Johnson admitted. “I just try to stage first and let everyone else figure it out. It’s a fun race to do once a year but if you don’t pay attention when you’re staging, it can really be a mess with fuel-injection.”

HOUSTON, Tex. (April 23, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart Pro Stock team may have not turned on the win light in the first round of eliminations, but perhaps they found something a little more important: the gremlin that has been plaguing their performance so far this season.

Johnson came into raceday as the No. 13 seed with his fastest pass during qualifying being a 6.645, 207.94. That granted him a first-round matchup against Bo Butner.

In the first round, Johnson bettered his best pass of the weekend by an outstanding eight-thousandths of a second. He crossed the finish line at Royal Purple Raceway with a 6.567, 211.16 but Butner’s 6.523, 213.33 advanced to the second round.

Despite being a first-round runner-up, Johnson left the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals extremely optimistic and encouraged.

“We traded out everything electrical and fuel-related in the car,” Johnson said. “The win light might’ve not turned on in our lane but I feel really positive about the performance of my Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart in the first round. I think we found our gremlin!”

HOUSTON, Tex. (April 22, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart team qualified No. 13 this weekend at the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals.

In the first session on Friday, Johnson clocked in with a 6.656-second pass at 208.84 mph. The Adam Hornberger-led team returned for Friday’s session and crossed the finish line at Royal Purple Raceway with an almost identical 6.656, 208.46.

On Saturday, Johnson improved his qualifying position with a 6.645, 207.94. In the final qualifying session of the weekend, he had trouble at the launch and coasted to the finish line with a 13.028, 82.44.

“We’re consistently fighting to get faster,” Johnson said. “I figure we can try new things, change some stuff and try to get faster or we don’t change a thing and stay slow. We’re trying a lot of things but it’s hard to keep up with it and make good runs. We’re looking for the magic spot for this Marathon Petroleum Co. Dodge Dart.”

No. 13 Johnson will race No. 2 Bo Butner in the first round of eliminations on Sunday morning. The pair has yet to race this year in eliminations.

“I’m very hungry for some round wins,” he added. “I’m going to need to be perfect tomorrow and he’s gonna need to screw up. We’ll never give up and eventually our luck will turn around. I’m hoping it turns around this weekend.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (April 18, 2017) – Royal Purple Raceway is one of the tracks on Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing driver Allen Johnson’s short list of tracks he has yet to win at. The 2012 Pro Stock World Champion has been in the final round a total of three times in his career at Houston and he’s ready to capture his first win this weekend at the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals.

“Houston is one of the tracks I haven’t won at yet and this Marathon Petroleum team is ready to take that one off the list this weekend,” Johnson said.

As the red, white, and blue Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart enters the property, it will mark Johnson’s 485th race in Pro Stock and a perfectly opportune time to bring home his first win of 2017. Houston is only one of eight racetracks on the current NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour that Johnson hasn’t parked himself in the winner circle at and after a test session last week at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina, they may be coming up on a tune-up to make that victory a reality.

“We tested a few new motor combinations and manifolds in Charlotte last week and we’re trying to find something that’s better than what we have right now,” he added. “We’re digging to find the power. We’re not giving up and we’ll keep trying new things in our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart.”

Aside from competing this weekend, Johnson plans on visiting a Marathon Petroleum refinery on Thursday before the event.

“I enjoy visiting the refinery when we come to the Houston race,” he said. “We do an appearance there with the truck and then a lot of the Marathon people join us out at the track during the weekend; it’s a special race for our team.”

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (April 1, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 13 spot after four rounds of qualifying at the 18th annual DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals.

On Friday, Johnson began qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 7.127-second pass at 162.78 mph after they suffered a mechanical issue on their Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart GT. The Greeneville, Tenn.-native returned in the second session with an improved 6.749, 204.82.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge was held on Saturday afternoon during the third qualifying session. No. 7 Johnson matched up against No. 2 Greg Anderson. The pair staged and it was time to battle for the win. Johnson crossed the finish line ahead of Anderson with a 6.746, 204.85 but Anderson’s 6.670, 205.19 took the victory after Johnson red lit by .057-seconds at the hit. Johnson’s pass was not enough to send him to the second round of the K&N Horsepower Challenge but his elapsed time was still counted towards qualifying.

Johnson finished out qualifying with his fastest pass of the weekend when he clocked in with a 6.736, 204.91.

“We keep easing up on it one run at a time with some new equipment,” Johnson said. “We’re still not making the car run down low and that’s our problem right now but if we can match those guys to the eighth-mile, we’re gonna be real close. “

He finished out the day in the No. 13 spot and will have a first-round matchup against Greg Anderson in the morning.

“We’ll go out there and make our best run in our Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart and maybe we’ll have some luck on our side.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (March 28, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson is not unfamiliar with being the standalone Mopar competitor in Pro Stock in his 20-year racing career. When he first entered Pro Stock in 1996, he was the lone Mopar driver in competition for several years and this weekend is no different as he competes in this weekend’s double-header.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will offer two opportunities for victory for Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum team – the 18th annual DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals and the prestigious K&N Filters Horsepower Challenge.

“Being the only Mopar in the K&N Horsepower Challenge and the only full-time Mopar in Pro Stock, it motivates our whole Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team to get our car competitive so we can stand out in this bonus race,” Johnson said. “Standing out among the other manufactures always is extra motivation. When we started out, it was the same way. We were the only Mopar out there from ’96 to ’98.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge began in 1985 and this year will mark Johnson’s 14th year competing in the bonus race. He is one of nine elite Pro Stock drivers that has won the K&N Challenge and then went on to win the main event in the same weekend.

“That 2013 double-up was real exciting,” Johnson reminisced. “Another double-up would be great but just to be in a competitive position to win either race right now would be a very big plus.”

FAST FACTS: ALLEN JOHNSON’S HISTORY AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2017) – Qualifying is complete at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and the Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson is starting from the No. 11 seed, his highest of the 2017 season so far.

On Friday, Johnson brought his Dodge Dart to the starting line and squared the tires at the hit; he coasted to the finish line with a 13.879-second pass at 85.62 mph. He returned in Friday’s afternoon session with his Adam Hornberger-tuned car and they put the power to the track. Johnson launched with ease but the Dodge Dart made a hard left straight for the wall and Johnson was forced to push the clutch back in; he clocked in with a 9.838, 93.04.

Despite the challenging Friday at Gainesville Raceway, the Marathon Petroleum team never let it phase them. Johnson jumped up the ladder instantly when he posted a 6.549, 211.56 on the scoreboard in Saturday's first session.

“That run felt really good,” Johnson said. “I think we were fifth of the session and that was what we were shooting for – the middle of the pack. It was the first pass all season that was worth anything really so we were real happy with it.”

Johnson closed out qualifying with a troubled 18.562, 60.69 because of a broken shock potentially impacted during the burnout in the final session.

“We were shooting to go up there and do a little better than earlier today and it looks like it broke the shock in the burnout,” he admitted. “We’ll go back to the setup we had in the third session and give them something in the first round.”

No. 11 Allen Johnson will race No. 6 Shane Gray in the first round tomorrow. They have raced already once this year in Pomona and Johnson is ready to settle the score.

“We owe him one for Pomona,” he added. “We’re running better than we were in February so hopefully our Marathon Petroleum Dart makes a solid run and I do my job as a driver.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (March 14, 2017) – This week marks the third of 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing tour as Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing team head to Gainesville Raceway for the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Dubbed his “second home track” after buying a home in the sunshine state a few years ago, Johnson is hoping home court advantage will come into play this weekend.

“We always look forward to coming to the east coast,” Johnson said. “We have our second home here and Gainesville Raceway is at sea-level; it’s like a new beginning.”

The stakes are high this weekend for the 2013 and 2014 Gatornationals Pro Stock winner because he will be competing for the event title while making sure he qualifies well enough to maintain his spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge that will take place at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weeks. Currently, Johnson is in the No. 7 spot and if he accumulates enough points over No. 8 Chris McGaha, he will be added to the K&N Horsepower Challenge roster and the eighth spot will be decided by a fan vote.

“We’re going to need to qualify ahead of McGaha,” he added. “We’re shooting to get back into the middle of the pack this race and give ourselves a better starting position for raceday.”

Qualifying at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begins on Friday, March 17th with two sessions at 12:45 and 4:15 p.m. (ET) Two more qualifying sessions will be on Saturday, March 18th at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. (ET) Eliminations will be on Sunday, March 19th at 11:00 a.m. (ET) starting with Top Fuel.

“We’ve spent the last two weeks at home working on engine stuff in our shop and going back to ‘home base’ with our Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart,” he said. “We’re trying some new stuff and we’re looking to do better in Gainesville.”

• Allen has won the Gatornationals twice – 2013 and 2014.
• AJ has been in the finals three times (including those two wins listed above) at this event.
• No. 1 qualifier in 2012.
• Last year’s performance: qualified No. 7; lost in the semifinal final to Greg Anderson.

PHOENIX, Ariz. (February 25, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Co./J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson qualified No. 12 at the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. The 2012 Pro Stock world champion came to Wild Horse Motorsports Park as a man on a mission with his eyes set on one goal: outperforming his competition on raceday.

On Friday, Johnson began qualifying with a solid 6.592-second pass at 209.62 mph. The popular Pro Stock competitor bettered his standings when he crossed the finish line with an improved 6.583, 209.36 in the second session.

In Saturday’s first session, Johnson was on a smooth, clean run until he began to experience engine troubles. Being able to sense the engine giving, Johnson clicked off the engine and coasted to the finish line with a 7.293, 135.76. Johnson closed out qualifying with a 6.601, 208.97.

“When we hurt the engine in the third session, we had to put in a new one right before the final run,” Johnson admitted. “We missed the tune-up a little bit when we went up there but luckily, we’ve still got a little left in it. We’ll keep digging in our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart.”

Johnson’s qualifying efforts landed him in the No. 12 spot and it’ll be a battle of the former Pro Stock world champions when he takes on Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the first round Sunday morning.

“Jeg is always tough competition,” he said. “We’ll have to make our best run and I’ll make sure to be on my game to give our Marathon Petroleum team a shot at the win tomorrow.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (February 20, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson returns to Wild Horse Motorsports Park this weekend for the 33rd annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. Johnson is well-acquainted with the winner circle in Phoenix and returning to the winner circle after an early exit at the season opener would be the exact catalyst for the momentum they’re seeking.

“A win in Phoenix can really boost our momentum and give us a solid foundation to work off of and that’s what we hope to do this weekend,” Johnson said. “We’re doing the best we can to try to get more torque out of our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart and we know what direction to go after Pomona.”

The Greeneville, Tennessee-based racer has been to three final rounds at the Arizona Nationals and has taken home top honors in 2005 over Ron Krisher and 2014 over V. Gaines.

“Getting a win early in the season is crucial,” he added. “We struggled in Pomona because we spent the whole winter on the dyno trying squeeze everything we could out of our Hemi. Not testing kicked us in the butt but we learned what not to do in Pomona; I expect a much better weekend in Phoenix for our team.”

POMONA, Calif. (February 12, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum’s Allen Johnson will be putting the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals in the rear-view mirror after a first round loss in eliminations. Although the early exit comes as a frustration, Johnson admits that there are things to be learned from this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Johnson began eliminations from the No. 13 seed and had a first round matchup against Shane Gray. Johnson staged his Marathon Petroleum/J&J racing Dodge Dart and matted the throttle. At the launch, Johnson’s red, white, and blue Pro Stocker made a hard left turn towards the centerline. Johnson dipped into his two decades worth of experience to try to recover and defeat Gray but when he car got out of shape a second time, Johnson knew it was time to push in the clutch. Johnson clocked in with an 8.845-second pass at 101.72 mph.

“It can only go up from here,” Johnson smirked. “We just went up there today really aggressive with our tune-up hoping something might happen and it just took a hard left. We’ve learned a lot this weekend on what doesn’t work and we’re looking to rebound in Phoenix.”

POMONA, Calif. (February 11, 2017) – Allen Johnson drove his Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart to the No. 13 spot after qualifying action at the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals.

In Friday’s first session, Johnson began the season with a solid 6.636-second pass at 207.94 mph. As rain clouds lingered overhead, the Greeneville, Tennessee-native returned for the Friday afternoon session and outran Mother Nature when he crossed the finish line with a 6.663, 207.66.

On Saturday, the Adam Hornberger-led team took advantage of the sunshine to improve their standings on the ladder. In the first session of the day, Johnson clocked in with a 6.621, 208.33 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. He closed out qualifying with a consistent 6.622, 208.52.

“We spent the winter on the dyno and elected not to go testing before Phoenix earlier this week,” Johnson admitted. “If we did a little of testing, we would’ve been able to see what was working and what wasn’t but I’m confident we can get it all worked out in the near future.”

Johnson finished qualifying in the No. 13 spot and will have a first round matchup against No. 4 Shane Gray.

“Outdriving these guys tomorrow is going to be real important,” Johnson added. “I need to be dead on the tree and hope the person in the other lane isn’t. I usually focus on racing my own lane on raceday but we may have to do something tomorrow that’s unexpected to throw a monkey wrench into their game but I still gotta run my own race; I gotta be perfect.”

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (February 7, 2017) – Marathon Petroleum Corporation/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson heads to Pomona, California this weekend for the season opening 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals. The 2012 Pro Stock World Champion racer is eager to qualifying at Auto Club Raceway at Pomoma after testing at Wild Horse Motorsports Park.

“We’re excited to be testing and starting the new year out,” Johnson said. “Yesterday’s testing didn’t go as well as planned in our Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart but we’ve got a couple more days of testing before this weekend to get a good setup.”

The feeling surrounding Johnson and the Adam Hornberger-led team is in stark contrast to how they felt pulling into the gates at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona one year ago.

“I’m much more relaxed than this time last year,” Johnson remarked. “I think we’ll start out this year a lot better than we did last year. It’s going to be a knock-out, drag-out with everyone on raceday because everyone’s got a good handle on the fuel-injection now.”

2016 produced three final round appearances for Johnson, including his enormous Mopar Mile-High Nationals win in Denver, Colorado. After a respectable eighth place finish in the point standings, Johnson has realistic expectations for Pomona.

“If we can qualify in the top half this weekend and go a few rounds on raceday, I’d be very happy with that for the first race of the year,” he said.