Brainerd: Tommy Johnson Jr preview

TOMMY JOHNSON JR. SEEKING REPEAT PERFORMANCE AT BRAINERD

Brainerd, MN (August 8, 2007) --SKOAL Racing Chevy Impala Funny Car driver and defending Brainerd International Raceway Champion Tommy Johnson Jr. is looking to capitalize on the strength from his finish in Sonoma by turning in another victory at the 2007 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

At the culmination of the six-week stretch of consecutive races, Johnson pushed eventual track champion John Force to the limit in the semifinals--he was bested by .001 seconds. Overall, he had a great weekend in Sonoma with qualifying in the number three spot and capturing a couple of convincing victories over Jim Head and Gary Densham.

Last year in Brainerd, Johnson barreled through his competition with a top speed of 322.73 and elapsed time of 4.741, which was good enough to top Gary Scelzi in the finals.

"It was great having a weekend off to regroup, but I am excited to be back in Brainerd where Skoal Racing is defending champion," said Johnson. "It would be great to be able to repeat last year's victory, and it'd put us in terrific position with one race remaining in the Countdown. With the way the team performed in Sonoma (with a semifinal finish), I think we can carry that momentum to a win in Brainerd."

Johnson currently sits 11th in the POWERAde points standings in the Countdown to the Championship. For the Skoal Showdown in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend (August 29-September 3), he sits 4th with 2,640 points. Points for the Showdown are based on qualifying position throughout the season.

-credit: srt