Bristol: Tommy Johnson Jr Friday summary

Johnson Jr. Seventh Following Friday's Qualifying At Bristol

JBRISTOL, Tenn. (April 30, 2004) -- Tommy Johnson Jr. drove his Skoal Racing(SM) Chevy Funny Car to the No. 7 qualifying position Friday after powering to a run of 4.870 seconds at 319.67 mph at Bristol Dragway.

Johnson blasted to a performance of 4.922 at 313.00 on his first qualifying effort of the weekend before finishing in the seventh spot with the 4.870, 319.67 effort behind the wheel of his Mike Green-tuned flopper. With the two full passes on Friday, Johnson has now posted seven consecutive full passes with his Don Prudhomme-owned Funny Car.

"We figured out what was causing our problems early in the season and we're able to tune the race car," Johnson said. "Our goal is to get in the show on the first run because you know the conditions will be better at night. So, you can tune it up a little bit. I'm plenty pleased and I don't see any reason why we can't improve on Saturday.

"The speeds show the horsepower the engine is producing. We knew we had a clutch problem all along. Our speeds are right there with everyone else in the Funny Car class. We know the motor is making lots of power."

Johnson aims to move up in the Funny Car order when qualifying continues Saturday with sessions at 1 and 4 p.m. (ET).

- www.snakeracing.com