Joliet: Team Mopar final report

TEAM MOPAR® DRIVER JOHNSON TAGGED WITH TOUGH HOLESHOT LOSS IN FIRST ROUND AT JOLIET

Joliet, Ill. (June 8, 2008) -- Team Mopar® NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson went down in a close holeshot loss in a first-round match with Greg Anderson today at the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, qualified at No. 14 and drew No. 3 seed Anderson in an opening round battle. AJ's solid pass of 6.733/204.76 was for naught as Anderson posted the better reaction time, .033 to Johnson's .064 to score the holeshot triumph.

"I told the guys when we got back to the trailer that we made a really good run on Sunday," said Johnson. "I had a .064 light compared to a .075 last week. I think we're back on the road to recovery and we figured out a lot on the car this weekend. I think we proved it on that run. We were about the fourth quickest in the first round."

Johnson added, "I just have to do my job a little better. I think we've got something here to work on. We figured out our problem and we'll go on and try to kick butt the rest of the way."

No. 12 qualifier Justin Humphreys, running in just his second race in a Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock car with a Mopar HEMI® engine supplied by J&J Racing, suffered a heartbreaker in his first-round fight with Jason Line. Humphreys had the better time on the track with a run of 6.745/203.40, but a red-light ended his day right out of the starting gate.

"I kind of stuck it in a little deep, staging-wise, and it came back to bite me pretty bad," said a disappointed Humphreys. "It's the first time I've ever lost the race and actually outran somebody. We're going to get our act together and head to Englishtown and get after it."

The rest of the Mopar HEMI®-powered Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock contingent suffered the same fate as Johnson and Humphreys. Larry Morgan, John Nobile and Rickie Jones also were sent to the trailer for good after the first round of eliminations.

-credit: mopar