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Sonoma: Tommy Johnson Jr. preview

Johnson Jr. Eyes Turnaround at Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2004) - Past performances cause some drivers to prefer racing at certain facilities as opposed to some of the other 20 tracks on the NHRA circuit. Infineon Raceway, located ...

Published: Jul 28, 2004, 6:47 AM

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Johnson Jr. Eyes Turnaround at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2004) - Past performances cause some drivers to prefer racing at certain facilities as opposed to some of the other 20 tracks on the NHRA circuit. Infineon Raceway, located in Northern California's scenic Sonoma Valley, happens to be one at which that Skoal RacingSM driver Tommy Johnson Jr. has yet to experience a solid race weekend. However, the five-time NHRA winner plans to reverse those fortunes this time around.

"It's easy to go in feeling more challenged at certain places," Johnson said. "I want to go there and overcome it; I want to beat that place. All the tracks are the same. You can have success at any of them. I want to turn around our luck at Sonoma. I never go into a race with the attitude that I can't win. I go in thinking that we're going to win."

Johnson aims to turn in a winning performance at Infineon Raceway when the NHRA makes its annual summer visit to the Golden State, July 30-Aug. 1, for the 17th annual FRAM-Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, where Johnson earned his first career No. 1 qualifying position in 1994 in the Top Fuel category.

After adjusting to the new setback supercharger combination during the first half of the 2004 NHRA campaign, Johnson, crew chief Mike Green and the blue Skoal Racing crew have proven to be one of the strongest cars in the ultra-competitive Funny Car category after qualifying No. 2 at St. Louis, a season's-best, and advancing to the semifinals at Denver.

The race at Infineon Raceway is the third event in consecutive weeks and concludes the rigorous Western Swing that causes race crews to rack up nearly 5,500 miles on the road in less than a month. But the success that Johnson and the Skoal Racing crew have experienced in recent weeks certainly helps make the time away from home more enjoyable.

"When you get to the final race of the Western Swing, it turns into survival of the fittest," Johnson said. "It's who can keep their game at such a high level. It's a tough three-race swing. A lot depends on the crew and how well we do at Denver and Seattle. It's very mentally draining on everybody because at this time of year the races are so far apart. You really have to keep up the crew guys morale."

Having successfully survived the first two-thirds of the Western Swing, there's no reason that Johnson can't make some noise on race day at Sonoma.

-www.snakeracing.com-

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