Team Mopar® Driver Johnson Determined to Defend K&N Challenge Crown, Double Up at Norwalk

Johnson defeated Greg Anderson with a perfect .000 reaction time off the tree to bank the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge grand prize in 2008, but still walked away from his Norwalk visit with a nagging sense of unfinished business. In last year's main event, Johnson set low ET of the race yet was still knocked out in the quarterfinals on a holeshot loss to fellow Mopar HEMI®-powered driver Larry Morgan.

That was probably the most fun weekend we had last year at Norwalk, said Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T. But in the end, I had a horrible light on Sunday and lost in the second round when we still had the fastest car. I missed the chance to double up, so that's the goal this year, to get it done and double up.

Johnson enters the 2009 K&N Horsepower Challenge event ranked No. 3. The event features the top eight Pro Stock qualifiers dating back to the 2008 Norwalk event. Johnson's J&J Racing team has constructed an amazingly consistent track record in qualifying, posting the Mopar/J&J Pro Stocker in the top half of the field in 10 of eleven events thus far and giving the squad another crack at a $50,000 payday.

It speaks very well for the team, said Johnson, whose father, Roy, acts as engine builder for J&J Racing. Mark Ingersoll and Jeff Perley serve as co-crew chiefs. We've been in the bonus event for a few years straight now and have been seeded pretty high in each one. That tells you we've got the package, we've just got to get rid of the boo-boos on Sunday and I think the wins will start rolling up.

Johnson has been hot as of late. He scored his sixth career Pro Stock win at the NHRA Topeka event in May, advanced to the semifinals at the most recent NHRA event in Englishtown, N.J., and is only two rounds away from his 175th career round win.

Just six events remain after Norwalk until the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoff cuts the field down to the top 10 drivers. Johnson qualified for the Countdown in the first two years of the playoff and is currently fifth in the point standings. The Greeneville, Tenn. native is well-placed to make the cut, but nevertheless said he is working hard to better his position come playoff time.

I'd like to move up a couple more spots and I don't think it's out of the question, said Johnson. If we can just continue to do what we are doing I think we'll move up at least one, maybe two positions.

Johnson statistics

Won the K&N Horsepower Challenge bonus event in 2008 at Norwalk, recording a perfect .000 reaction time to defeat Greg Anderson for the victory
Lost in the quarterfinals to Larry Morgan in the 2008 Norwalk main event, despite posting low ET of the race in the run
Advanced to the semifinals at the inaugural NHRA Norwalk event in 2007
Captured his first win of the 2009 season at the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals in Topeka
Has qualified in the top half of the field in 10 of 11 NHRA events thus far
Claimed six career NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock wins
Recorded 16 career final round appearances
Has claimed 173 career round wins
Currently fifth in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Pro Stock point standings
Has a 15-10 round win record thus far in 2009
Also advanced to the finals and scored a runner-up finish at the NHRA Gatornationals earlier this year
Competed in his 300th race at the NHRA St. Louis event
Qualified No. 3 at each of the first three events of 2009
Finished seventh in the 2008 NHRA Pro Stock standings
One of only ten drivers to qualify for the 2008 NHRA Countdown to 1 six-race playoffs
Has qualified for the Countdown to 1 in each of the first two years since the NHRA adopted the playoff format
Powered to three No. 1 Qualifier Awards in 2008
Has six career No. 1 Qualifier Awards
Made eight 2008 semifinal appearances
Posted two straight runner-up finishes at Mopar® Mile-High NHRA Nationals and Schucks Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in July 2008
Racked up a 28-24 round win record in 2008
Finished a career-best fourth in the 2007 NHRA Pro Stock points standings
One of only four Pro Stock drivers to qualify for the inaugural 2007 NHRA Countdown to 1 playoff
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals is scheduled to take place June 25-28 at Summit Motorsports Park. Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, June 27 beginning at 8 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, June 28 beginning at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. For more info on the NHRA, log on to www.nhra.com.

More than 70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s “ the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth package cars equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of special parts for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler Group LLC's Parts division is responsible for the distribution of nearly 350,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

ON THE INTERNET
For additional information about Mopar, log on to www.mopar.com or www.moparspeed.com.