J&J Dodge Continues Incredible High Altitude Streak

Defending NHRA Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson continued his incredible winning ways at Denver’s Bandimere Speedway and raced to his fourth win of the 2013 season during at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals….

Johnson further cemented his reputation as the “King of Thunder Mountain,” defeating Lakewood, Colo. native V. Gaines in an all-Mopar final round during what was the 25th anniversary of the Mopar brand’s title sponsorship of the event. In a repeat of the 2012 Mopar Mile-High final round, Johnson, the defending Pro Stock Series champion, claimed his second consecutive win at Bandimere Speedway, fifth in seven years, his fourth win of the season and 20th of his career. Johnson is also now tied for second all-time in Pro Stock wins at Denver with Warren Johnson.

Allen Johnson won his 5th Mopar Mile-High Nationals event title.

No. 1 qualifier at Bandimere Speedway for the fourth consecutive year, Johnson’s day started out easy — with a bye run — but it didn’t stay that way for long. After a 6.981-second elapsed time (ET) at 197.10 mph in his single run, Johnson faced current points leader Mike Edwards without lane choice in a quarterfinals matchup of the top two drivers in the point standings. Johnson handled the pressure skillfully, leaving the starting line first with a .010 reaction time to Edwards’ .031 and never trailing, clocking in with a victorious 6.982/196.90 in his Mopar Express Lane/J&J Racing Dodge to Edwards’ 6.989/196.67.

In the semifinals, the Greeneville, Tenn. native faced off with young gun Rickie Jones. Johnson, an 18-year veteran, was first off the line with a .020 reaction time and quickest on the track with a 6.993/196.96 at the timing lights to advance to his seventh-consecutive final round appearance at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, as well as his seventh final of the year and 43rd of his career. In the money round at Mopar’s main event, Johnson used a 6.989/196.87 run to defeat fellow Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger driver Gaines, who posted a 7.015/196.67 effort.

“You know, the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger crew is the reason for this,” said Johnson, who also clinched a berth this weekend in the NHRA Countdown to the Championships playoffs, scheduled for the last six events of the season. “All the guys at the engine shop, all the guys at the chassis shop, all the things that they put into this event. They’re determined to win every year, and I have to give all the glory to them.

“We’re really thrilled to come out here with a win for Mopar on their 25th anniversary. For them and the Bandimere family, having that marriage for 25 years, we really wanted to win it for that marriage. We pulled it off, and we’re very happy.”

For the 2nd year in a row the Pro Stock final featured two Hemi-powered Avengers with AJ defeating V. Gaines once again.

“Congratulations to Allen (Johnson) and the Mopar Express Lane Team for an incredible fifth career win at Bandimere Speedway,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “What a great way to celebrate Mopar’s 25th anniversary as title sponsor of this wonderful event. Four wins and seven final elimination appearances this season to date show how much work and determination Allen and his team have put in to battle in a tough Pro Stock class in defense of the Championship.”

Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Shawn Gann (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event, the 14th of 24 in the 2013 season.

In Top Fuel, Massey claimed his third victory of the season and 13^th of his career, defeating Houston winner Bob Vandergriff in the final round in his 8,000-horsepower Battery Extender/Schumacher Electric dragster. Massey covered the distance in 3.974 at 309.27 to knock off Vandergriff’s C&J Energy Services dragster, which went 4.029 at 304.67.

Spencer Massey drove his DSR Dragster to it’s 3rd win of the 2013 season in Top Fuel

Massey, who won for the second time in Denver, remains third in the Mello Yello Top Fuel points standings. Massey outran Clay Millican, Mike Strasburg and points leader Shawn Langdon to advance to the final round. Langdon and Tony Schumacher also became the first two racers in the class to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship.

“I was very surprised to see my DSR teammates Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown not running up to their full potential this weekend,” Massey said. “But again, that just shows you just how tough racing on the mountain is, and I’m sure that both teams will be very tough once we return to sea level at Sonoma. The key to winning here today was to tune smart and drive smart, and that’s exactly what we were able to do.

“We didn’t have the power that we wanted during qualifying, but this isn’t a horsepower race. I was surprised that there wasn’t as much tire smoking in eliminations as was expected. The key to winning here today was to tune smart and drive smart, and that’s exactly what we were able to do.”

Pedregon claimed his third victory in 2013 and 33rd for his career by knocking off Tasca in the final round. Pedregon’s 8,000-horsepower Snap-on Tools Toyota Camry posted a 4.233 at 295.46 while Tasca slowed to a 4.408 at 257.04 in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang.

This is the third win of the season for Pedregon in four final round appearances. Pedregon, who was also the No. 1 qualifier and set the track E.T. record (4.073), picked up his 33rd career win. It is also his second win at Denver, winning 20 years after his first victory at Bandimere Speedway (1993). He moves to second in the points standings.

Cruz Pedregon was very convincing while winning in fuel FC with his Snap-On Tools sponsored Toyota

“I got asked what the most gratifying part of the weekend was and I’d have to say that it was breaking our own track record and having low E.T. in three of the four rounds,” Pedregon said. “In the first round we ran a 4.17 but we weren’t trying to. I didn’t care if it ran a 4.30; as long as we did not smoke the tires. We were on a three-race first round slide so this couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Pedregon, who re-set his own track speed record at Bandimere in qualifying, beat Todd Simpson, 2009 Denver winner Ron Capps and 2002 Denver champ Del Worsham to advance to the final round. Pedregon, a two-time world champion, moves to second in points with his second win at Denver, winning 20 years after his first victory at Bandimere Speedway (1993).

“This was a good race to come back and run well, and it takes a little pressure off in Sonoma and Seattle,” Pedregon said.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gann’s ended a nine-year winless drought with his first final-round appearance since 2010, earning his fifth career victory. Gann went 7.351 at 181.08 on his Pirana Z Racing Buell to knock off points leader Hector Arana Jr. and his final round time of 7.376 at 182.11 on his Lucas Oil Buell. Gann’s last win also came in Denver in 2004.

“It was a long drought, but if you give up the fight you’re never gonna get out of that drought,” Gann said. “This is a big win. My bike has always been fast but I’ve had problems that have plagued me. I’m the heaviest rider out here and I make my own clutches so I have that to deal with. Being up here on the mountain, with fat people like me, you can only move so much mass so hard but we found a way.”

Shawn Gann ended a very long winless streak in PSM.

Gann beat Angie Smith, Steve Johnson and three-time world champion Andrew Hines to reach the final round. He moves to the No. 10 spot in the point standings. Arana Jr. became the first rider in the class to clinch a spot in the Countdown for the Championship.

Prior to the 43rd running of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals — Mopar presented yet another very successful “Block Party” downtown nearby Golden CO.

Event Essentials:  Mopar Mile-High Nationals  (July 19-21st, 2013) – Denver CO.

First National Win for Local Racer

Local racers Chris Bombard, Watkins, CO. and Lindsey Cramsey, Morrison CO., faced off for the Super Comp win at Bandimere Speedway. Also taking home the win was Todd Patterson, Augusta, KS., in Comp Eliminator.

Bombard posted a winning run of 9.475 seconds, 154.05 mph to claim his first NHRA national event win. Cramsey drove to a 9.458 second, 153.02 mph lap for her runner up finish.

Patterson, worked his way through the field and ran 8.520 seconds at 160.04 mph in his final round victory over Clint Sallee, Glendive, MT., who clocked in at 7.084 seconds, 192.17 mph.

High skilled racer Justin Lamb won in Stock with his Chevy Camaro

Other racers visiting the winner’s circle this weekend were Dan Fletcher, Churchville, NY., in Super Stock; Justin Lamb, Henderson, NV., in Stock Eliminator and Trevor Larson, Starbuck, MN., in Super Gas.

For the first time ever during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals event the Top Sportsman and Top Dragster classes were contended.   In TS it was Jim White, Haysville, KS., taking the win while Jeff Koron, Hays, KS., won in TD.

The first ever TS final at the Mile-High Nationals saw Jim White (near lane) defeat Greg Lair.

Posted with files from NHRA Communications, Darren Jacobs, Pat Caporali & Bruce Biegler

All photos by:  Bruce Biegler

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