Allen Johnson and Richie Stevens Jr., Team Mopar®’s NHRA POWERade Pro Stock duo, will take to the mountains this weekend at the 28th Mopar® Mile-high Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. on July 13–15. With a string of strong qualifying runs over the past few events, this Mopar event is the perfect opportunity for the pair to break through with a trip to victory lane.
Johnson wants to make up for a lost opportunity
Johnson still has vivid memories of his visit at the 2006 Mopar Mile-high Nationals.
“Last year, we qualified second, just one-thousandth of a second out of the number one qualifying position, ” Johnson explained. “Then, as it turned out, we were eliminated in the first round. It was disappointing, but I figure this year will be a good time to make up for that lost opportunity last year. ”
Despite the early departure from last year’s competition, Johnson still felt the great qualifying run gave him tremendous momentum for the rest of the year.
Johnson said, “It was at the Mile-high Nationals last year that began our run of eight straight semis. This year, if we can get a victory here, it might start that kind of run too. ”
For those kind of results, it’s going to take a high level of consistency and it’s here where Johnson feels his team has it all together. “Everything has been gelling lately and we’ve had a strong car that has been performing very well, ” Johnson said. “My own start times have been at the top of the drivers’ standings most of the year, so if you put both of them together, that’s a strong combination. ”
He concluded, “We’re going to need all of that technical skill and power as the Pro Stock category gets harder and harder to win every year. This year, there are always at least six to eight cars that are capable of winning every week. That’s bad for us, but it’s great for the fans. When we win, we’ll know we really earned it. ”
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