Pro Stock Talk with Allen Johnson

How excited is your team to get this 2013 season underway:


'The Mopar Peformance Dodge Avenger Team is always excited to get the season underway, however 2013 feels a little different being defending NHRA Pro Stock Champion. What we will do is keep focused on the task at hand, and that is to defend our championship from 2012'


With Vincent Nobile and now 5-time Pro Stock Champion Jeg Coughlin joining your team , that would make the team seem more formidable:



'That is most certainly the hope that three teams are better than a 2 car team. With Jeg's Team joining us, they bring such a tremendous amount of strength. We, as an organization hope to take full advantage of those resources which includes even more horsepower'


During the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle (Now Mello Yello) season, your team took the fight to the Summit Racing Camaros of Anderson & Line:


'Last season, we were fortunate to do really well against them. But during qualifying (interview took place during Saturday's qualifying session) things haven't gone according to plan, conditions were not ideal. Also with what our team tested in Braderton FLA may not work quite as well here at Pomona. However the season is still young and we intend be in the fight for the championship for remainder of the 2013 season


Do you come into Pomona with any set up changes being that the Winternationals is the first event of the season:


'We bring with us many different setups and use those as a base with which to adjust the cars accordingly. We treat each qualifying run as an opportunity to try different things on each of our cars to help us run better than our competition'


Talk about how close the Pro Stock class has become with each season that goes by:



' The 2013 season I believe will be the closest in history, there are between 8 and 9 cars that are very capable of becoming Pro Stock Champion. I believe that you will see the return of Mike Edwards to the top of Pro Stock again along with Erica Enders-Stevens at the top of her game. But with each car within a 1/1000 of a second, Pro Stock 2013 will be extremely close'



What determining factors are there in NHRA Pro Stock Drag Racing that make the class the closest it has been:



'I believe lane choice is one of the factors along with which driver is quickest off of the starting line. Add to that horsepower, and you have the car and team capable of not only winning an event but the Pro Stock Championship as well'. 


AAA Auto Club Raceway in Pomona holds a special place in your heart:


'It certianly does, especially the way last season ended; clinching the championship and winning the season ending Auto Club Finals. The fact that Pomona is the berth place of where the NHRA started, a driver derives great joy in winning here'