Six races. That's what the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series boils down to for Allen Johnson. The Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver is fifth in the standings entering the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs and would love to kick his title push in gear with a victory at the first playoff stop, the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. The event is scheduled for Sept. 17-20 at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C.

Johnson ran his Mopar HEMIR-powered Pro Stock Dodge through its paces during two days of test sessions last week at zMax Dragway, endeavoring to master the ins-and-outs of the quarter-mile, which debuted in 2008 on the NHRA circuit. The Team Mopar driver says he will enter the first event in the six-race Countdown to 1 playoffs with excitement and confidence.

"We are really looking forward to it. I feel like even though we had a hiccup at Indy [in a first-round exit at the Mac Tool U.S. Nationals], it was my fault and we know why it happened, so it can be easily corrected," Johnson said. "I really believe our Mopar HEMI engines, our J&J Racing Dodge Stratus, myself-we are at the top of our game entering the Countdown to 1, where it really means something. I'm looking forward to the challenge of it, looking forward to getting to it and finishing the year up in a way that will really make everyone at Mopar and Chrysler Group LLC proud."

Johnson earned a playoffs bid for the third consecutive year. The Greeneville, Tenn., native has now qualified for the Countdown in each of the three years since the NHRA adopted the playoff format.

"Our success in the Countdown is very telling in and of itself, of the success our team and of the power and performance of our Mopar parts and Mopar HEMI engines," said Johnson. "To be in the last ladder of the Countdown to 1 in the first season of the playoffs, back in 2007, and to make the playoffs again in 2008 and this year as well, it speaks to the experience, talent and dedication of the Mopar/J&J Racing squad."

The NHRA's recently announced modifications to its point system may help Johnson and his team in their fight for a first Pro Stock title. Teams with the quickest elapsed time (E.T.) during each qualifying session will receive bonus points. A team that records low E.T. all four sessions could receive a total of 12 bonus points during qualifying. Johnson has been extremely consistent in qualifying throughout 2009, placing his Mopar-powered Dodge in the top half of the field in 16 of 18 NHRA events thus far. Johnson also captured the No. 1 Qualifier Award at the Seattle NHRA event in July.

"I think it [the new point system] favors us, maybe not as much as Mike Edwards [winner of nine Pro Stock No. 1 Qualifier Awards in 2009], but it does play into our hands," Johnson remarked. "We've been among the best in the Pro Stock class during qualifying over the last two years. If we can continue or even better our track record during qualifying come the playoffs, the added bonus points will sure help our push to bring home a championship."

NHRA Carolinas Nationals
The NHRA Carolinas Nationals is scheduled to take place Sept. 17-20 at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C. Qualifying for pro classes will begin on Friday, Sept. 18. Two hours of qualifying coverage will air on Saturday, Sept. 19, beginning at 11:30 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. Three hours of eliminations coverage will air on Sunday, Sept. 20, beginning at 7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. For more information on the NHRA, log on to http://www.nhra.com.

The Mopar Brand: Authentic Motor Parts and Accessories for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge 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.

In addition to its proud muscle-car heritage, Mopar established a solid reputation as a one-stop shop for proven, quality-tested, reliable and original parts. Just this year, in 2009, Mopar has introduced more than 200 new parts and accessories.

"Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered by the same team that creates all of our factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, JeepR and Dodge vehicles," said Pietro Gorlier, President & CEO, Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. "At Mopar, we offer more than 280,000 parts and accessories for customers who want to customize and refresh their rides."

Today, Mopar is responsible for the distribution of authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold in more than 90 countries. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

Courtesy of Darren Jacobs