Sun, 26 Feb 2017, 12:47 PM Johnson Delivers Pole in Backyard of Make-A-Wish headquarters with Career-best Time

Courtesy of Don Schumacher Racing Photo copyright 2017 Auto Imagery, Inc. On Last Run with Fifth Quickest Ever in Funny Car

CHANDLER, Ariz. -

Tommy Johnson Jr.

If Tommy Johnson Jr. could have his pick of any track to have a successful weekend, it would be Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix.

"Phoenix is the headquarters of Make-A-Wish so it would definitely be a great weekend to perform well, and we always look forward to entertaining the Make-A-Wish kids."

And on Saturday, the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charge R/T Funny Car team, funded by Terry Chandler, definitely entertained the Wish Kids and everyone else at Wild Horse Pass.

During the final session of qualifying, Johnson with crew chief John Collins and assistant Rip Reynolds clocked an elapsed time of 3.837 at 329.10 mph, for the fifth quickest time in history and No. 1 of the weekend.

"We knew the conditions were there and we did some things on that run that we normally wouldn't do," said Johnson, who won at Phoenix in 2006. "That wasn't how we would usually tune the car but what we were doing wasn't working the way we wanted so we thought we'd go a different direction and it definitely worked.

"We knew the conditions were good and if you want to try that type of setup this is the time to do it so we did. I could tell during the run that the car was a bunch better. You could feel it in there that it was pulling really well early in the run so I knew it was on a good one."

This is the team's first No. 1 of the 2017 NHRA session. They're last No. 1 came last fall in Charlotte, N.C., en route to the Make-A-Wish team finished second in Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship standings.

Johnson said he believe his relationship with his crew chief John Collins is strong and they can read each other well.

"Our chemistry between crew chief and driver has gotten pretty good and I can tell when he's got a little bounce in his step and I can tell when he's nervous. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad to know him so well. I felt pretty confident going out there. He saw something that he wanted to try."

And it worked.