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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nFunny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. powered the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to victory as a reserve driver for Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) after defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan was unable to compete as he continues his recovery from COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In rising to the occasion, Johnson secured his 23rd career win and took home the Wally trophy while the points earned from the victory were awarded to DSR and Hagan. The result moved the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat entry from fifth to second place on the Funny Car leaderboard with six events left to battle for the world championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u201cCongratulations to Tommy Johnson Jr. for his win at the Mopar Express Lane Nationals Presented by Pennzoil,\u201d said Mark Bosanac, North America Vice President, Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care. \u201cIt\u2019s great to see Tommy step in and skillfully drive to the winner\u2019s circle at a key event representing the Mopar and Dodge\/\/SRT brands.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson, who finished the 2020 NHRA season runner-up to Hagan in the Funny Car world championship and who had not since been behind the wheel of race car, slipped into the driver\u2019s seat of the HEMI\u00ae-powered DSR entry and promptly drove it to the second quickest pass in Friday\u2019s provisional qualifying session with a 3.895-second run at 333.82 mph to record his career-best speed and put himself in the No. 4 position for eliminations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From there, Johnson and the Mopar team made their way through the rounds, defeating Jim Campbell, DSR teammate Ron Capps and J.R. Todd to advance to a final showdown against John Force. With a solid 3.926-second elapsed time run at 330.23 mph, Johnson turned on the win lights ahead of Force\u2019s 3.946-second pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>“It’s pretty amazing, actually,\u201d said Johnson. \u201cI got a call a week ago after I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for 10 months, saying \u2018we need you.\u2019 To come back and up your game that good, I mean, (Crew Chief) Dickie (Venables) and the guys have been racing all season, while I haven’t been doing anything. I thank them for the opportunity. They rose to the challenge and dove in and made me fit in this car and made everything happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watching the action live on FS1 from home, Hagan was pleased with the result for both his stand-in and his team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I am so proud of my guys,\u201d said Hagan. \u201cThey got it done today. T.J. did a phenomenal job in the race car. He’s a wheelman. We battled each other the last two years and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he could get it done. Everybody adapted to adversity and the driver change and I’m just so proud of what these guys accomplished today. We weren’t able to race in Indy and it was a setback, but that just goes to show, you can dig right back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The points earned by Johnson\u2019s efforts puts Hagan within one round win of the Funny Car points lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can’t say thank you enough to T.J. for stepping in and bringing his A-game,\u201d added Hagan, who awaits clearance to return to competition for the balance of the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon began his race day by taking his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car for a solid 3.908 seconds\/318.62 mph bye-run win to advance to the quarterfinals where he would battle No. 7 seed Todd. Pedregon put in another respectable pass at 3.981 seconds but it wasn\u2019t enough to pass Todd and his 3.931-second pass to take the win. With this weekend\u2019s performance, the Cruz Pedregon Racing team moved up a spot in the standings to seventh place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The \u201cCountdown to the Championship\u201d continues next weekend with the second of the seven NHRA playoff series events, the Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept 17-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Event Essentials: Mopar Express Lane Nationals (Sept. 10-12th 2021) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Posted by Pat Caporali<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Photos by Steve Embling – Dave DeAngelis – (and courtesy of Auto Imagery) <\/p>\n\n\n\n To view more Funny Car photos from this event visit the LMLCMedia gallery: HERE<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/td> NAME<\/strong><\/td> ET<\/strong><\/td> MPH<\/strong><\/td> CAREER WIN<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Winner:<\/strong><\/td> Tommy Johnson Jr <\/td> 3.926<\/td> 330.23<\/td> 23rd<\/td><\/tr> R\/UP:<\/strong><\/td> John Force <\/td> 3.946<\/td> 328.54<\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Low ET:<\/strong><\/td> John Force <\/td> 3.861<\/td> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Top Speed:<\/strong><\/td> John Force <\/td> <\/td> 334.65<\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Bump Spot:<\/strong><\/td> N\/A<\/td> <\/td> <\/td> <\/td><\/tr> Event Entries:<\/strong><\/td> 13 Cars<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>