Yahoo Autos NHRA Results, Updated Points: Funny Car Super Sub Tommy Johnson Jr. Surprises at Reading
Talk about making the most of a difficult situation.
Tommy Johnson Jr. came out of what can best be described as a bit of a forced retirement—Hagan was unable to come up with sponsorship for the 2021 season—to win the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Other winners in the first event of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship were Billy Torrence in Top Fuel, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock and Steve Johnson in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
None of the winners had a more unlikely path to the winners' stage than Johnson.
Johnson was called on by team boss Don Schumacher when then-points-leader Matt Hagan tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of last weekend's U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. Johnson, who failed to qualify at Indianapolis no thanks to a mechanical malfunction combined with rain wiping out a pair of qualifying sessions, redeemed himself big time with the win in his second weekend on the hot seat.
Johnson, driving Hagan's Mopar Dodge Funny Car tuned by Dickie Venables, topped John Force in the finals at Reading in the first of seven Countdown to the Championship races in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
"It's pretty amazing actually,” said Johnson, who finished second in the NHRA Funny Car standings to Hagan in 2020. “I got a call a week ago after I've been sitting on the sidelines for 10 months, saying ‘we need you.’ To come back and up your game that good, I mean, Dickie and the guys have been racing all season while I haven't been doing anything. I thank them for the opportunity. I thank Don Schumacher, and Matt, I hope you get to feeling better."
Johnson dedicated the win to his father, the late Tommy Johnson Sr., who died earlier this year. After his win, Johnson reflected on memories he shared with his father at Maple Grove, where Johnson captured his career-first Funny Car win in 1999.
"This has always been a special track for me,” said Johnson. “I won my first Funny Car race here. I don't want this to be the last one. I want to get another shot at it again. It was very cool and it meant a lot.
"I kept thinking of my dad all day. He and I had our own Top Fuel team for a few years and came out here and raced a few years together with a lot of memories. I've been talking about them with my wife all weekend; joking about my dad yelling at me for scratching the truck driving in here with all the trees. The sport of drag racing is my whole life. I've got all my memories from drag racing.”
Hagan, meanwhile, was Johnson's biggest fan on Sunday.
"I am so proud of my guys,” said Hagan, who is still not cleared to return to competition. “They 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. These guys did great. There's a huge hole in my heart not being there with them racing and it was really tough to watch, but at the end of the day, I knew these guys were going to do a great job and they did. They won today and I'm so proud of each and every one of them. Dickie Venables is just an amazing guy, an amazing leader, and a great crew chief, and does what it takes to get it done. That's why we've won so many championships together and done so well. I can't say thank you enough to T.J. for stepping in and bringing his A-game."
Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals
Results
Sunday's final results from the 36th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 14th of 20 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Billy Torrence, 3.720 seconds, 326.08 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.784 seconds, 313.22 mph.
Funny Car -- Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.926, 330.23 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.946, 328.54.
Pro Stock -- Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.578, 208.30 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.604, 206.73.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.775, 196.87 def. Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.870, 197.16.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Matthew Cummings, 5.211, 276.69 def. Robin Samsel, 5.267, 268.60.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.445, 269.51 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.489, 266.48.
Competition Eliminator -- Frank Aragona, Roadster, 9.652, 88.29 def. Chip Ippolito, Chevy S-10, Foul - Red Light.
Super Stock -- Bobby Fazio, Ford Mustang, 10.627, 122.54 def. Jonathan Allegrucci, Dodge Challenger, Foul - Red Light.
Stock Eliminator -- Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.456, 117.88 def. Allison Doll, Pontiac Firebird, 10.580, 123.96.
Super Comp -- Taylor Iacono, Dragster, 8.919, 175.14 def. Lee Ream, Dragster, 8.930, 174.37.
Super Gas -- Jason Kenny, Chevy Corvette, 9.899, 166.17 def. Bill Nuzzo, Ford Mustang, 9.882, 120.88.
