The roasters putting Kalitta on the hot seat will be Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, Jim Head, Chris “the Greek” Karamesines, and a surprise guest that even Kalitta doesn’t know is coming!

Hosted by the Kalitta Motorsports team, the event will take place Sunday, Sept. 6, from 5:30 (or two hours after the nitro qualifying session ends) until 8:30 p.m. The roast will be held at the Mac Tools hospitality tent and will be open to the public; ticket sales will benefit Racers For Christ.

Bob Frey will host the roast, and roving reporter Alan Reinhart will skim the audience in search of drivers’ favorite Kalitta stories.

Three levels of seating — first class, business class, and coach  — are available at prices to fit every budget. To reserve seats or for more information, log on to www.teamkalitta.com or call Pat, 734-544-7000.

Jim Dunn Racing has partnered with Cash4Gold, one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.  The partnership encourages drag racing fans to turn in old or unwanted jewelry to generate significant cash in today’s economy. The race team’s exclusive partnership with Cash4Gold in the sport of drag racing will start in the NHRA and spread to other sanctioning bodies, teams, and racetracks through Jim Dunn Racing and Forward Sports Marketing.

“We are very excited to represent such a fast-growing and well-recognized company as Cash4Gold,” said Jon Dunn, Jim Dunn Racing team manager.  “The opportunity for fans and even race teams to generate significant cash by turning in jewelry through the Cash4Gold.com/dragracing website is extremely beneficial.  It is amazingly easy to turn something you are not using into cash through this program.  If fans want to buy extra souvenirs at a race, or a race team needs additional parts before an upcoming event, or someone just wants to turn in old jewelry to help pay for repairs to their own car they can do that quickly and easily through the drag racing team’s involvement with Cash4Gold.”

The promotion’s unique website, www.cash4gold.com/dragracing, is now active and ready for fans to access.  Customers can go there today to request a Jewelry Return Pak, which they fill with old jewelry and send in for cash.  The Cash4Gold process is easy, secure, and 100 percent customer satisfaction is guaranteed.  Fans that prefer to call and request a Jewelry Return Pak can utilize 800-798-1130 and receive the same service as on-line.

Cash4Gold promotions will begin appearing on the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car and in industry publications prior to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., with a significant emphasis building toward the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend.

In pursuit of his sixth consecutive world championship, U.S. Army Top Fuel driver Tony “the Sarge” Schumacher sat down to discuss his 2009 season to date following the 15th round of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at Infineon Raceway.

Q: You’re second in the standings, 199 points removed from Antron Brown. How do you assess your team’s performance to this point?
A: Despite being as far back as we are right now, I think we’ve run pretty well so far. Sure, we could’ve been better in spots, but for the most part, we’ve been competitive at almost every race, and that’s all you can ask for. The racing has been extremely tight all year.

Q: You’ve already clinched a berth in the Countdown to 1 – what will your team be working on the next three races before the playoffs start in Charlotte?
A: Let me stress, we’re going to try to win all three races. However, I’m sure we’ll be testing a few things during that time so we’re totally prepared for that first playoff race. We want to be sharp when it all starts for real.

Q: You began 2009 with a new crew chief in Mike Green and a whole new group of crew guys. As a result, most observers assumed it would take a while before you would win races and contend for another title. Are you surprised at how far you’ve traveled performancewise in such a short time period?
A: Absolutely not! Mike Green is as good as they come. He’s very experienced and knows how to make a dragster run. As for the crew, they were handpicked for their talent and experience. So, I’m not at all surprised at how they have performed. We have a terrific team that stacks up nicely against any other team out there. There’s no question in my mind we can win a championship this year. If we can stay in second going into the Countdown to 1, Antron’s lead is going to be reduced to just 30 points. At that point, it will be game on.

Q: You had a hand in helping Antron make the transition from Pro Stock Motorcycle to Top Fuel. Given his success this year, are you now regretting that decision?
A: No way – he’s a great guy, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I had a lot of help from different people when I first started, so it’s natural I would do likewise for someone like Antron.

Q: Are you surprised by Antron’s success since he’s only been competing in Top Fuel for less than two seasons?
A: Not really. Antron is a gifted athlete who can adjust and adapt to most anything that’s thrown at him. He’s also an excellent listener, which is very important. In this business, you have to be able to absorb things and then process everything. Antron does that very well.

Q: With nine races remaining in the season, do you now consider your friendly rivalry with Antron as teacher versus pupil?
A: I guess in a way it’s like that. I just hope the teacher ends up being the victor. But, at the moment, the pupil is whipping everyone out there. Having just swept the Western Swing, he’s definitely on a roll.

Q: You’ve had a number of U.S. Army VIPs in your pit area throughout the season. Can you describe how inspirational those moments can be for you and your team?
A: They’re unbelievably inspirational for all of us. We’ve had generals and hometown heroes visit with us at almost every race. The stories we’ve heard motivate us in so many different ways. Plain and simple, we want to win races and championships for all of them. We follow our Army Strong soldiers in that we’ll never accept defeat.

Q: One last question: On Christmas Day, you’ll be turning 40. You’ve also been a Professional drag racer for almost 13 years. During that time, you’ve accomplished just about everything there is to accomplish in the form of world titles and records. Any thoughts as to how long you might want to keep doing this?
A: To be honest, I really don’t know. I’m still having fun and truly enjoy the challenge. I guess as long as that fire continues to burn, I’ll be around. When it goes out, I’ll know it’s time to move on and do something else.

With bright sun shining down on the packed house at Infineon Raceway, the top qualifying times turned in by fuel racers J.R. Todd and Matt Hagan on Friday night remained intact.

Greg Anderson and Eddie Krawiec took advantage of optimum conditions and a dramatically reduced head wind on Saturday to grab the lead in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, respectively, during the 22nd annual Fram Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. The event is the 15th of the 24-race 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule and final event of the annual three-race Western Swing.

J.R. Todd

Todd, who is subbing for David Baca in the Mach 1 dragster, will enter Sunday’s final eliminations as the top seed following his 3.811 on Friday night. Todd smoked the tires on both runs Saturday but his time was not bettered. He will be paired with Steve Chrisman in Sunday’s opening round.

“We were working on out race day set up today but we didn’t make it down the track so we know what won’t work,” said Todd, whose last pole came at the 2007 Dallas event. “The track is obviously good out here and hopefully we can put four good runs together on Sunday. My goal every week is just to get the thing in the show and make good clean runs. I’ve only run three events this year so [qualifying No. 1] is a bit of a surprise for me. There is no better place to start from than the No 1 spot and I’m expecting to go rounds on Sunday.”

The rest of the top eight qualifiers from Friday, which include Larry Dixon, Cory McClenathan, Antron Brown, Spencer Massey, Shawn Langdon, Morgan Lucas, and Tony Schumacher, maintained their positions. One of Sunday’s most intriguing match ups will pit Schumacher against Brandon Bernstein’s Budweiser entry while Brown, who is attempting to sweep the annual Western Swing, will have to get past opening-round opponent Troy Buff in order to do so.

Matt Hagan

Funny Car rookie Hagan has also earned his first pole after his career best 4.06 effort Friday. Hagan was also one of the quickest drivers on Saturday with a best of 4.19.

Mike Neff’s 4.069 from Friday remained second while Ashley Force Hood (4.099) and Tim Wilkerson (4.129) are seeded third and fourth. The rest of the top half qualifiers are a tightly bunched group that includes Bob Tasca III (4.133), Jack Beckman (4.133), Del Worsham (4.136), and John Force (4.138). Force Hood and Tasca might be the favorites after they both ran 4.17 in the heat on Saturday afternoon.

“This is huge right now,” said Hagan. “I’m not so much warred about the rookie of the year deal as I am trying to get into the [Countdown to 1]. This is a big stepping stone in my career and it’s good for my whole team. My crew guys all had big smiles this morning. We wanted to go down the track today and we did that on all four laps. With all the changes in the weather, we got to see how smart these crew chiefs are. To watch them work is pretty amazing.

“The track temperature started to warm up today and they made right call. We used more of a race day set-up today and we went down the track and that’s great for our confidence. The [first-round] match with Cruz is make or break. If we can win that round and go a couple more, will put us in a good position for the Countdown.”

There was plenty of jockeying for position in the bottom half of the field on Saturday afternoon as Ron Capps entered the session on the bump. Capps made a solid 4.232 run in his NAPA Dodge for the 14th spot, bumping Cruz Pedregon from the field. Pedregon, who is fighting to secure a spot in the Countdown to One, rallied with a 4.344 that was good for the bump spot. Jeff Diehl, the only driver remaining who could bump Pedregon from the field, smoked the tires at half-track, slowing to a 4.90. Pedregon will now be paired with low qualifier Hagan in round one in a match that could well decide the final spot in the Countdown.

Greg Anderson

Anderson drove his Summit Pontiac to the top spot for the fourth time this season and 73rd time in his career with a 6.571 on Saturday morning that was not bettered during the afternoon run. Anderson, who locked up his spot in the Countdown to the Championship simply by qualifying in Sonoma, is still seeking his first win of the season.

“This is the biggest day I’ve had this year,” said Anderson, who backed up his earlier run with a 6.594 later in the afternoon. “I don’t know if anyone has noticed but I haven’t had a lot of bright spots lately. If we can put this Summit Pontiac through four rounds tomorrow it will change whole season for me. I just needed a few good things to happen to get my confidence back. I’m a bit of a pessimist and I thought that Mike [Edwards] could possibly have run better than us but he missed it a little and we got the pole. I think we have a great chance of going the distance tomorrow. Jason [Line] is qualified second so we have the deck stacked just the way we want it; we can’t race until the final. I feel better than I have all year so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Anderson’s Summit teammate, Jason Line, is seeded second with a 6.572 and recent Denver winner Allen Johnson and Friday’s leader Ron Krisher are both just a thousandth behind with matching 6.573 runs. Johnson, who also clinched his spot in the Countdown to one, got the higher spot by virtue of his faster speed. The rest of the top eight include Mike Edwards (6.574), Jeg Coughlin (6.579), Johnny Gray (6.581) and Kurt Johnson (6.590). Kurt will be part of an interesting pairing in Sunday’s opening round as he will be paired with his father, Warren, who is the ninth seed in his K&N Pontiac. In 64 career meetings, Warren holds a 43-21 advantage over Kurt.

Ben Watson made the field on the bump spot with a 6.677 while Vinnie DeCeglie, who is making his first start of the season in the Mountain View Dodge, qualified 14th with a 6.629 and will be paired with Allen Johnson in Sunday’s opening round.

Eddie Krawiec

With the aid of a brisk late afternoon tailwind, nearly early every Pro Stock Motorcycle rider in the field made their best run of the weekend in the fourth session but reigning champ Krawiec, who led the field after Friday’s two runs, was able to maintain the leader after running a 6.915 on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley. Krawiec, who is looking to reach the final for the seventh straight race, will face Junior Pippin in Sunday’s opening round.

“This is my first No. 1 of the season and I’m pretty excited about it,” said Krawiec. “A lot of people made great runs. Matt Smith showed that a Suzuki could run with everybody and it’s too bad Hector [Arana] broke because he was probably going to run really fast as well. When I saw Matt’s 6.91, I was figuring that I’d be second or third but maybe we underestimated the tail wind. I also think I made a nice clean straight run and that was the difference.”

After struggling early in the weekend, Matt Smith and the Nitro Fish team made a dramatic improvement, running a 6.915 to qualify second, ahead of Andrew Hines, who is third with a 6.931. Karen Stoffer, who was the top qualifier last year, also made a dramatic improvement going from a 7.01 to a 6.960 to qualify fourth. Rookie contender Douglas Horne also joined the six-second parade with a 6.970 while Hector Arana (7.002.), Craig Treble (7.006) and Shawn Gann (7.012) round out the top half of the field.

Another rider who made a dramatic improvement is Jim Underdahl, who posted a career-best 7.052 for the 10th spot. David Hope also found the conditions to his liking with a 7.056 aboard John Hammock’s Vroom Racing Buell for the 11th spot.

Related stories:
Friday: Todd, Hagan, Krisher, Krawiec lead early qualifying in Sonoma

The 13th event of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series came to a thrilling conclusion after three landmark days of racing at the 30th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. A rain delay prior to the final round in the nitro classes didn’t dampen the excitement at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. The Mopar faithful were rewarded justly with an impressive Pro Stock win by Mopar-sponsored driver Allen Johnson, and Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also collected victories.

A.J. scored his second win at this event in the past three years by scoring a holeshot win against Jason Line. Brown and Capps won their eliminators from the No. 1 qualifying position. Krawiec scored in his sixth straight final-round appearance by defeating Harley teammate Andrew Hines.

Antron Brown

Brown began the grueling Western Swing with several drivers breathing down his neck to assume control of his points lead in Top Fuel. The former Pro Stock Motorcycle rider responded with a convincing win from the No. 1 qualifying position to put the Matco Tools dragster further out in front. Brown had a tough task in the final in taking on a resurgent Doug Kalitta, who handed Brown a loss in the Pomona final, but he streaked to victory with a 3.94 at 295.91 mph while Kalitta blew an engine early.

“The monkey of winning from No. 1 is finally off our back,” said Brown, whose third win this season is his first from the No. 1 spot. “There was a lot of pressure on us this weekend. All these guys were cutting lights on me, and my crew chiefs had to stay on top of the weather that was changing constantly. This trophy is worthwhile because of the stout competition.

“You always want to win. That’s what puts you in the record books and makes history. The championship is the big picture, but you’re always upset after a semifinal or runner-up because you lost. Winning makes you heal from all those times that you lost before. This is my Robitussin.”

As good as Brown’s Brian Corradi- and Mark Oswald-led team was on race day, the driver had a say in the final result as well. After defeating Rob Passey in the opener, Brown dug deep to score a holeshot win against good leaver Morgan Lucas in the second round, 4.04 to 4.03. Brown then held off another twentysomething driver by putting Spencer Massey on the trailer in the semi’s.

After four straight first-round losses since his last final-round appearance, Kalitta broke his recent slump with an exclamation point. He wheeled the Rocky Boots dragster past Clay Millican in the first round, and he impressed in the two rounds after that. He scored a hard-fought win against rival and defending event champ Tony Schumacher in round two by a .007-second margin when both ran 4.00s. He then earned lane choice in the final by laying down a 3.99 against Cory McClenathan, who erred by double-stepping the throttle.

Ron Capps

Capps continued to dominate Funny Car in terms of event wins with his fifth triumph this season. Capps and the Ed McCulloch-tuned NAPA Auto Parts team impressed with a top-qualifying effort and capitalized on the chance to make up ground in the championship chase by defeating points leader Ashley Force Hood in the final. Capps sealed the deal with a 4.18 at 297 mph against Force Hood’s 4.23 at 296 to move into a tie with Force Hood.

“I could hear her car over there,” said Capps, who has 30 wins in 60 finals. “Fortunately, our car got through the early part of the track and pulled away. I talked to ‘Ace’ [McCulloch] during the off week, and he said, ‘We’re going to get the points lead back.’ I’ve never heard him talk like that before.

“As a competitor in this class, you have to embrace the fact that Ashley is a big deal. Not only is she a big deal, but she has shouldered that more than anybody I’ve ever known. It reminds me of Shirley Muldowney who did it back when there were several barriers to be broken.”

Capps’ Don Schumacher Racing teammates Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan also enjoyed great outings. Entering eliminations from three of the top four qualifying positions, Hagan added a round-win to his scorecard, and Beckman would have been in his third straight Denver final if Capps hadn’t beaten him in the semi’s. Capps defeated Gary Densham and Cruz Pedregon in the first two rounds.

To reach her sixth final of the season, Force Hood beat Del Worsham for the fourth time in four meetings this season and scored close wins against Tony Pedregon and teammate and brother-in-law Robert Hight.

Allen Johnson

Johnson puts a great deal of emphasis on performing well at his sponsor’s title race, and it paid off with his second Pro Stock Wally in his third straight final at this event. The Mopar team, led by crew chiefs Mark Ingersoll and Jeff Perley and engine builder Roy Johnson (Allen’s dad), relied on its setup to advance to the final and let A.J. win it in the final. Facing the powerful Summit Racing GXP driven by Line, A.J. got off the starting line first and reeled off a clutch holeshot victory, 7.004, 195.87 to 7.001, 195.76.

“I love Denver,” Johnson said emphatically. “We have a combination here that’s really hard to beat. We test our butts off here so we can do well for Mopar. I think I had the most butterflies I’ve ever had in my life when I raced in the first round. By the time we got to the semi’s, I settled down and told myself, ‘We’ve got the combination.’

“We’re probably lucky that Mike Edwards got beat early because he would have been tough to beat if he got to the final,” added Johnson, who has seven wins. “We really didn’t make a good run in the final. In fact, we burned the clutch up pretty good, but to give it to my guys on the holeshot feels very good.”

Johnson had the quickest car in each of the first three qualifying sessions but surrendered the No. 1 position to Edwards when he broke a transmission during the session with the most favorable conditions. A.J. beat Morrison, Colo., native Danny Gruninger in the opening round with a 6.99, stopped Johnny Gray in round two with a 7.00, and unloaded a strong 6.98 against Rickie Jones in the semifinals.

Line’s road to the final was not an easy one. The 2006 Full Throttle world champ had to outrun KB Racing killer Greg Stanfield, hungry teammate Greg Anderson, and points leader Jeg Coughlin to get there. Coughlin’s psychological advantage against Edwards was on display in the second round when Edwards red-lighted by .001-second. Reaction times were prominent during eliminations; the first three pairs in eliminations were decided by holeshots.

Eddie Krawiec

Krawiec reached the Pro Stock Motorcycle final for the sixth straight event, and for the second straight event, his opponent was Vance & Hines Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson teammate Hines. Krawiec, who won the Full Throttle world championship last season despite having never won a national event, picked up his third victory of the season when his teammate red-lighted by .008-second. Krawiec was on his game anyway with a nearly perfect .001 light paired and a 7.45; Hines posted a 7.51.

“We didn’t have the best bikes every single round, but Andrew and I did our jobs as riders and got it done,” said Krawiec, who has an 89-point lead in the Full Throttle standings. “I’ve been to six straight finals, which is something I’ve never dreamed of. To have two straight all-Harley finals is incredible, and I’m just so happy for our team.

“We broke a throttle cable in the semi’s at his race last year, and I really thought that was going to be my first win. I love Bandimere, and it was nice to win against Andrew in the final. We’re teammates, but we’re probably the two most competitive people in the pits. Whether we’re walking or cutting the grass, we try to race each other doing it.”

Krawiec, like Hines, struggled early in qualifying, but crew chief Matt Hines, who won this race four times as a rider, made the right adjustments to give Krawiec one of the quickest bikes on the premises. Krawiec overcame a holeshot by hometown hero Mike Berry in round one and accepted fouls by his next three opponents. The biggest relief came in the semifinals when No. 1 qualifier Hector Arana went red on his Lucas Oil Buell.

Hines’ red-light in the final wasn’t a huge surprise due to how quick the three-time world champion had been throughout the event. Hines had a .022 light in his first-round win against Jim Underdahl and followed that with respective .000 and .004 lights against Matt Smith and Craig Treble. Pairing his lights with a bike that was fast enough to set the quickest e.t. of eliminations in the semi’s (7.33) was a recipe for a success. The Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 qualifiers made it to the semifinals.

Related stories:
Friday: A.J. takes top spot, Anderson makes history; Cory Mac, T. Ped, Treble are Friday leaders
Saturday: Brown, Capps, Edwards, Arana overthrow Friday leaders for No. 1 spots

Go to the Original Article: ATOM – NHRA Story Feed

Top Fuel racer Doug Kalitta will debut the all-new Red Line Oil Top Fuel dragster at the 22nd annual Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma to help the Northern California-based company celebrate its 30th anniversary just across the bay from the facility where the lubricants that keep the dragster running are made.

"Infineon Raceway is our home track, so it’s the perfect place to celebrate our 30th anniversary,” said Tim Kerrigan, president of Red Line Oil. “This year, Kalitta Motorsports is celebrating its 50th anniversary, so we’re especially proud to be a part of that. Our employees, customers, and dealers feel that Doug Kalitta is an incredible driver with a fantastic record in Sonoma, so he’s the perfect person to represent our products. It should be a great weekend.”

"Kalitta Motorsports and Red Line Oil go back a long way," Kalitta said. "They have helped us for years with technical support and product, and I’m really happy to represent them on their home turf for their anniversary. I’ve had more wins in Sonoma than any other track, so it feels good knowing I’ll be flying the Red Line banner there."

The relationship between Red Line Oil and Kalitta Motorsports began in 2000 when the team was a Red Line customer, using Red Line 70-weight racing oil to bolster the reliability of its multi-vehicle drag racing team. Red Line began sponsoring the Kalitta cars in 2001, and the last time that Red Line was a primary sponsor of a Top Fuel car, former Kalitta teammate Dave Grubnic posted a runner-up finish in Sonoma in 2004 to Kalitta.

It has been well-documented that race car drivers make bad spectators. Sidelined Funny Car pilot Tommy Johnson Jr. is living proof. However, the popular driver will be attending races in the near future with another agenda in mind as the part-time driver of Bill Evans’ Evans Petroleum A/Fuel Dragster.

Johnson will be driving for Evans at the NHRA Division 3 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio, this weekend, July 24-26, and he will be driving during the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. If Johnson can secure a national event win in Top Alcohol Dragster to add to his résumé that includes wins in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Funny Car, he would be the only driver other than Gary Scelzi to score national event wins in NHRA’s four fastest categories.

“I’m a racer — I’ll drive anything,” said Johnson. “It’s a different deal, but the procedures aren’t much different from a fuel car. The possibility of winning in four different classes intrigued me. Scelzi did it, so why not?”

Johnson found himself out of a ride this season when Kenny Bernstein parked his Funny Car operation due to lack of funding. Prior to that, T.J. spent seven years driving a Funny Car owned by another NHRA legend, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme. Johnson scored a TAFC win in Hebron in 1988 before moving to the Top Fuel ranks a season later. He has nine wins as a Professional (seven in Funny Car, two in Top Fuel).

Johnson’s Sportsman career was brief but memorable. He reached the quarterfinals in Super Gas in his national event debut at the 1984 ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals. He made his first hit in a Top Fueler at 21 years old, and he became a part of history by joining the exclusive Cragar 4-Second and Slick 50 300-mph clubs.

T.J. has stayed visible on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series this season. He has attended several events and provided color commentary for NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Though T.J. has some irons in the fire for a possible return, he finds being at the racetrack without something to drive to be, well, weird.

“It’s strange because I end up walking around lost sometimes,” said Johnson. “When I was driving, there was always something to do even when we were done racing early. I could always hang out in the pit or go sign some autographs.

“I have some things in the works for next year. I thought that I might be able to get back on the racetrack this year. It’s still a possibility but probably not likely at this point. It kills me to be at the track with nothing to do, but hopefully I can spark some interest. It’s a tough time economically, but that just means I have to work harder.”

Johnson has already made some laps in Evans’ dragster at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The Anthony Dicero-led team prepared the dragster for Johnson, and a certain A/Fuel-turned-Top Fuel driver lent a hand.

“Anthony worked on the Skoal [Funny Car] for a while, and he told me that I was welcome to drive at a couple races where Bill couldn’t make it,” said Johnson. “We made a couple laps in Indy. Spencer Massey was there to give me pointers. I was a little apprehensive because I hadn’t driven a dragster in 10 years.

“The first time I drove it, I told myself not to turn the wheel too much. It made a little move, so I barely turned the wheel. It kept moving over, so I kind of cranked it and overcorrected it. The steering is pretty much the only adjustment I’ve had to make.”

T.J., like his sidelined Funny Car driver wife Melanie Troxel, will be keeping his driving skills sharp even if it isn’t in a 7,000-horsepower dragster or Funny Car. Troxel has been driving Roger Burgess’ Pro Mod at select events, and now Johnson will compete in at least three or four events this season.

“If I’m going to be at the racetrack, I figure it’s better to be racing than to come and watch,” Johnson concluded.

This story is copyright 2009 National Hot Rod Association. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted in any form without the express written permission of NHRA.com.