Behind the Numbers Mike Salinas earned his first NHRA Drag Racing win ever with legendary tuner Alan Johnson at the helm. In a sport with roots in the Southern California car culture, and in which many corporate backers are makers of cars, motor oils and other auto accessories, Al Thani was a novel source of fresh cash and energy for NHRA drag racing. But a month ago, Al Thani and his estimated $10 million-plus of annual sponsorship money for the two-car team suddenly vanished without public explanation. Alan Johnson It was a stroke of genius, as Scelzi would win the Top Fuel championship the year after Blaines death (1997), as well as 1998 and 2000. By now AJPE was supplying several teams with Stage 1 Top Fuel heads along with a full scale repair department to service damaged cylinder heads. Hed also win the Funny Car championship in 2005, becoming one of just three drivers that have won titles in NHRAs two biggest race classes, Top Fuel and Funny Car (the others are Kenny Bernstein and Del Worsham). I am confident both will make excellent progress and be in the running to win the 2016 NHRA Top Fuel World Championship.. Obviously, theres a lot of stuff thats happened between then and now, but it sure doesnt seem like its been that long ago, no.. Behind the Numbers: Kalitta has been great, now he just needs a little luck, Behind the Numbers: Picking the next first-time champs from Top Fuel to Pro Stock Motorcycle, Behind the Numbers: Counting down the 10 closest finals of 2017, Behind the Numbers: Silly season kicks off with new faces in new places, Behind the Numbers: Langdon prepares to make switch to Funny Car, Behind the Numbers: Stage is set for close finish to NHRA season, Behind the Numbers: McMillen reinforces age is only a number in NHRA Drag Racing, Behind the Numbers: How Krawiec can clinch a title in Las Vegas, Behind the Numbers: Torrence confident as Countdown to Championship winds down, Behind the Numbers: Anderson's going rounds to get back into championship hunt, Behind the Numbers: Millican and Grubnic have taken a massive step forward. As a first step, our plan is to do everything we can to repeat as Winternationals champions and get Alan Johnson Racings next chapter off to a great start, Langdon said in the teams pre-race notes. After the prince, Sheik Khalid Al Thani, formed a team in 2008 with famed drag-racing crew chief Alan Johnson, his team won championships in top fuel the most elite class of dragsters in. Brittany Force took the provisional qualifying lead after that Fridays first session, and with her top performance at the Nitro Spring Training final day of testing at Phoenix, it appeared she was coming into the seasons first race day with a full head of steam. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. 2013 also brought the addition of the new AJPE Lightweight Hemi block for the alcohol classes. And I told her I was sorry. Its his way of not only paying tribute to his kid brother, but also serves as a poignant reminder of how quick drag racing really is emotionally, as well, from jubilant celebrations to crashes that occur in split-seconds that tragically result in death. Bernstein attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology, specializing in Sports Management in 1996. Behind the Numbers: Funny Car will tighten up down the stretch, Behind the Numbers: Clay Millican may finally have consistency he needs, Behind the Numbers: Hines and Krawiec identical through three races, Behind the Numbers: Consistency has Todd off to the races, Behind the Numbers: Vincent Nobile's return to the winner's circle. I think the Force family realizes that Brittany may need a year or two more before shes a legitimate championship contender. President, AJPE, Inc. Al Thani, once dubbed the sports patron sheik by The Wall Street Journal, formed his NHRA team partly to raise awareness of drag racing and other motorsports in Qatar, a country slightly smaller than Connecticut. Our car experts choose every product we feature. "It would be silly to continue paying my way," Johnson said. Salinas currently leads Top Fuel (alongside Torrence) with an .835-second 60-foot average. And he saved his best for each July at the Mopar brand's biggest event, the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver. Regardless, the loss of Blaine was by far the biggest test to the Johnson familys determination and desire to continue racing in honor of Blaine and what he believed in. Between 2007-2016, Johnson built an amazing streak of 10 straight final-round appearances and a near-perfect 37-3 round-win record at that facility. The nitro ranks will be changed in 2022 and NHRA's Silly Season is fully charged and roaring ahead, with announcements due to come as rapidly as eight cylinders on full song. Influenced by their Dads involvement in the local Drag Racing scene in and around the Santa Maria valley during 1950s they both discovered the thrill of speeding around the farm on just about anything they could conjure up that had wheels and would burn gas. Theyve got their crew chiefs, and weve got ours. In this clip we see both of their masteries, come together to win the round at the 2022 . The AJR marketing staff has worked diligently throughout the year securing funding to complete the 2015 season. When he began driving, he really didnt have very many runs, said Johnson about Salinas improved driving. But that doesnt mean the Brownsburg, Indiana-based team is gone for good. We have estimated Even the eight-race Factory Stock schedule agrees with Johnson, who continues to operate his successful gas station and convenience store business in Greenville, Tenn., while also maintaining a vacation home in Florida.This is a good place for me to be, said Johnson. June 2005 brought the acquisition of Rodeck Aluminum Blocks and four more CNC machines to the fleet. What happened to my brother made things better for everybody.. Johnson, and this has been true since first signing on with Salinas, spends time adjusting driving habits that range from course correction to burnout procedures. And if I try to run that program, Id be in the same boat as the other people youve given it to to run. Alan Reinhart and Joe Castello get ready for 2022 PRO Nitro Spring Training NHRA Testing 2/8/2022 Feb 08, 2022 NHRA announcers Alan Reinhart and Joe Castello preview 2022 PRO Nitro Spring Training at Wild Horse Motorsports Park. She hasnt even won a race yet. As far as the innovative part of drag racing is concerned, its not quite what it used to be, because we cant design a lot of new stuff, especially in the engine department. With Alans refined tune up and Gary Scelzi behind the wheel, Johnson Racing began an era of dominance winning 3 World Championships between 1997 and 2001 all while developing and testing new products from AJPE. Ill keep you posted.. He gets a bad rap because hell walk right by you, look you in the eye, and not say anything. We couldn't have done it without the help and hard work of our J&J Racing team members over the years. Alan is currently a co-crew chief with John Force Racing, tuning Top Fuel driver Brittany Force to her first ever Championship in 2017. After the Pomona opener, Torrence would say, "Nicely, thank you." . FRANK HAWLEY'S RODAK'S COFFEE & GRILLS Alan Johnson is not only one of the most successful crew chiefs and team owners in NHRA history, hes also one of the most focused individuals in the sport. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. . Its not good for the sport. Johnson is responsible for one Top Fueler this season: the one driven by Salinas. Gorlier saluted Johnson as a beloved ambassador for more than 20 years and said the racer has earned a special place in the hearts of our fans and in the history of our brand. When that happened, the car just dropped down and was out of control and he hit the guard wall and the guard wall is what killed him, Alan Johnson said of his brother in an exclusive interview with NBCSports.com. Johnson, 57, announced his retirement at the end of this season from his 22-year Pro Stock career during a press conference Friday at the NHRA Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. Alan builds engines for a lot of people. Its not known whether the recent plunge in oil prices played a role in the decision; Qatar is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Alan Johnson got a win with yet another driver, this one with Mike Salinas at the Strip in Las Vegas. While it didnt light the world on fire it did prove that AJPE had the ability to create, manufacture, and test, an entirely new engine package within a 12 month period without any major setbacks. Johnson had little time to prepare for this. We've celebrated an NHRA world championship, captured wins at historic tracks like Gainesville, Pomona, and Bandimere, and basically lived our dream for 22 years. On August 31st, 1996 we lost Blaine Johnson in a tragic racing accident that changed us all on many levels. Dixon began his long friendship with Don "The Snake" Prudhomme in 1988 while working on Prudhomme's Funny Car.In 1994, he earned his Top Fuel license with 4.76-second pass at Gatornationals at Gainesville, Florida. Copyright 1996-2023, NHRA. NHRA: Legendary crew chief Alan Johnson joins Kalitta Motorsports Winner of dozens of races and championships over the years, the master tuner will make his debut with the team in the. It is vital that we maintain a welcoming environment where every individual has an equal opportunity to make an impactful contribution toward reaching our goals. 1980s and 1990s. The process of securing funding is still ongoing, but our focus has shifted to the 2016 season, Johnson said. 1998 AJPE 12, 18, & 21 water jacket Sprint Car heads and IHRA Pro-Stock heads. At the same time, if theres one weekend that Johnson absolutely hates, its also the same U.S. Nationals for a much more personal reason. She was the first non-NASCAR recipient of the prestigious Russ Catlin Award and has covered the sport for the Chicago Tribune, Newark Star-Ledger, St. Petersburg Times, and Seattle Times. Johnson's presence paid quick dividends last week in Phoenix testing. Thatd be great if they finished first and second, wouldnt it?, I failed Brittany, he said. Johnson did just that earlier this month at the NHRAs season-opening Circle K Winternationals at Pomona, California. While the Factory Stock car cant match the Pro Stockers 210-mph performances, the nine-inch wide rear tire keeps it interesting. "We're just doing the best job we can. At 50 years old, Brandon Bernstein height not available right now. season opener, with this weekends Circle K Winternationals in Pomona, where top-fuel cars scream down the dragstrip at 320 mph in about four seconds. It was 20 years ago, August 31, 1996, that Johnsons kid brother, Blaine, lost his life while attempting to qualify for the U.S. Nationals. We'll send you the most interesting Dragzine articles, news, car features, and videos every week. Weve always used AJPE [Alan Johnson Performance Engineering] parts and have a long-standing relationship with Alan. The 27-time NHRA winner loyal to his Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge said, "It's been an amazing run for my dad and I, but it just felt like now was the right time to step away from the Pro Stock chapter of our careers. Theyre a great partner of mine in business and they saw the value in the NHRA and our program, and they stepped up and saved the day. And Ill continue doing that, he said. Alan Johnson and the Johnson family also established a scholarship and has donated over $500,000 of machinery to Alan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, in Blaines memory. Little by little I think its coming. Alan Johnson and his brother Blaine grew up on their Johnson Family dairy farm. When that double calamity occurred virtually simultaneously, Johnson lost control of his dragster and slammed into a wall, killing him instantly. Johnson issued a statement saying Al Thani had terminated funding and the move was completely unexpected.. So far, the Torrence performance gains are evident. That earned him the nickname "King of the Mountain." 1 qualifier at the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. Langdon went on to win the race. On his 21st birthday, Blake completed his license in NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car under the direction of Paul Smith. Blaine wasnt just any driver. 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He built on his late-2015 successes since Johnson signed on with the Capco Contractors dragster team as a technical consultant to crew chief Richard Hogan. Thats how I got where Im at. With Alans ability to design supercharged engines and his capacity to tune a racecar along with Blaines driving ability they began their dominance of the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster category winning 26 National Events and 4 consecutive National Championships from 1990 thru 1993. I devoted myself the next couple of years to develop a better rod bolt and a better rod and thats what 50 percent or more of these people out here who run Top Fuel or Funny car run these types of rods and rod bolts, and it doesnt break. 1 spot to claim the early points lead and an automatic berth in the $100,000-to-win Traxxas Shootout. Thats what I like the most.. Johnson did just that earlier this month at the NHRA's season-opening Circle K Winternationals at Pomona, California . While there he also offered his tuning acumen to other teams, notably Steve Torrence prior to 2017. An off-season rules revision granted new supercharger technology to the Ford and GM teams and that has left the Mopar racers scrambling. This month alan johnson nhra net worth the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, California Torrence Performance gains are evident parts. 'Re just doing the best job we can ( alongside Torrence ) with an.835-second average. The most interesting Dragzine articles, news, Car features, and not say anything terminated funding the... Team members over the years great if they finished first and second, wouldnt it?, i failed,!, this one with Mike Salinas at the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, California his first NHRA Racing! Driver Brittany Force to her first ever championship in 2017 leads Top Fuel ( alongside Torrence with... Alan Johnson got a win with yet another driver, this one with Mike Salinas earned first! 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