NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The process has taken longer than he would have hoped but former Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson believes his team is headed in a direction that could lead to impressive results.

Heading to a track where he has three victories and five final-round appearances should only help the cause. Looking to break up the Pro Stock winner’s circle party that has only included Summit Racing Equipment teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson this season, Johnson feels good about the potential of his Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart at this weekend’s 28th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

Johnson, coming off back-to-back semifinal performances, does not have a win during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, but thinks his team is closer than ever. Carrying that momentum into a track that has already provided plenty of success throughout Johnson’s standout Pro Stock career could be the final factor to tip things in his favor for the first time this year.

"You know, Topeka is sort of like Denver for me and Vegas,” said Johnson, who is currently sixth in the Pro Stock points standings. “It’s an altitude track and it’s just the kind of track, with the old carb setup, we just seem to perform well at. This year is going to be totally different you know. We’ve already been to Vegas with this stuff and we didn’t do that well so hopefully we’ll go out there and pick up some of that magic."

Richie Crampton (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) were last year’s winners of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in the Kansas capital city. The race will be televised on FOX Sports 1, including live finals on Sunday. It is the eighth of 24 races during the 2016 season in the new-look Pro Stock class, and Johnson and his team look to be coming around on a car that now includes fuel-injected engines, shorter wheelie bars, flat hoods and a 10,500 RPM rev-limiter.

It’s been an adjustment, one that only Line and Anderson have seemingly solved flawlessly, but Johnson has made immense progress in a short time. He advanced to the semifinals at Houston and then Atlanta last weekend, putting together strong qualifying passes in the process as well.

“Since Houston, we’ve just been working on some new parts and pieces for the engine,” Johnson said.

Johnson now sits less than two rounds out of fourth place, feeling encouraged by the results the team has had from some rigorous work behind the scenes. Coupled with the good vibes he feels at Heartland Park Topeka and Johnson might have the recipe for a winning combination for the first time this season.

Knocking points leader Line, who won outran Johnson en route to the victory in Atlanta, and Anderson out of the winner’s circle would be a big boost for the 26-time event winner, and Topeka might be just the location to do it. Twelve of Johnson’s wins have come in Topeka, Denver and Vegas, proving just how impressive he has been at altitude tracks.

"I don’t know how to explain it,” Johnson said. “Everywhere where it’s been altitude tracks, it seems like we do really well but that was with the carburetors setup. But this is a brand new deal this year."

That creates a different dynamic, but Johnson is honing in on a winning combination. But so are a variety of other talented Pro Stock stars, including defending event champion and two-time defending world champion Enders. Other stalwarts in the class include Line and Anderson's teammate Bo Butner, Chris McGaha, 2014 top rookie Drew Skillman, five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin, Vincent Nobile, Shane Gray and Alex Laughlin.

But Johnson believes it is only a matter of time before something big happens to his team and he’s ready for that run to start this weekend in Topeka.

“I’m very proud of my team and making it to the semifinals,” Johnson said following Atlanta. “I feel really good. We’re just on the cusp on something I think. We’ve got to just keep going down this path and doing what we’re doing. We need to be the top four or fifth car each race, maintain lane choice and hopefully that’ll be the way we get to the winner's circle.”

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 7 p.m. on Friday, May 20 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, May 21, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 22.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult.