NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Steve Johnson is determined to prove his final-round appearance in Reading was not a fluke. The Suzuki rider took provisional pole position at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals with a 6.838-second pass and stunning the St. Louis crowd. 

Johnson finished behind former teammate Jerry Savoie in an all-Suzuki final two weeks ago at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals in a feel-good moment for the racer. He struggled to get to the track at times during the 2019 season and missed the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Any thoughts that performance was a fluke proved foolish after Johnson blistered the scoreboard in the second qualifying session. 

Jerry Savoie and Steve Johnson battle it out in Reading Pro Stock Motorcycle final

He didn’t just take the top spot, he gapped the field on what was previously thought to be underpowered equipment. Johnson lapped the previous pole-sitter Andrew Hines by more than four-hundredths of a second and threw an extra mile-per-hour on the board for good measure. There are still two qualifying sessions to go, but that won’t remove the huge confidence boost Johnson can take into the rest of the weekend. 

The Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team completed a terrific two sessions of qualifying despite not capturing provisional pole. Hines, Eddie Krawiec and Angelle Sampey all placed in the top five. Sampey is chasing her third-straight pole position after placing first at the U.S. Nationals and in Reading. Hines entered the Countdown as the No. 1 seed but dropped out of first after Jerry Savoie captured the Wally in Reading. 

Savoie, who is chasing his third-straight win, is qualified in the No. 7 position. He is tied with Scotty Pollacheck on elapsed time but posted a slower speed by just .17-mph. His teammate, Karen Stoffer, broke up the Harley-Davidson blockade and is qualified fourth. 

Michael Ray is qualified on the bump spot with a 7.488, just below Jianna Salinas with a 7.209. 

There will be two more qualifying sessions on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. Central. Race day is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. Central.