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Speedmaster partners with Melanie Johnson as primary sponsor for 2026 season

Speedmaster has partnered with Top Alcohol Dragster driver Melanie Johnson as primary sponsor for the 2026 NHRA season. The partnership marks an expansion of Speedmaster's motorsport presence.
15 Apr 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Melanie Johnson

Speedmaster has partnered with Top Alcohol Dragster driver Melanie Johnson as primary sponsor for the 2026 NHRA season. The partnership marks an expansion of Speedmaster's motorsport presence, adding Top Alcohol competition alongside the company's existing primary sponsorship with John Force Racing in NHRA Top Fuel.

Johnson's dragster debuted its Speedmaster livery at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, her home race.

The deal extends beyond the track. Johnson brings digital marketing experience to the partnership, contributing to Speedmaster's brand and content strategy while competing for the 2026 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championship with the McPhillips Racing team, led by Rich McPhillips Sr. and Rich McPhillips Jr.

The connection between Speedmaster and Johnson started at a Women in Motorsports North America event, where Speedmaster COO Melissa Parra and Johnson found common ground on what a motorsport partnership should look like — performance on the track, substance off it.

"I met Melissa Parra at a Women in Motorsports North America event last year, and our initial conversation quickly turned into a shared vision for how we could work together,” said Johnson. “After touring their facility in Los Angeles and talking with CEO Jason Kencevski, I was struck by the professionalism of their team and the history of their business. There is a clear parallel between the performance-driven mindset at Speedmaster and the way my dad and I have always approached racing. I've been working to put a program like this together since I started my career, and I'm grateful that Jason and Melissa recognized my passion for both marketing and racing."

Johnson enters the partnership with momentum from a strong rookie campaign. In 2025, she recorded a North Central Regional victory in Norwalk, finished in the top ten of the National Championship points standings, and was named to the Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 list. She has since been announced as a 2026 Shift Up Now Athlete.

"What made this partnership straightforward was how Melanie operates.” said Speedmaster COO Melissa Parra. “She came to Speedmaster with a clear understanding of the brand, a plan for how she could contribute on and off the track, and the work ethic to back it up. She races, she's building her own path in the sport, and she brings the same discipline to marketing and brand representation that the Johnson name is known for on the starting line."