Courtesy of Elon Werner | Werner Communications
ENNIS, TEX. — Melanie Johnson and the Speedmaster Top Alcohol Dragster team kicked off the Stampede of Speed with a strong performance at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional event at Texas Motorplex, earning a runner-up finish and setting a new career best elapsed time.
Johnson set the tone early in qualifying, laying down a stellar 5.173-second pass at 277.71 mph to claim the No. 1 qualifying position. The run marked a new personal best E.T. for the California native.
Carrying that momentum into Sunday’s eliminations, Johnson opened round one with a victory over Chris Demke, clocking a 5.222 at 277.38 mph to Demke’s 5.406 at 274.07 mph. In the semifinals, she posted a 5.219 at 276.34 mph to defeat Jamie Noonan and earn a spot in the final round.
The final matchup produced a tight drag race against Alan Bradshaw. Johnson made a solid 5.240-second pass at 275.20 mph, but Bradshaw edged out the victory with a 5.227 at 275.13 mph, taking the win by a margin of just .021 seconds.
“The car was on rails all weekend at the regional,” said Johnson. “To be out of the car for 4 weeks [since the U.S. Nationals] and set a career best E.T. on the first run of the weekend, really sets the tone and is a testament to that AJPE power. We have a great tune up for this track and I’m very excited to see what we can do this weekend. We’ve got our sights set on a Jegs All Stars win and a Texas Fall Nationals win. Pops & Richie have been making changes to the program and we’ve been seeing the success over the past few races. I think it’s all coming together right now.”
Johnson remains at Texas Motorplex for the second weekend of the Stampede of Speed to compete in the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. Representing the Central Region in the Top Alcohol Dragster division, she will also compete in the prestigious Jegs Allstars event after earning points throughout the season to secure a spot on the regional team.
Johnson and the team are proud to be supported by primary sponsor Speedmaster, alongside Alan Johnson Performance Engineering (AJPE), NGK Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Shift Up Now, and WIMNA (Women in Motorsports North America).
Action for the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals and the Jegs Allstars begins this Thursday, October 15 at Texas Motorplex. Johnson will be present at the Pre-Stage Fanfest presented by Red Line Synthetic Oil at Railyard Park in Waxahachie on Thursday evening. She’ll sign autographs will fellow Jegs Allstars and Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors at the free event from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Pre-Stage FanFest will also feature live music and vendor booths. To learn more, visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.
