All-Mopar Pro Stock Final in Arizona Fitting Farewell to Dodge Avenger
At the February 23 final elimination at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, fans were gifted with a rare treat: an all-Mopar Pro Stock final. In the end, Allen Johnson took home the victory at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park by beating V. Gaines with an impressive 6.543 second run at a top speed of 212.23 miles per hour.
Gaines, however, came away with something almost as sweet as a victory in the all-Mopar Pro Stock final: a lead in the NHRA Pro Stock standings for the first time in his 21-year career. Gaines’ 191 points leads the field, with Jason Line’s 180 good for second place and Johnson’s 161 granting him third place overall.
“I have a great Mopar Express Lane crew that kept digging and wouldn’t give up after we struggled a little early on and got behind in qualifying,” said Johnson after the race. “Pomona was probably my worst personal performance in 18 years and it pissed me off to be honest and I wanted to make it right. I still didn’t do my best here as I was responsible for one round-win, and my crew was responsible for the other three.
“V is a class act and running really good in a Mopar as of late and he’s going to be tough all year long. I’m only here because we have a great crew. They worked and got it right, and this is a great way to send this Mopar Express Lube Dodge Avenger out on a winning note.”
Indeed, the all-Mopar Pro Stock final at the Arizona Nationals is a fitting way to bid farewell to the Dodge Avenger, which will be retired in favor of a new Dodge that will make its debut at the Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville for the 2014 Gatornationals from March 13-16.
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