STEVE JOHNSON CHERISHING UNDERDOG ROLE IN PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE AS COUNTDOWN PLAYOFFS OPEN AT PEP BOYS NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Entering the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship in the 10th position, Pro Stock Motorcycle Steve Johnson rider will have the biggest mountain to climb when compared to the other nine competitors in the two-wheel category who qualified for the six-race playoffs.

But simply having an opportunity to compete for a world championship is all Johnson needs to be motivated. The chance for his first NHRA world title on his Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki is the veteran rider’s driving force and he will have a chance to make a resounding opening statement when the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship kicks off at this weekend’s seventh annual Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

“Everybody wants to race for a championship,” Johnson said. “The fans love the Countdown and I love it. I’ve been racing for more than 25 years and there has to be something keeping you wanting to go. To feel like I have a chance to win a championship is a huge bonus. I know the odds are stacked against it, but I love that I have a shot.”

Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals, a race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.

That Johnson has a chance to win a world championship is enough to get him excited, even if he knows it will take a number of standout performances throughout the six events during the Countdown to the Championship.

But it all starts at the first event at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte where Johnson won in 2008. Getting off to a good start will keep Johnson’s championship dream alive even if he knows that plenty of racing remains after Charlotte.

“If you’re 110 points behind you’re likely not going to be leading after the first race, but it can be a gamechanger,” Johnson said. “Charlotte is one of my favorite tracks and we just have to qualify well and go some rounds. It’s really, really important that we make four good qualifying runs. I feel like we’re ready.”

Johnson thought he had a winning – or at least a highly-competitive – combination heading to the recent Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. But things went awry during eliminations and Johnson suffered a first-round loss leaving his fate undecided as Jerry Savoie made a late push for the final spot in the Countdown.

Savoie advanced to the final round but fell to Eddie Krawiec in a race that would have ended Johnson’s dream had Savoie won. It finished off a weekend that featured a gamut of emotions for Johnson but ultimately left him glowing by grabbing the final spot in the Countdown.

“We had a great plan on how to win the race but it just didn’t work out,” Johnson said. “It was stressful to watch. But we have confidence that we have a great bike. We learned a lot from Indy and our recent test sessions. What we’re trying to do is get the bike back to how it ran in Gainesville.”

That performance in Gainesville led to Johnson’s lone victory this season and it started his PSM season in fine fashion. He has put in extended hours to get his bike back to that level and despite the early exit in Indy Johnson feels he is close to returning to the winner’s circle.

But he will have to wade through a talented Pro Stock Motorcycle field that is headed by points leader Hines. His Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Krawiec is second in points and won the event in 2011, and other standouts in the bike category include Hector Arana, Hector Arana Jr., reigning world champ Matt Smith, Angie Smith, John Hall, Michael Ray and Scotty Pollacheck.

“What I am excited about is the opportunity to win a championship,” Johnson said. “I’m over the top excited, to be honest.”

In Top Fuel, nobody has been more consistent than Doug Kalitta, who has advanced to nine final rounds during a banner 2014 season and is the current points leader at the controls of his 320 mph Mac Tools dragster. Big challenges at zMAX Dragway will come from Antron Brown, who won at Charlotte in 2011, defending world champion Shawn Langdon, who won the Countdown-opening event in 2012, Tony Schumacher, Spencer Massey, U.S. Nationals winner Richie Crampton, Khalid alBalooshi, Brittany Force, J.R. Todd and Steve Torrence.

In Funny Car, Hight took home the victory last season and will enter Charlotte ready for a run at a second world championship behind the wheel of his Auto Club Ford Mustang. He will have to get past his teammate, the reigning world champion and current category top seed John Force, who has advanced to six consecutive final rounds. The list of championship talent reads long and includes Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Courtney Force, Alexis DeJoria, who has three wins in 2014 including the most recent event in Indy, Tommy Johnson Jr., Del Worsham, Tim Wilkerson and Cruz Pedregon.

Coughlin’s win in Charlotte one year ago catapulted him to a fifth career championship in Pro Stock. Everyone is chasing top seed Jason Line while championship contenders in the loaded class include four-time season winner Erica Enders-Stevens, Allen Johnson, Vincent Nobile, Dave Connolly, U.S. Nationals winner Shane Gray, rookie Jonathan Gray, V Gaines and Chris McGaha.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 12, with sessions at 12:45 and 3 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, at 1 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for noon on Sunday, Sept. 14.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call zMAX Dragway at (800) 455-FANS or visit www.zmaxdragway.com. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.

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PEP BOYS NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: Seventh annual Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals, the 19th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the first of six races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Hwy 29 off I-85 at exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) in the Concord, N.C. area.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 12-14

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, Sept. 12 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying

PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 12:45 and 3 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 13 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations

PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 12:15 p.m.; first round of eliminations at 2:30 p.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1 and 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 14 – Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.

MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at noon.

TELEVISION:

Sunday, Sept. 14, ESPN2 will televise 90 minutes of coverage starting at 3:30 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Sept. 14, ESPN2 will televise three hours of coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):

Friday, Sept. 12, 7-7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 15C

Saturday, Sept. 13, 7-7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 15C

Sunday, Sept. 14, 7:30 – 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 15C

(4000 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 40.46147055 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2013 EVENT WINNERS: Morgan Lucas, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Jeg Coughlin, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.749 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’12; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.

Funny Car – 3.980 seconds by Cruz Pedregon, Sept. ’13; 322.27 mph by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11.

Pro Stock – 6.471 sec. by Mike Edwards, April ’13; 213.91 mph by Jason Line, April ’12.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.810 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, Sept. ’11; 198.3 mph by Matt Smith, April. ’14.

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.

Funny Car – 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock – 6.464 sec. and 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.

PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.

TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com.

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NHRA MELLO YELLO COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. — Reset point standings (top 10) following the 18-race regular season for the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoff series that will determine world champions in each of the four Mello Yello Drag Racing Series categories.

Top Fuel: 1. Doug Kalitta, 2,110; 2. Antron Brown, 2,080; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,070; 4. Tony Schumacher, 2,060; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,050; 6. Spencer Massey, 2,040; 7. Khalid alBalooshi, 2,030; 8. Richie Crampton, 2,020; 9. Brittany Force, 2,010; 10. J.R. Todd, 2,000.

Funny Car: 1. John Force, 2,110; 2. Robert Hight, 2,080; 3. Ron Capps, 2,070; 4. Alexis DeJoria, 2,060; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr., 2,050; 6. Courtney Force, 2,040; 7. Matt Hagan, 2,030; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 2,020; 9. Del Worsham, 2,010; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 2,000.

Pro Stock: 1. Jason Line, 2,110; 2. Erica Enders-Stevens, 2,080; 3. Allen Johnson, 2,070; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 2,060; 5. Dave Connolly, 2,050; 6. Shane Gray, 2,040; 7. Vincent Nobile, 2,030; 8. V. Gaines, 2,020; 9. Chris McGaha, 2,010; 10. Jonathan Gray, 2,000.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Andrew Hines, 2,110; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,080; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2,070; 4. Hector Arana, 2,060; 5. John Hall, 2,050; 6. Matt Smith, 2,040; 7. Michael Ray, 2,030; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, 2,020; 9. Angie Smith, 2,010; 10. Steve Johnson, 2,000.