FUNNY CAR

One year after Don Schumacher Racing was shut out of Western Swing winner's circles for the first time since 2002, Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Funny Car team won on Sunday to give DSR four of six titles on this year's three-race Swing.

Johnson's win in the Make-A-Wish 2015 Dodge Charger R/T with crew chief John Collins and assistant Rip Reynolds gives DSR 13 of 16 Funny Car titles this season and moved him to third in points behind teammates Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman. Hagan, the points leader, is 5 ahead of Beckman and 114 in front of Johnson.

"The DSR Funny Cars have won all kinds of races so I had to catch up because I only had one," said Johnson, who won for the second time this year. His first career win as an NHRA professional was at the track in 1993 when he drove a Top Fuel dragster.

"It feels really good. The confidence we have right now heading into the Countdown, we're kind of peaking at the right time. My guys, John Collins, Rip Reynolds, all the guys on the Make-A-Wish team are doing such a great job, it makes me very happy.

"Terry Chandler (who funds the team) is such a wonderful lady and what she does for our sport, to bring her home the trophy today means a lot. Not only a lot to me but it means a lot to bring the trophy back to DSR for Don Schumacher."

Paul Lee

Starting from the No. 5 position, Johnson raced ahead of Paul Lee in the opening round for a 4.075-second, 307.02 mph win over his opponent's 5.044, 150.77. In the second round, Johnson was a smidge quicker off the starting line than Chad Head and carried it to a 4.057, 308.07 victory over a troubled 6.481, 143.02.
 
Johnson had a ton of momentum, and he needed it in the semifinals when he came head-to-head with the driver who was blazing through the Western Swing. Don Schumacher Racing teammate Jack Beckman was hot off of back-to-back wins in Denver and Sonoma, and during qualifying he had made the quickest pass ever in the history of Funny Car. Johnson and the John Collins-tuned Make-A-Wish team were unflustered, though. They embraced the challenge ahead.

From the start, the win was in Johnson's hands as he launched ahead of Beckman by .013-second. Beckman was down a cylinder but Johnson had them all lit as he sailed ahead for a powerful 4.070, 310.41 mph win over his challenger's 4.166, 301.47.