MAMA JOHNSON WAS THE REAL WINNER, NOT FATHER AND SON
Mon, 2010-06-21 14:20
Revonda Johnson is proud of her boys, especially the 68 year old one.
Mrs. Johnson is the mother of Pro Stock ace Allen Johnson and wife to his engine builder Roy Johnson, a Stock eliminator semi-finalist at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
“They are awesome, both of them,” Mrs. Johnson proudly proclaimed, moments after both father and son were eliminated in the semi-finals. “They did a wonderful job, entertained the home body, entertained the family. It's been really special.”
Roy qualified No. 2 in his first race in over 15 years and the first behind the wheel of a special Dodge Challenger given to him as a Christmas present. He fouled out in the semi-finals with a -.006 reaction.
“Allan is used to this, he does it two or three times a month,” she explained, providing the reasoning for her favoritism towards the spouse. “This is the first time Roy's done it in 30 years.”
She remembers the first time Roy mentioned he was going to race this event.
“He hoped he would be respectable,” she revealed. “He didn't hope to win. He just wanted to be respectable for the crowd.”
Being respectable was important to the veteran drag racer who had raced for decades in the sportsman ranks and gained the reputation as a feared Stock, Super Stock and later Comp eliminator racer.
“We always raced as a family. I brought my babies out here with bottles and we watched it all these years.”
Mama Johnson tried drag racing and while she raced a few times at the old Newport [TN.] drag strip, she preferred the supporting role.
“I drove one or two,” she explained. “But, I didn't enjoy it. I said, 'that's your thing. I've got to raise these kids.'”
Roy was admittedly overcome with the weekend’s experience.
“If I had to explain what I thought of this weekend, I wouldn’t know where to start,” said Roy Johnson. “I really, honestly never expected to do as well as I did this weekend. It hasn’t really sunk in how far we went in eliminations.”
One by one, in the semi-finals, son lost and about 30 minutes later father was eliminated.
“Seeing him go out broke my heart. Going out and red-lighting, broke my heart again,” Roy admitted. “But when you put this into perspective, qualifying No. 1 with the Pro Stock and No. 2 with the Stocker, and then all the way to the semis with both cars, I’m just proud of our team.”
Roy believes the next outing with the Stock eliminator car will be in September because he refuses to allow his racing to become a distraction for the team. Allen believes his dad’s racing is no distraction at all. In fact, the second generation Johnson believes his father racing serves as inspiration to the rest of the team.
“It brings so much joy to me to see Mom and Dad out here having a good time,” Allen said. “We have the whole family out here, my brother – he hasn’t been out to the races in almost 15 years. It’s been a joy for me. I don’t think his racing takes anything away from the Pro Stock effort.
“I think he acted more like he was 25 this weekend than he was 68.”
Mrs. Johnson is the mother of Pro Stock ace Allen Johnson and wife to his engine builder Roy Johnson, a Stock eliminator semi-finalist at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
“They are awesome, both of them,” Mrs. Johnson proudly proclaimed, moments after both father and son were eliminated in the semi-finals. “They did a wonderful job, entertained the home body, entertained the family. It's been really special.”
Revonda Johnson is proud of her boys, especially the 68 year old one.
Mrs. Johnson is the mother of Pro Stock ace Allen Johnson and wife to his engine builder Roy Johnson, a Stock eliminator semi-finalist at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
“They are awesome, both of them,” Mrs. Johnson proudly proclaimed, moments after both father and son were eliminated in the semi-finals. “They did a wonderful job, entertained the home body, entertained the family. It's been really special.”
Allen qualified No. 1 in Pro Stock and was almost a lock to reach the finals until his car drifted out of the groove forcing him to lift against a lesser favored Rickie Jones.
Revonda Johnson, mother of Pro Stock racer Allen Johnson and wife of Stock racer Roy Johnson, leaps in celebration of Roy's quarter-final win.
“Allan is used to this, he does it two or three times a month,” she explained, providing the reasoning for her favoritism towards the spouse. “This is the first time Roy's done it in 30 years.”
She remembers the first time Roy mentioned he was going to race this event.
“He hoped he would be respectable,” she revealed. “He didn't hope to win. He just wanted to be respectable for the crowd.”
Being respectable was important to the veteran drag racer who had raced for decades in the sportsman ranks and gained the reputation as a feared Stock, Super Stock and later Comp eliminator racer.
“We always raced as a family. I brought my babies out here with bottles and we watched it all these years.”
Mama Johnson tried drag racing and while she raced a few times at the old Newport [TN.] drag strip, she preferred the supporting role.
“I drove one or two,” she explained. “But, I didn't enjoy it. I said, 'that's your thing. I've got to raise these kids.'”
Roy was admittedly overcome with the weekend’s experience.
“If I had to explain what I thought of this weekend, I wouldn’t know where to start,” said Roy Johnson. “I really, honestly never expected to do as well as I did this weekend. It hasn’t really sunk in how far we went in eliminations.”
One by one, in the semi-finals, son lost and about 30 minutes later father was eliminated.
“Seeing him go out broke my heart. Going out and red-lighting, broke my heart again,” Roy admitted. “But when you put this into perspective, qualifying No. 1 with the Pro Stock and No. 2 with the Stocker, and then all the way to the semis with both cars, I’m just proud of our team.”
Roy believes the next outing with the Stock eliminator car will be in September because he refuses to allow his racing to become a distraction for the team. Allen believes his dad’s racing is no distraction at all. In fact, the second generation Johnson believes his father racing serves as inspiration to the rest of the team.
“It brings so much joy to me to see Mom and Dad out here having a good time,” Allen said. “We have the whole family out here, my brother – he hasn’t been out to the races in almost 15 years. It’s been a joy for me. I don’t think his racing takes anything away from the Pro Stock effort.
“I think he acted more like he was 25 this weekend than he was 68.”
Johnson's DragPak Challenger won the Thunder Valley Nationals Best Appearing award.
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