This is a trend that has left nitro Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. smiling.

Johnson Jr. has qualified No. 1 at three consecutive races – Dallas, Charlotte, N.C., and now Las Vegas.

Johnson, driving the Make-A-Wish Dodge Foundation Charger for Don Schumacher Racing, clocked a 3.879-second elapsed time at 327.82 mph in the final qualifying session to secure the No. 1 qualifying spot at the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“Our car has been running so well of late,” Johnson Jr. said. “You come into the Countdown and you have to bring everything you have for all the race and you want to perform at your best and we’ve done that, except on Sunday. We have had a good car on Sunday, and we’ve had an outstanding car on Friday and Saturdays. To come out here and go a (3)94, a (3)92, and a (3)89 and a (3)87, you go into (Sunday) with a ton of confidence.”

Johnson was strong both days in qualifying, making the best run of the round in both Q3 (3.899 seconds, 324.98 mph) and Q4 and laying down the second quickest pass of Q2 (3.928 seconds at 324.28 mph).

Johnson Jr. arrived in Las Vegas fifth in the points – 149 behind Robert Hight with just two races remaining this season – Vegas Sunday and Pomona, Calif. (Nov. 8-11).

“If it wasn’t for a freak run in Charlotte in the first round where we spun the tires as soon as we hit the throttle, and we’re still not 100 percent sure why, after that it was a letdown, so we came in here swinging,” Johnson Jr. said. “Well, the season isn’t over and let’s go out here and put as many good runs as we can together and go out here and win the last two and see what happens.”

Johnson Jr. has yet to win this season and he would will be thrilled to end up in the winner’s circle Sunday.

“I love this place,” Johnson Jr. said. “This is one of my favorite race tracks on the tour and it is always good to me and I love racing here. You feel good when you get here. I’ve been to the final and won this thing. It is one of the races I look forward to and I’m excited about tomorrow. I don’t know if I will go to sleep tonight. I want to get to first round and do this.”

Johnson acknowledged claiming his first career world championship is going to take almost a perfect storm.

“We’re a long way back,” Johnson Jr. “It is a long, long shot. I don’t think it is about finishing first anymore. I think it is out of reach, but you can’t ever quit. You have to continue to try. You never know what things can happen. There was a Miracle on Ice (1980 Olympics with the USA hockey team). There might be a miracle on a dragstrip as well. All we can do is win this one and win the next one and run the best we can every run and see if we can get as high as we can. There is a lot of motivation here. It is not over until it is over.”