The start of this run was weird at best.

Veteran nitro Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. sat on the starting line for just over a second, but when the bulb did flash he made a memorable run as he set a track record with his 3.837-second elapsed time at 329.10 mph during the final qualifying session Saturday at Wild Horse Motorsports Park near Phoenix.

“We knew the conditions were there and we did some things on that run that we normally wouldn’t do, that’s not how we would tune the car, but what we were doing wasn’t working so we thought we would go a different direction, and it definitely worked,” Johnson Jr. said. “If you want to try that type of setup this is was the time, so we did.”

Johnson Jr., who finished a career-best second in the points standings a year ago, pilots the Don Schumacher Racing Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger. This was his 15th career No. 1 qualifying position, and the sixth quickest pass in NHRA’s nitro Funny Car class to 1,000 feet.

“I could tell during the run that the car was much better,” Johnson Jr. said. “You could feel it in there that it pulled really well early in the run, so I knew it was on a good one.”

Johnson Jr.’s lap knocked Courtney Force from the No. 1 spot. On her first run of the weekend, Force clocked a 3.838-second pass in her Advance Auto Parts Chevy Camaro.

Johnson acknowledged that he didn’t really know what his car was going to do when he pulled up to the starting line for Q4.

“You just go up with no expectations,” Johnson Jr. said. “I felt pretty confident about. The chemistry between the crew chief (John Collins) and driver has gotten good and I can tell when he has a little bounce in his step, and I can tell when he’s nervous. Sometimes that’s good and sometimes that’s bad to know him so well. He saw something he wanted to try and it was just a weird run all around with the whole starting line deal. I’m hoping we can replicate what happened, if all the extra time on the starting caused anything to happen or we can learn from it.”

Johnson did say he is comfortable with the Funny Car he’s driving this weekend.

“This is the chassis we did the wheel stand here with and we sent it back and had a new front half put on it,” Johnson Jr. said. “I love this car. This car drives so much better than we ran in Pomona. The first run on it was here Friday and we rolled out with an 89 and then 87 and an 89 and an 83. It gives us new confidence when you have such a comfortable car that handles so well. Going into race day, I’m not worried about the car getting out of the groove, I’m worried about how quick can we go.”

Johnson Jr. faces Phil Burkart in the first-round Sunday.