NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The first quarter of the Top Fuel season was highly productive for Alan Johnson. The Santa Maria, Calif.-based parts manufacturer and tuner to the stars began the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series as a tuning consultant for Brittany Force and Steve Torrence, who have collectively won half of the events (two wins for Force, one for Torrence) and qualified No. 1 at two-thirds of the events (all Torrence).

Johnson’s ability to change the fortune of a Top Fuel team is a counterpoint to whoever said “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Gary Scelzi’s first two races in the Top Fuel category resulted in victories behind the wheel of Johnson’s dragster in 1997. Johnson famously won in his first race at the helm of the U.S. Army dragster at the Chicago event in 2003 with little more than a week to prepare. Though Tony Schumacher already had one Mello Yello world championship by then, he had a frustrating final-round record of 7-18 before A.J. During Johnson’s tenure through the 2008 season, Schumacher’s final-round record was a dominant 49-14.

With a brand-new program in 2009, Johnson came within two points of winning the championship in its debut campaign. He followed with three titles in the next four seasons with three different drivers (Larry Dixon, Del Worsham, and Shawn Langdon). When lack of funding forced him to park his operation following the 2015 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, it opened the possibilities for teams to benefit from his tuning expertise.

His history made it little surprise that he has energized Force’s career this season. The pairing was surprising from a logistical standpoint due to the fact that John Force Racing has manufactured its own parts in-house for some time, but John Force made concessions to ensure that the most successful tuner in Top Fuel history would be bringing the Monster Energy team to the top echelon of the category.

As anyone who has raced with Johnson can attest, there is more to the equation than “just add A.J.” Changing clutch programs and fuel systems to his specifications doesn’t happen overnight. All team members are challenged to do their jobs in the manner and to the standard that is expected of them. He has key personnel who have seen that through over the years, notably Monster Energy crew chief Brian Husen and assistant crew chief Jason McCulloch, who was recently reunited with Johnson at the Charlotte event.

That extends to the driver as well. Force has had to adapt her driving style this season, from the length of her burnouts to other procedures to give her team a consistent race car that operates with the same amount of heat in the clutch from run to run. Their email exchanges this offseason even included suggestions to her workout routine.

An advantage of being a tuner associated with winning is the ability to attract good crewmembers. Not only do crewmembers earn bonuses for successful on-track outings, but the desire to compete and the opportunity to learn from one of the sport’s top minds motivates skilled mechanics to work wherever A.J. goes. Besides those who have followed A.J. from team to team, one recent example is Monster Energy clutch specialist Ryan McGilvry, who left the U.S. Army team for the chance to learn under A.J. this season.

Johnson’s brainpower is often cited, though his leadership plays a big role in the success of his teams. His quiet confidence and stellar track record can naturally cause members of his team to put undue pressure on themselves. He notices when drivers or crewmembers are pushing too hard, and he responds by encouraging them to loosen up. Famous examples include directing a slumping Winston team to play its music loud and have fun again right before it won the Seattle event in 2001. At the more recent NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods, Force was feeling pressure after she was thrown off by a red-light during the final qualifying run, and Johnson and Husen made sure she was encouraged and refocused for what became a great day of driving that led to her second win.

The means to his accomplishments can be discussed at length. In the end, Johnson finds the way to the winner’s circle as the common denominator among 10 different Top Fuel winners and five world champions.