Drag Illustrated Issue 112, August 2016 | Page 101

CLOSE-UP

Tommy Johnson Jr.

Better
Together

F

ollowing in his father’s footsteps, Tommy Johnson Jr. had been
around racing his entire life. He
quickly worked his way up to pilot of
Top Fuel Funny Cars and Dragsters. He’s 1 of
just 18 to qualify number one in both categories. He was a regular finalist for two decades,
winning events in seven different countries.
But things changed in the blink of an eye, and
Johnson found himself without a ride for a few
seasons.
“I’m probably awfully boring away from the
race track because I’m constantly, 24/7, thinking about racing” Johnson admits. “The older
I’ve gotten, the more I’ve tried to enjoy other
things, but I still haven’t found another passion.
I like other things, but nothing gives me the satisfaction racing does.
“I’m getting better,” he says, laughing. “[Being out of the seat] was pretty tough, having
to spend your time watching people do what
you love to do. It was a bit of shock, because it’s
something I had done pretty much all my life
and all of a sudden, it’s gone. You have to be creative. It also checks how bad you want to do this.
What are you willing to do to be able to do this
again? I did a lot of jobs I didn’t like and didn’t
want to do, but I did whatever it took.”
Since returning to full time competition in
2014, Johnson has made the most of every opportunity. As pilot of the Make-A-Wish Dodge
Charger Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, Johnson finished third in 2014 and 2015
NHRA championship points standings. He recently scored his 13th national event win at the
Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in
June of this ye ar.
“I don’t think you take [racing] for granted
as maybe you would have in the past,” Johnson says, reflecting on how his stint away from
the driver’s seat altered his perspective. “You
definitely appreciate every weekend, every race,
every run. And, it’s not that you try harder, because you’re always trying, but I’m probably a
more dedicated driver now just because of the
fact I know it can be gone so quick. I pay attention to the smaller details more.”
There’s one thing for sure: Tommy Johnson
Jr. and drag racing are better together.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK J. REBILAS

D r a g Il l u s t r a t e d . c o m

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Dr ag Illustr ated