Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019 | Page 11

REUNITED In a pairing that should be familiar for longtime fans of NHRA Pro Stock, Mark “The Cowboy” Pawuk and Allen Johnson square off in the final round of qualifying for the SAM Tech Factory Stock Showdown at the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals near St. Louis. Pawuk’s 7.929-second pass at 171.77 mph reset the class record as just the second official 7-second FS/XX pass. Pawuk, who retired from Pro Stock racing in 2006, and Johnson, who did the same after the 2017 season, have found a new home in the Factory Stock Showdown program. Johnson’s Dodge Challenger Drag Pak features an engine built by his father, Roy, while Pawuk races out of the Don Schumacher Racing camp with teammate Leah Pritchett and crew chief Kevin Helms. Photograph by FCA Media Gateway Motorsports Park | Madison, Illinois | Saturday, September 22, 2018 Ja n u a r y 2 0 1 9 DragIllustrated.com | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | 11