ABOUT
Tommy Johnson, Jr.
Don Schumacher Racing
Tommy Johnson Jr., was the driver of the MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Sponsored by Doug Chandler from 2015-2020
2020 Car: MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Sponsored by: Doug Chandler
Crew Chief: John Collins
Personal
DOB: April 6, 1968
Hometown: Ottumwa, Iowa
Residence: Avon, Indiana
Marital Status: Married (wife, Amy)
Height/weight: 5’10”, 160 lbs.
Hobbies: candle-making, bike riding, golf, lawn care
NHRA Career
Funny Car (first event: 1999)
Top Fuel (first event: 1989)
Top Alcohol Funny Car (first event: 1986)
Super Comp (first event: 2000)
Super Gas (first event: 1984)
Driver Number: 33
Career Bests:
E.T.: 3.837 seconds, Phoenix, 2017
Speed: 333.82 mph, Reading, 2021
By The Numbers
By the Numbers:
25 national event wins (22 Funny Car/2 Top Fuel/1 TAFC/1)
63 final rounds (553 Funny Car/5 Top Fuel TAFC/3 SG/2)
Biography
Tommy Johnson Jr., 52, has been the most successful Funny Car driver over the past four seasons with Terry Chandler’s Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car at Don Schumacher Racing by finishing third in points twice and second in 2016 with crew chief John Collins and assistant Rip Reynolds.
The native of Ottumwa, Iowa, who lives outside Indianapolis in Avon, has competed in more than 450 NHRA pro events, which includes stints driving for four hall-of-famers (Don Schumacher, Kenny Bernstein, Don Prudhomme and the NFL’s Joe Gibbs).
In addition to winning event titles in six countries.
Notable
- Has competed in more than 450 NHRA events.
- Has competed in seven NHRA categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Nostalgia Funny Car, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Gas and Super Comp.
- At 15 became the youngest to earn an NHRA competition license and the youngest to enter a national event when he competed in the 1984 Gatornationals in the Super Gas category.
- Owns a parts and supply company, TJ Racing Inc., that services race teams.
- Founded a candle-making business, TA Candles, in 2017 with his wife, Amy.
Career Highlights
- One of 17 drivers in NHRA history to have claimed a win in both the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories o First Top Fuel win: Seattle, 1993; First Funny Car win: Reading, 1999
- One of 19 drivers to have earned a No. 1 qualifying position in both Top Fuel and Funny Car o First Top Fuel No. 1: Sonoma 1994; First Funny Car No. 1: St. Louis 1999
- Has won in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Funny Car categories
- Has won titles in six countries: United States, England, Finland, Sweden, Australia and United Arab Emirates
ADDITIONAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2010
2008
2020
- Finished second in the Funny Car points standings
- Earned three event titles
- Secured three No. 1 qualifier positions
2019
- Two-time winner: Chicago and Denver
- First Denver victory
- Had been competing on ‘the mountain’ for 35 years and had four previous Denver runner-up finishes: Super Gas, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Top Fuel, and Funny Car
- First Denver victory
- Two-time runner up: Las Vegas I and Brainerd
2018
- As the highest finishing DSR Funny Car pilot (ranked third), Johnson was awarded with a 2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to use as his ‘daily driver’ for one year
- Three-time runner up: Phoenix, Brainerd, Pomona II
- Three No. 1 qualifiers: Dallas, Charlotte II, Las Vegas II (consecutive poles)
- 2018 marked the first time in Johnson’s career that he secured back-to-back poles
2017
- Had wins at Las Vegas 1 and Pomona 2, posted four runner-up finishes and tallied a No. 1 qualifier in Pomona.
- Set a career-best time in Phoenix and a career-best speed in Sonoma.
2016
- Finished a career-high second in points.
- Won a career-high three races.
- Posted three runner-finishes.
- Tallied a No. 1 qualifier at Charlotte 2.
- Set a career-best E.T in Dallas and a career-best speed in Reading.
2015
- Tied a career-high third place finish in points.
- Raced to victories at Chicago and Seattle.
- Claimed six runner-up finishes on the season.
- Raced to No. 1 qualifying efforts at Epping, Charlotte 2 and Las Vegas 2.
- Posted career-bests in elapsed time and speed, both at Pomona 2.
2014
- Finished a career-high third in points.
- Raced to victory at Bristol.
- Joined DSR as the fourth Funny Car driver following Johnny Gray’s retirement.
2013
- Raced in four Top Fuel events for Rapisarda Motorsports, posting one quarterfinal finish.
2012
- Raced in two Funny Car events, but posted DNQs in both.
2010
- First Top Fuel Driver to ever run down the new drag strip in Abu Dhabi, at the Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates.
2008
- Finished 18th in points during last full season behind the wheel of a Funny Car.
- Drove for drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein. Only person to ever drive for KBR outside of the Bernstein family.
2007
2006
2005
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1995
1994
1993
2007
- Won wire-to-wire in Englishtown (No. 1 qualifier, race winner).
- Won in Englishtown, NJ after a first round fire that burned the car to the ground. The team rebuilt the entire car in 75 minutes to go on and win the race, set low e.t. of the day, all after qualifying number one.
2006
- Set career bests for time.
- His two wins came against the last two Mello Yello Series champions (John Force and Gary Scelzi).
- Matched his career-best sixth place finish in Mello Yello standings.
- Matched a career-best with two No. 1 qualifiers, his first since the 2001 season.
- Earned victories at Phoenix and Brainerd, Minn. and runner-up at fall Las Vegas event to equal a career-best sixth place finish for the year.
- His career-best run of 4.672 seconds was also low E.T. at Joliet and collected his second No. 1 qualifier award of the year at Reading, Pa.
- Also posted a runner-up finish at the $100,000 Skoal Showdown bonus event.
2005
- Opened the season with a win and finished a career-best sixth in points.
- Set his still top speed of 331.45 mph at Chicago.
- Won NHRA season-opening Winternationals.
- Advanced to two final rounds and finished a career-best sixth in the Funny Car standings.
- Set career-best performances at the fall Joliet race (4.698 seconds, 331.45 mph).
2003
- One of four Funny Car drivers to qualify for all 23 races.
2002
- Advanced to a career-best four final round appearances.
2001
- Victory at Las Vegas (April 8) was the first for Prudhomme’s new two-car organization and came two days after Johnson and Prudhomme celebrated their birthdays (both were born on April 6).
- Runner-up in St. Louis.
2000
- Became a member of Don Prudhomme’s Funny Car organization in December.
- Qualified No. 1 at U.S. Nationals driving Helen Hofmann’s Funny Car.
1999
- Joined Joe Gibbs Funny Car team for the final 13 races.
- Won his first Funny Car race at Reading, Pa.
- Added a second win at Memphis.
- Runner-up twice.
- Ran his quickest speed (320.05 mph) to become only the third driver in the category to exceed 320.
- Became the 12th NHRA driver to win races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.
1995
- Enjoyed his best NHRA Top Fuel series finish (8th) in his last full season driving his family-backed dragster.
1994
- Became the 15th member of the Slick 50 300-mph Club (302.01 mph) and one of only five drivers to hold spots in both the 300-mph club and the Cragar 4-second Club.
- Won at Memphis for his second dragster win and held the speed record for three months at 306.64 mph.
1993
- Notched his first professional victory at Seattle and was runner-up two weeks later at Brainerd, Minn.
- Made his first top 10 appearance at No. 10.