Photo courtesy of Troy Case
Pomona, CA – A young Johnny Ahten sat in the stands and
dreamed of winning the Pomona Drags. Al Ahten, Johnny’s Dad, raced at many
historic California Drag Strips and shared the same dream. Fast forward thirty
years and Johnny is strapped into his Nitromethane Injected Dragster for the
final round, his Dad standing behind him. His wife and two young sons are in the
stands. As the race begins, Johnny Ahten the racer/kid-in-the-stands is ready.
Al Ahten, the Crew Chief/Dad is ready. They have both been ready for this moment
for years. Johnny inches the car in deep and turns off the top bulb. At the
flash of yellow the cars launch. Johnny’s .016 light has him out in front. His
opponent, number one qualifier and World Champ Jim Whiteley, is closing fast.
Tireshake rears its ugly head and Whiteley is forced to get on and off the
throttle as his car shakes, breaks, and tosses a blower belt. Johnny Ahten
rockets ahead for the win. A 5.428/259.86 flashes in Johnny’s lane. A cylinder
or two were out, but the time didn’t matter. Johnny Ahten crossed the finish
line first at the race he always wanted to win. Al Ahten celebrated if he was a
kid. In the crowd, Johnny’s two sons, as well as other youngsters, begin to
dream of Pomona glory.
“This is the biggest race there is for us to win – it’s
iconic,” said Johnny Ahten. “All I remember is at about 800-900ft I didn't see
him. I kept waiting for Whiteley to come rocketing by. After I crossed the
finish line I couldn’t tell if the win light in either lane was on. I began to
think I had won, and hoping I didn't go red. I came around the corner and the
top end workers directed me to the TV cameras. Then they all started running at
me and pointing. I couldn’t believe it. The next thing I know they shoved a
Wally in my hands. All I could think was, ‘Is this for me?’ I’m not sure when
this will sink in, but I do know it will make the off season incredible,” added
Ahten. “The response has been overwhelming with phone calls, emails, texts, and
even flowers. It’s a real thrill.” Johnny Ahten went on to say, “All this was
made possible with the help of Island Renovations, Combust Filters, NGK, DJ
Safety, Hedman Hedders, Mechanix Wear, Fireman’s Brew, and Goodson Tools and
Supplies.”
Johnny’s dream weekend started out with a lone
qualifying session on Thursday. A 5.489/247.70 pass put the Island Renovations /
Combust Filters car in the number twelve spot. In Friday’s second session, a
5.484/259.01 dropped them to #14. Crew Chief Al Ahten and crewmembers Howard
Katano, Kevin Colvell, Chuck Costabile, Bob Ahten, and John Rogers worked in
harmony to try and get the Stump Puller to go faster. The result was a final
qualifying pass of 5.376/259.31 that propelled them into the #7 slot.
Saturday’s mid-morning start to eliminations saw cool
air and track temperatures. Shawn Cowie would be the first round opponent. The
Stump Puller filled the crisp air with Nitro as Johnny blasted off the starting
line first. Cowie caught up quickly and it turned into a good old-fashioned drag
race. At the finish line it was Ahten getting the close win with a 5.391/257.58
to Cowie’s 5.394/268.71. Even though Ahten never trailed, it was too close for
comfort.
Sunday raceday began at 7am in the Ahten pits, allowing
the team to prepare the car and form a plan. They would continue to massage the
tune-up and race the track. The elusive higher mile per hour goal was still a
mystery. Second round adversary Joey Severance got the advantage at the start.
Johnny had that made up by the sixty foot mark. At the finish line, Johnny got
the win with a 5.354/259.01 to a 5.493/249.26 for Severance. The victory was
costly, as bits of aluminum were sacrificed. A new cylinder head had to be
installed in addition to the regular between rounds maintenance. The team
thrashed to get the car ready. Waiting in the staging lanes was #3 qualifier
Mark Taliaferro. As the Sump Puller was pushed to the line, Johnny Ahten knew
what he had to do. Taliaferro had beaten Ahten in the first round in Vegas just
a few weeks prior. This time the chance to race in the finals was on the line.
Johnny slapped a cosmic .012 light on Taliaferro at the hit. It proved to be
enough as Johnny’s holeshot 5.368/258.76 beat Taliaferro’s quicker 5.303/272.01.
The crowd and crew went wild and it was time to prepare for the finals. The
Ahten Racing Team’s plan to get off the line, get down the track, and make it a
good one was right on schedule. Shouts of encouragement serenaded the Ahten
Racing team as they towed to the lanes for the finals.
The Final round opponent would be number one qualifier
and World Champion Jim Whiteley. The California sun began to set on the historic
Pomona raceway. The air cooled and the tension began to rise higher and higher.
Al Ahten strapped his son Johnny into the Sump Puller. The desires of a Father,
and the dreams of a son were about to be played out. As Johnny raced down the
track, they all came true and victory at the Pomona Drags was a reality for the
Ahten family of drag racers.
…
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