Through seven national events this year, Greeneville-based NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson is off to a good start. The only thing he's missing is his first win of the year, and Johnson hopes to get it this weekend at the O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals.

"We've gotten 'beat' one round this year. Every other time we've beaten ourselves," Johnson said. "We are in a position poised to strike. We just have to do away with the tire shake."

Tire shake has caused Johnson to have to shut the car off just after the starting line more than once. He has been qualifying well, no worse than sixth and was number one qualifier at Phoenix.

But those good qualifying results haven't translated into good elimination results. Johnson has reached the semifinals twice but has yet to make a final round appearance in 2008.

"We are due one," Johnson said. "The track has really been messing with everyone this year. The NHRA is not prepping the track the same from one race to another, one round to another. We've been probably as noticeable as anybody, but if you look at every race, it's gotten all the top five or six cars."

Johnson is among those top cars. He is currently fifth in the points. Last season he finished a career high fourth in the standings, and said that has carried over to this year.

One thing that didn't carry over to this year is the second team car driven by Richie Stevens, and not having two cars to send out on the track has hurt.

Stevens' car was owned by Don Schumacher Racing and operated under contract out of Johnson's shop. A loss of sponsorship for the car resulted in Schumacher having to pull the plug.

Johnson said more often than not last year, Stevens ran first, which gave the team valuable information about track conditions that made his own setup better.

Engine builder Roy Johnson is still producing plenty of horsepower, and crew chief Mark Ingersoll hasn't forgotten how to get the power to the rear wheels.

The key is figuring out how to get the rear wheels to stick to varying track conditions, Johnson said.

"When we are qualifying, the track is different than it is on Sunday," Johnson said. "We are really able to get after it and put the tires to the ground. That's the reason we are qualifying so well. On Sundays, they are doing something different to the track, and we never know which track is going to be there. We are just fighting making the calls on Sunday. As well as Dad has the motors running, if we can do just a little bit of good, we are going to be hard to handle."

Something else Johnson is going to try to get a handle on this weekend is driving a late model street stock car around the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway when a number of NHRA stars will race in the Circle Track Challenge on Saturday night.

This will be the third time this year the drag racers have tried their hand at turning left. Johnson participated in the other two events as well when they raced Thunder Roadsters in Las Vegas and dirt Late Model cars in St. Louis.

The starting lineup for the Circle Track Challenge is being determined by fan voting online (www.bristoldragway.com), and Johnson is currently set to roll off on the outside of row one.

"I don't really know what to expect," Johnson said. "It adds another dimension and adds a lot of hype at the races we go to. I enjoy that."

What Johnson would enjoy more is a breakthrough victory at Thunder Valley.

From the results so far this season, it seems more like a matter of when, not if, he gets it. Johnson figures there is no better time than this weekend.

"I think we can qualify number one, and I think we can win the race," he said. "We haven't won any, but we've had the car to beat two or three times. We just have to make the right calls at the right time."

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Gates open at the track on Friday at 8 a.m. with sportsman qualifying getting under way at 9 a.m.

The first round of pro qualifying is Friday at 4 p.m., and the second round starts at 6:30.

On Saturday, gates open at 7:30 a.m. Sportsman eliminations start at 8:00. The third round of pro qualifying starts at 12:30, with the final session set for 3 p.m.

Gates open at 9 a.m. on Sunday. Eliminations start at noon.