91����

After qualifying for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, Johnny Pluchino has officially clinched the inaugural championship in the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock class.

Pluchino, a second-generation racer from Smithtown, N.Y., recently won the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, to give himself a comfortable 81 point lead over Bo Butner heading into the final event of the season in Las Vegas. Safely qualified in the field as the provisional low qualifier in the 6.315, Pluchino has mathematically clinched the title and can now focus on winning the race.

“This just feels good. To be the first NHRA champion in the Mountain Motor [Pro Stock] class is special because there is only one first. Thankfully, we pretty much just needed to come here and qualify, so that make for a lot less pressure.”

“Winning that race in Reading was huge,” Pluchino said. “Before that, the points were tight and then Bo [Butner] lost in the first round and we managed to scrape together a win. That was our season right there.”

Pluchino admitted that he’s someone who counts every point and early in the season, he admittedly didn’t like what he saw after Butner won the first two events of the season. Following a runner-up finish to Butner in the series debut at zMax Dragway, Pluchino took control of the championship by driving his Mustang to a victory  in Richmond prior to his second victory in Reading.

“From day one, our goal was to win the championship, but yeah, it was tough to watch Bo go out and win the first two races,” Pluchino said. “We had a good team and good people so we just kept on pushing and did our best to rise to the pressure.”

A product of the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League, Pluchino won three track championships at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He then turned pro in 2019 when he replaced his father, John Sr., in the family race car. Since then, he’s won four PDRA titles including two in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock class and two more in the Outlaw 632 class. Pluchino recently scored a victory at the season-ending PDRA event at Virginia Motorsports Park.

In addition to his father, Pluchino gave credit to a long list of sponsors including Feather Lite Batteries, Ross Environmental Services, Ram Clutches, Maximo Oils, Hoosier Tires, Jon Kaase Racing Engines, and AED Carbs.

The six-race Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock series has been a huge hit with NHRA fans this year as they’ve watched low six-second, 225-plus mph entries battle in Charlotte, Bristol, Richmond, Brainerd, Reading, and Las Vegas.