Tommy Johnson Jr. is a drag racer. That’s what he loves to do.

So, Johnson Jr. jumped at the opportunity to drive the Andersen Racing team Top Fuel dragster on the 2011 FIA European Tour. The dragster is owned and tuned by brothers Karsten and Per Andersen of Denmark.

The move paid dividends for Johnson on Sunday as he won the inaugural Sweden Internationals race at Tierp Arena outside of Stockholm.

“It was good to get back in the seat again, and really good to get back in the winner’s circle,” Johnson Jr. told CompetitionPlus.com Tuesday. “It has been awhile. I have been fighting and kicking and struggling just to get into something and get back on a tour. It’s the FIA European Tour, but it doesn’t matter once you get in a Top Fuel car, it doesn’t matter what country you are in; it’s still a Top Fuel dragster. This also was an opportunity to let people know that I can still do this and get the job done. It’s good to keep your name out there. This is such a fast-paced sport you want to keep your name in front of people all the time and this is a great opportunity to do that.”

Johnson, who made his NHRA Top Fuel dragster debut in 1989, has won nine NHRA nationals events, two in Top Fuel and seven in Funny Car. Johnson’s last win was in 2007 when he beat Tony Pedregon in the Funny Car finals at Englishtown, N.J. Johnson’s last Top Fuel victory was in 1998 on the IHRA Tour. Johnson won NHRA Top Fuel events in 1993 in Seattle and ’94 in Memphis.

The Sweden Internationals were the second of five races on the 2011 FIA circuit. The next event is June 30-July 3 in Alastaro, Finland. The season concludes Sept. 8-11 at the FIA European Finals at Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire, England.

At Tierp Arena, Johnson was competing against an eight-car field and he captured the event title with a 3.9564-second pass at 307.83 mph to beat Risto Pouitiainen in the finals. Pouitiainen slowed to 4.3782 seconds in the finals.  

 “The competition level is very good in the FIA European Tour,” said Johnson, who also added that there were 13 cars trying to make the eight-car field at Tierp Arena. “It’s kind of like the U.S., there is a group of really good race cars and there is a group of guys who are struggling a little bit. The numbers are a little off compared to what we run in the U.S., but that is mostly because the race tracks do not have quite as good of traction. The biggest thing I see is that they do not get enough runs in a year’s time to really refine the tune-up on these cars. They get 30 to 35 runs a year. We do that (in the U.S.) sometimes in testing before we start the season. They just do not have the track time like we do. Once you get in the car though, it is exactly the same as it is in the U.S. It’s still a Top Fuel ride and you are driving.”

Johnson’s finals run was memorable as he was the first driver to record a three second elapsed time and exceed 300 mph in European 1,000 foot competition.

“That was a brand new track and it took a little while to get some rubber on it and get the grip up,” Johnson said. “By Sunday afternoon, by the time the finals were run, the track was looking good.”

Johnson also drove the Andersen Racing dragster at the season-opening FIA European Tour race in late May at Santa Pod Raceway. Johnson qualified on the pole, but the event was rained out.

“Unlike the U.S., when they have a rain out on the FIA European Tour they do not make up the race,” Johnson said. “They just award the points and go on to the next event. It was unfortunate, but the teams have to travel so far and there are so many logistics getting teams to a race, you just can’t make up the race.”

Johnson joined Andersen Racing just prior to the first race of the Europena season.

“Jim Brissette actually helps consult for the team and Jim was my first crew chief when I went to Top Fuel,” Johnson said. “We have a long history together and when they (Andersen Racing) were considering hiring a driver for this season, Jim suggested my name and it all worked out well. They talked to me and we decided to go do it (go racing) about two weeks before the first event. I had only been to one FIA race and that was in Hockenheim, Germany two years ago as a spectator. I figured you only live once and this was an opportunity where I wasn’t competing on the NHRA tour, and I had an opportunity to go race in Europe. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I figured I would make the most of it. Right now, I am just racing this season. They (Andersen Racing) do not have major sponsorship and they kind of decided if we do not break a lot of parts and cost a lot of money we are going to try and run all (five) of the races so we can try and win the championship.”  

Last season, Johnson drove a Top Fuel dragster for the Yas Marina Circuit team which had partnered with Don Schumacher Racing. Hot Rod Fuller also drove a Top Fuel entry for the Yas Marina Circuit team, and he ran a limited number of NHRA events. Johnson, however, never drove in any 2010 NHRA events.

“We just basically did an exhibition race in (Abu Dhabi) where Rod Fuller and I raced each other,” Johnson said. “We had that little rivalry, but we were just racing against each other. After driving for 22-plus years, it was very frustrating to have to watch every Sunday on the NHRA tour because you know you can do what they are doing, but you do not have the opportunity at the time. I just kept my skills fine tuned (in Abu Dhabi) and I was able to get back in the seat with Andersen Racing.”

When Johnson isn’t driving, he is a full-time employee for Don Schumacher Racing.

“At the (DSR) shop here (in Brownsburg, Ind.), I am in charge of all the purchasing of parts,” Johnson said. “I also go to all the national events and I report the track conditions to all the (DSR) crew chiefs during the day. I give them all the updated reports. Don (Schumacher) understands I want to race and he is working on stuff and he has told me to be patient because he is trying to get me a deal and get back in the car under his umbrella. In the mean time, I’m doing other stuff for them. He was nice enough to know I want to drive really bad and when this opportunity came up for me to drive (in the 2011 FIA European Tour), he had no problem with me doing this. I just have to keep up my duties here at DSR and on off weekends I go racing. I’m getting in a lot of airline miles, put it that way.”

It’s been a while since Tommy Johnson Jr. won a Top Fuel national event title [NHRA 1994, IHRA 1998], but on Sunday at Sweden's Tierp Arena an hour outside of Stockholm, the veteran nitro pilot proved he’s still got what it takes. Johnson won his first FIA event title from the No. 1 qualifying position.

Johnson, while driven the Danish Anderson Racing fueler, won the FIA Sweden Internationals event defeating Risto Pouitiainen in the final round with the quickest run to 1,000-feet in series history.

Johnson’s 3.956 second pass at 495.41 kmh was more than enough to beat Pouitiainen’s 4.3782, 315.60.

To reach the finals, Johnson defeated Timo Lehtimaki and Urs Erbacher.

Tommy Johnson Jr. turned a week’s worth of headaches into a broad smile during the FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway in Santa Pod, England.

Johnson, driving the Andersen Racing Top Fuel dragster, claimed the No. 1 qualifying effort with a 4.660 at 317.06 mph.

The achievement was a fitting turnaround to a trip which started with a cancelled flight, lost luggage and missing safety equipment.

The race is under rain delay and if cancelled will not be made up. If this happens, Johnson will earn points for qualifying and leave as the point leader for the FIA Top Fuel division.

He’s not strapped into an 8,000-horse, nitro-burning race car at the present and while he longs for a driving gig in the NHRA, Tommy Johnson Jr. is just happy to be in a supporting role for now.

Johnson, a former national event winner in both the dragster and Funny Car ranks, was left without a ride when the Yas Marina [Abu Dhabi] team formerly managed by Don Schumacher Racing, downsized from two cars to one. Fortunately team owner Don Schumacher believed Johnson’s talents transcended the cockpit and re-hired him in January.

“Don hired me full-time a couple of weeks before Pomona, [there’s] no real job title and a lot of projects going on,” Johnson said prior to Sunday’s final elimination to the NHRA Gatornationals. “I’m a purchasing agent at the shop, doing a bunch of purchasing and just looking for better deals [for the teams] and different ways of buying.”

The volume of personnel and racing duties has enabled Johnson to establish an off the track niche for the Brownsburg, Ind.-based race conglomeration.

“I've done a little bit of everything at the shop, and on race weekends,” admits Johnson.

Race weekends - Johnson is rapidly developing into a track condition reporter to the various crew chiefs, a procedure he’s became very adept at handling with his storied career as a driver and at one time - self-tuner.

“I’m telling them what the temperature and conditions are and what the lanes look like, that's been a bigger job than I ever could have imagined,” Johnson said.

The toughest part of the job, Johnson admits, is conveying to the tuners the information they need when the NHRA’s track prep crew won’t allow him to trespass on the racing surface. This creates for edgy tuners eager to get a leg up on their next run.

Right now, Johnson is content on doing his part to ensure DSR has the best chance at qualifying No. 1 or winning on Sunday. Once the appropriate time comes to prepare for driving Johnson is adamant he’ll be able to quickly focus on driving.

“You know there's no question about it I'll be back behind the wheel,” explained Johnson. “It's just at the current time, the sponsorships aren’t there at the time the season started, doesn't mean they won't be there once the season gets really going. There's actually a couple of things going on right now that may come to fruition. Who knows how soon but there's definitely some stuff working that will put me back behind the wheel.”

Johnson admits he’s opened his mind to anything which keeps him in drag racing even it means he’ll study the art of tuning.

“I tell you what, after January 1st, I considered becoming a lot of things and not too proud to do any job out here,” Johnson admitted. “I love the sport of drag racing, and want to stay involved in drag racing. A guy has got to make a living, and Don was good enough to me and I can't speak highly enough of what he has done for me.

“I’ve actually really enjoyed the position I'm doing right now. So many other areas of drag racing I've never been involved with before or had very little involvement with I’m doing now. It's been a new learning experience, and kind of fun, but yet my passion still lies in driving.”

The last five years for Johnson, career-wise, have been filled with uncertainty and instability. Even when the Yas Marina deal came along, Johnson has learned a driving gig is nothing to take for granted. He believes a few drivers on the tour are making this mistake.

“I think a lot of them take it for granted right now and when reality hits and when you go, ‘wow, I really enjoyed driving and that's what I want to do,” Johnson explained. “I don't think you really realize what you have sometimes until it's gone. I've been out of a ride before. I've been through this before it's nothing new. I remember how I got back into a car and what it took and I'm willing to do whatever it takes. You don't always get to do what you want, you do what you have to, you do it the best you can, and in the long run that will pay off for you.”

Right now Johnson is willing to invest his future, performing whatever duty calls.