In just her sixth career start in Top Alcohol Dragster competition, Melanie Johnson drove to a hard-earned first victory at the University Hospitals 19th Annual Cavalcade of Stars, held at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The event marked a North Central Regional stop on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series tour and featured a competitive 8-car field.
Johnson, piloting the McPhillips Racing A/Fuel Dragster, qualified third with a best run of 5.241 seconds at 273.61 mph, which was the quickest pass of the second qualifying session.
She kicked off eliminations with a decisive first-round victory over Jared Dreher, laying down a 5.254 at 274.66 mph with a .064 reaction time. In the semifinals, Johnson delivered a clutch performance against seasoned competitor Matt Cummings, running 5.283 at 275.96 mph with a .043 light to advance to her first regional final.
The final round was decided at the starting line when opponent Jamie Noonan went red by .042 seconds. Johnson left cleanly with a .048 reaction time and pedaled her way to a 5.454 at 264.49 mph to secure her inaugural Top Alcohol Dragster win.
“I am so proud of this McPhillips Racing team and of myself,” Johnson said. “I know they are going to give me a great car every round, and I’ve been working so hard to be consistent in the car with my procedures and reaction times. There’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to be successful in this sport, and it’s really fun to see that hard work pay off!”
Johnson licensed in the McPhillips Racing dragster in August 2024 and has gotten comfortable in the car quickly. Even with limited seat time, she’s been in the mix at every race, and her Norwalk win in just her fifth event of the season is proof that she’s settling into the class well.
Richie McPhillips commented on what the team has been working on over the past six weeks since the last race Johnson was in the car. “Before we rolled into Norwalk, we spent some time testing at Cecil County Dragway. We’ve been chasing consistency with a pretty touchy racecar, and Jim Halsey and his crew gave us a great track to work through our issues. We also worked with Rob and Bob at Boninfante Friction to dial in our clutch program, and that got us closer. The car came off the trailer consistently this weekend. We were hoping to be a little quicker, but we’ll keep working on that. A lot of this weekend’s success came from the work Mel put in during her time off. Her reaction times were solid from the first hit, and that makes a difference on all fronts. It was great to get her first win and build some momentum heading into the next stretch of races.”
The win was also a meaningful milestone for the entire McPhillips Racing team, who continue to build on their decades-long legacy in the class. Johnson also acknowledged the support of Alan Johnson Performance Engineering (AJPE), the championship-winning engine business run by her father, Alan Johnson.
Melanie Johnson and the McPhillips Racing team will be back in action next weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.
This story was originally published on June 23, 2025. 
