There is plenty of excitement around the upcoming 2014 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season which will feature 24 national race events and is set to kick-off this coming weekend in Pomona, California at the historic Auto Club Raceway.

While it made its racing debut with a win at NASCAR’s Daytona 500, that same year in NHRA competition, legendary driver Don Garlits became the first to break the 200-mph barrier with a Gen II 426 Race HEMI-powered car travelling the quarter-mile straight-line distance in 7.78 seconds at 201.34 mph. Garlits then went on to use that HEMI power to win the first of eight titles at the prestigious U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

Five decades later, Mopar heads into a new season of NHRA drag racing after celebrating back-to-back HEMI-powered Pro Stock world championships title in 2012 and 2013 by Allen Johnson and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (in the picture above) respectively, along with Funny Car World titles in 2011 and 2012, earned by Don Schumacher Racing drivers Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman.

2013 NHRA Pro Stock World Champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. is getting ready to defend his crown while 2012 NHRA Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson prepares to get the 2014 NHRA season started off on the right foot, after finishing runner-up to Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. last season.

Allen Johnson