Alison Johnson is on a roll this summer! She has captured three Cook Out Summer Shootout wins and two Thursday Thunder victories. It's no surprise her favorite song is "Fast Car!" You may be wondering what the key to her success is, and that might be the goldfish she eats before hopping in her Bandolero.
Division: Outlaws
Hometown: Concord, NC
Car Number: 15
Favorite ice cream: Chocolate
1. What sparked your interest in racing?
My dad has been doing racing since he was young, he raced mini stocks. I always drove a golf cart around our yard, and watched NASCAR on TV and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Four years ago my dad said to me, 'You wanna get into it?' And I said, 'Sure!'
2. What types of races have you competed in?
Just Bando racing.
3. What is your favorite racing memory?
When I won the first round of the Summer Shootout on the outside.
4. Who is your biggest inspiration?
I would probably say Kyle Larson, because he's won a lot of races and he's just somebody who I've always looked up to.
5. If you pulled into victory lane right now, who would you thank?
I would definitely thank Team Gordon because they've done a lot for me, I won the first round of the Summer Shoot all because of them. I would definitely thank my dad too because he takes me to the track, and helps me a lot.
6. Outside of racing, do you have any hobbies or activities you enjoy?
I’m not sure I would say most of my time is taken up by racing so its really the main thing I do.
7. Do you have any pre-race rituals or things you must do before a race?
I normally eat goldfish on race days. It's just what I do [and] it doesn't make my stomach hurt before I race. I normally eat Subway after a race on the way home.
8. What track would you like to race at one day?
I would love to race at [The Bullring at] Las Vegas. It just seems so cool. I watched it last year and my dad told me that we might go this year, and I would love to go because it just looks so cool.
9. If you had a walk up song what would it be?
"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
10. What advice do you have for other young female drivers who are new to racing?
Don’t let the boys tell you stuff. They always say, 'oh im gonna beat you, im gonna beat you, because you're a girl.' I would say don’t let that beat you down, just keep going and know that you are able to beat them.
11. What is one fun fact about you that people wouldn’t know?
I would say that I’m really quiet, I don’t talk much because I am always getting in my zone which helps me a lot on the track. Everyone always asks me, 'are you upset' or 'do you not like being here,' and I am just like, 'no, im just quiet and getting into the zone.'
12. If not on the track where would you want to be right now?
I would probably want to be in the mountains. We have a mountain house that we go to a lot, and we also have a place on the river in the mountains that I like going to when I am not racing.
13. What is your ultimate racing dream?
My ultimate racing dream is to win a championship or to just get higher and succeed.
14. What is the biggest challenge you've had to overcome in the racing world?
The biggest challenge I've had to overcome is knowing to not give up and to keep going. I have to tell myself that if something bad happens in a race I can’t get down on myself and there's always better luck next time. I just have to keep going.
15. What is your favorite movie?
I am actually not a big movie person but if I had to pick one it would be Talladega Nights.
16. What is your favorite food?
Tacos, but not from anywhere specific.
17. You just won the first round of the 2023 Cook Out Summer Shootout beating Killian McMann by 0.003, how does that feel?
I was shocked honestly, I thought to myself there's no way this is real, there is no way I won the Shootout. It's such a big deal to win and I never would’ve thought I would have been able to do it in the first round. I was just shocked for a second [and] it didn’t seem real.
18. What are your goals for the rest of the Shootout?
My goals for the rest of the Summer Shootout would be to finish in the top five, hopefully every race, or to just finish the race. I would really just like to finish top five in points by the end of the shootout.