Tommy Johnson Jr. has reunited with Rapisarda Autosport International, signing on to drive its Top Fuel dragster for the rest of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
 
His U.S. debut with the Australian-owned Rapisarda team will come at the July 26-28 NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma, Calif., the second stop on the so-called Western Swing.
 
He drove for RAI twice this year in Australia, first in May at the Nitro Champs race at Sydney Dragway, then again last month at the ANDRA Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland.
 
Johnson follows Larry Dixon in the seat of the dragster that Sydney crane-company owner Santo Rapisarda Sr. operates out of Brownsburg, Ind.  Dixon announced his resignation late last week to pursue his own interests.      
 
Brothers Rapisarda Jr. and Santino Rapisarda will continue in their roles as crew chiefs. Johnson said Monday that the 19-year-old tuners “have a lot of potential” and “don’t get a lot of credit” for their skill. But he said he hopes together they can raise the RAI profile.

Because the Rapisarda team still is sticking with its limited U.S. schedule — it operates two other dragsters in Australia — Johnson is planning to fill in his own calendar with a continuation of his ESPN2 “roaming analyst” duties.
 
“That’s still on the plate,” Johnson said Monday.

The nine-time NHRA winner — who has the distinction of being one of just 15 in NHRA history to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car — said teams have welcomed him into their pits when he brought the ESPN2 microphone. And he has developed that same rapport with the Rapisardas.
 
He said he enjoys the family atmosphere at RAI and is a strong believer that team chemistry is a critical factor in the success equation.
 
“We’re delighted that Tommy has come on board for the remainder of the season,” Rapisarda Jr. said. “T.J. is an excellent fit with our team, great on the Christmas tree, a genuine down-to-earth character, and was a valuable contributor to our family team when he raced for RAI at Sydney Dragway and Willowbank earlier this season.

 
“We enjoyed our time with Larry Dixon, who is one of the best drivers in Top Fuel, and we wish him and his family all the best and are looking forward to racing against him in the future.”
 
This latest move triggered a revamping of operations at RAI.
 
“We have made several changes to the crew and team personnel,” Rapisarda Jr. said. “My brother Santo and I will continue to tune the car. We also have a healthy relationship with Don Schumacher Racing, which is a major plus for our team. We did have Glenn Mikres over for a couple of rounds to oversee the day-to-day team operations, but Glenn was not involved in the tune-up.
 
“The focus on the team with T.J. will be achieving consistency,” he said. “We have qualified for every meeting this year, which shows we are in the right track but have been plagued by small mistakes along the way.

Photo courtesy of ANDRA.com.au

 
“The car is making plenty of power, and we have been working to getting the clutch set up right for the first half of the track. Getting stuck between combinations has been the main reason we have not run consistently faster,” Rapisarda Jr. said. “It is a real challenge. We can make a nice, clean lap, then for no reason things go wrong. The car gets hurt. We put it back together and make another clean lap. It’s frustrating, because the car is close.”
 
Said Rapisarda Jr., “We have never raced at Sonoma or Seattle and are really looking forward to the challenge. Tommy has been at the workshop over the last couple of days, getting organized, and is excited at the prospect to be back behind the wheel. There is a good spirit around the team and can’t wait until we leave next week for the 2,250-mile trek from Indy to Sonoma.”
 
During the winter, Johnson left Don Schumacher Racing, where he had served as an advisor, parts supervisor, and track-conditions analyst. He also has established a parts business.
 
His most recent driving assignment was at the June 13-15 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway at Bowling Green, Ky., in Frank and Debra Ousley’s Crop Duster Nostalgia Funny Car.