Two weeks ago, Bo Butner drove to the Super Gas title at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. The past NHRA factory hot rod champion lamented that he wished he had done it in his Pro Stocker.

Friday, at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals outside of Reading, Pa., the man simply known as "Bo" made a step in that direction by driving his Johnson's Horsepowered Garage (#JHGDriven)-sponsored Camaro to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position.

Butner stopped the timers in the crucial first session at 6.523-seconds at 210.08 miles per hour.

"We were a new team this year, and we knew it would take some time," Butner explained. "But this is a new car that we brought out in Topeka, and we're very happy with it. Now, we're competitive. Right from the start, this new car has been pretty good, and these last three runs have been very good."

Butner hopes to make up ground in a hurry, as this weekend's event kicks off the Countdown to the Championship, and he entered the playoffs ranked No. 11. He must make up a 110-point deficit to get to the top of the mountain.

"Our goal is to go some rounds, get to a final, then try to win a race or two – then we'll go from there," he said.

It's been a battle for the first-year team racing under the Elite Motorsports umbrella. But, it was a battle the #JHGDriven team expected since announcing the program last September.

"I can always see down the road," he said. "It's like buying an old car that needs some work done; you have to look down the road and think about what it's going to become. My mental state is great, and I'm always happy – whether I'm in my Super Gas car or watching Randi Lyn [Shipp, fiancée] in the Stocker. We're here to have a good time, and when you have a good time, you can turn win lights on.

"This is for Jason Johnson and Johnson's Horsepowered Garage and all they do," said Butner. "He put a lot of faith in us, and he knows we have a great team. Now we have something to build on, and we can continue to do better. There's always more."