Justin Humphreys’ had an agenda prepared before he arrived in Seattle earlier this week.  At the top of the list was a fishing trip on Puget Sound.

“We did it last year and had a great time so we are going to do it again,” said the NHRA Pro Stock driver.  “We caught fish and enjoyed the whole experience.”

There was, however, one item that took precedence over everything else: Getting out of the mile-high race track in Denver Monday and returning to sea level and normal racing conditions.

Humphreys will be angling for a little good racing luck this weekend during the Schuck’s Auto Supply Nationals at Pacific Raceways.  He could use some.

The second-year driver from Monrovia, Md. is in contention for a top 10 berth in the new Countdown to 1 playoff format with five races to go.  But he needs to win rounds if he is to move into the final six-race contest.  He is 12th and trails 10th place by 70 points, four rounds of racing.

“We know we have a good race car, and we know we can go down there and make decent runs,” Humphreys commented.  “We do need to start going rounds on Sunday.”

He began the season driving his RaceRedi Motorsports Pontiac GXP but was forced to park it five races ago when the team’s engine supplier quit.  Fellow Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and team owner Don Schumacher offered a Dodge Stratus and horsepower from Allen and his dad, Roy. 

And Humphreys has been learning to drive the totally different car at the races.  He advanced to the semifinals at Norwalk, Ohio, last month.

“Mark Ingersoll, Allen’s crew chief, has been a big help to us,” said Humphreys, who is without Frank Gugliotta, his regular crew chief, for this race.

Humphreys lost a close race to Jeg Coughlin in Sunday’s opening round at Denver. “Both of us made pretty good runs . . . and it was just a good drag race,” Humphreys said.  “We came up on the short end of the stick.  We don’t seem to ever get the breaks.”

Maybe all that will change, beginning Friday at Pacific Raceways