Jonathan Johnson has been racing since 1992 when the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) introduced the Jr. Drag Racing League. This was a program built around half-scale dragsters that ran on a 5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine for children ages 8-17. It was then when Jonathan’s father purchased the seventh car built by Half Scale Dragsters Inc. that he was ready to hit the track. During the inaugural race for the class, Jonathan recorded a Runner-Up finish at the Winston Drag Racing Series event at Houston Raceway Park in September 1992.

Over the next 6 years, Jonathan collected nearly 30 victories in Jr. Dragster competition, including a Division 4 Championship in 1996. This instilled a desire that would carry him into full-size racecars. He continued to race juniors through the end of the 1998 season, when he made the decision to enter the Stock Eliminator category at 16 years old.

Jonathan would start the 1999 season in a 1969 Camaro, with the help of the famed Emmons family of Pasadena, Texas. While winning many bracket racing events, he also managed late round finishes at the handful of divisional and national event he attended while finishing high school. After three seasons with the Stocker, Jonathan moved to the family's Super Street 1969 Camaro in 2001. In his first outing, he won the IHRA Holley Pro-Am at Lone Star Raceway Park in Sealy, Texas. This was the first of many victories in the "old faithful" Camaro. While Jonathan had taken over the driving of the Camaro, his older brother, Chris, had taken delivery of a 2001 Pontiac Firebird Super Gas car. Chris spent a great deal of time getting the former Top Sportsman car competitive in Super Gas (9.90) trim, and it was not long after that his school committments would begin to take over. Towards the end of 2004, because of Chris' scholastic requirements, Jonathan began driving the Firebird full-time.

Jonathan would go on to have great success with “The Dirty Bird.” He would score a victory at the NHRA Division 4 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2004. After a Runner-Up finish at the 2005 O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, Jonathan would attend Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School to fulfill a lifelong dream of driving a Top Alcohol Funny Car. With the nod of approval from Frank, Jonathan teamed with Tulsa's Brad McWilliams' Top Alcohol Funny Car team. The two would go on to score a semi-final finish at their first event, the O’Reilly Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas. At the end of 2005, a phone call from longtime Top Alcohol Funny Car owners George and Jane Etterman paved the way for Jonathan to drive their Bar's Leaks entry for 2006.

2006 Division 5 Heartland Park Topeka Champion

Jonathan would race to a Runner-Up finish at the first event, directly followed by a Number 1 Qualifying position and semi-final finish at the second event. By the end of the year, Jonathan had one event win, two runner-ups, three Number 1 qualifiers, a fourth place division finish, and an 18th place national finish. He recorded career best numbers of 5.640 seconds at 254.60 mph. Unfortunately, at the end of the 2006 season, the Etterman’s elected to retire from drag racing and Jonathan chose to concentrate on his graduation from Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture that May (2007). However, not surprisingly, Jonathan found a way to continue racing.

For 2007, Jonathan decided to join some friends in the dirt modified scene. He retained a few marketing partners form the alcohol funny car, as well acquired new ones and set out for some fun in the dirt. While he did not take any feature win accolades, he did establish himself with fellow drivers. Along the way, conversations with Bar’s Leaks rekindled and a partnership was agreed upon for 2008-2010.

As the 2008 season approached, along with their wedding, Joanthan and Katie decided to form JKJ Motorsports. This, in addition to a new modified ensured some success on the dirt in 2008. As the season drew to a close, success was had with numerous top 3 finishes, as well as nearly a dozen top fives. However, the time demands on the car proved to be a bit much for the newlyweds and they elected to do some mini sprint racing, as well as drag racing with long time supporter Corky Wheeler.

2009 saw five Mini-Sprint races that garnered A-Main qualifying and a couple of top ten finishes. It also marked a return to drag racing on a full-time basis for Johnson. He and partner, Corky Wheeler, attended five events with a couple of late round finishes toward the end of the season. Additionally, the two purchased a new dragster and will once again sport the Bar’s Leaks Rear Main Seal livery for 2010.