As the sun sets on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, championships are on the line in all four professional categories this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.
While some division titles are all but locked up, others are available for the taking.
Here’s where things stand across the series:
Funny Car
Austin Prock has all but secured the Funny Car championship for John Force Racing. All Prock needs to do to secure his first title is make a qualifying pass on Friday afternoon.
The first-year Funny Car driver holds a steep 188-point lead over teammate Jack Beckman after eight victories and 14 No. 1 qualifiers through 20 races.
While the likelihood of Prock securing the title is extremely strong, he’s keeping his head down and looking to finish the year on a high note.
“We’re not treating this race different than any other,” Prock said. “We want to go out there and run low E.T. every round and win every race.”
Top Fuel
Eight Top Fuel drivers remain mathematically eligible for the divisional crown.
SCAG Racing’s Justin Ashley holds a slim 44-point lead over Antron Brown, while Shawn Langdon (-45), Doug Kalitta (-85), Steve Torrence (-85), Clay Millican (-93), Brittany Force (-118) and Tony Schumacher (-127) are in the hunt.
With points-and-a-half in effect for the season finale, 30 points per round win is at stake, which pins Ashley in a mistake-free weekend mindset.
“We have a team that has a lot of championship experience and we’re going to lean on that this weekend,” Ashley said.
“We’re grateful and excited about the opportunity, but we’re definitely going to try to have a near-perfect weekend and hopefully win a championship. As a team, we’re focused on the present. There’s a lot more on the line, but we have to go in with the same mindset we’ve had all year long. It is meaningful to be in this situation and this is why we do what we do, to be in these situations.”
Ashley and Millican are the only driver in contention who have yet to win the Top Fuel title.
Pro Stock
Pro Stock’s champion very well could be crowned during Sunday’s elimination rounds. Elite Motorsports’ Aaron Stanfield leads KB Titan Racing’s Dallas Glenn by 32 points.
Glenn’s teammate and five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson is also in the mix, 56 markers behind Stanfield.
Points will be at a premium for the title chasers, including qualifying, where a perfect two-day session could lead to 18 crucial points.
“It’s going to come down to the wire and I’ve never been in that position before,” Stanfield said. “But I’m looking forward to it and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. It very well could come down to that last round. That’s what dreams are made of and it’s going to be fun to watch it all play out.
“It would definitely be a cool story to tell and for the fans to see, and we’ll see how it all plays out.”
Pro Stock Motorcycle
For the second straight season, Vance & Hines Racing driver Gaige Herrera is set to complete a dominant season with a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.
On the strength of 10 wins, including the illustrious 70th U.S. Nationals in September, Herrera leads six-time champion Matt Smith by a whopping 123 points.
Herrera can complete his title defense with a strong qualifying effort.
The first rider out of contention is Herrera’s teammate, Richard Gadson, 231 points behind.