POMONA, Calif. — The fact that the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season finale at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip paid points-and-a-half made Saturday’s qualifying sessions ultra-crucial in the title hunt for every category.
Here’s where things stand following qualifying:
Funny Car
Following the completion of qualifying, Austin Prock secured his first Funny Car championship after putting his John Force Racing machine No. 1 on the board with a monster pass of 3.80 seconds at 334.57 mph, the quickest run in Nitro Funny Car history at Pomona and the quickest run since 2017.
While three-time champion Ron Capps stole the show initially (332.75mph, 3.821 ET) in Q1, Prock got the better of Capps.
It was Prock’s 15th No. 1 qualifier effort of the season.
Top Fuel
Eight Top Fuel drivers entered the weekend with a mathematical chance of hoisting the championship trophy.
The final session of the day saw a pound-for-pound brawl for the No. 1 spot with Steve Torrence laying down a 3.644 ET, the quickest run of the season. However, Brittany Force one-upped Torrence with a 3.643 ET to secure the top spot.
While likely out of the title hunt, Force cut her gap to 108 points in seventh.
The top two in the standings entering Pomona, Justin Ashley and Antron Brown, struggled throughout the two sessions on Saturday as Ashley slotted in fifth with Brown in 12th.
The duo will face off against one another in the first round, marking the end of one team’s title hopes shortly after championship Sunday begins.
Notably, Tony Schumacher was eliminated.
- Justin Ashley
- Shawn Langdon (-42)
- Antron Brown (-46)
- Doug Kalitta (-78)
- Steve Torrence (-79)
- Clay Millican (-95)
- Brittany Force (-108)
Pro Stock
KB Titan Racing’s two championship contenders, Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson, put the pressure on points leader Aaron Stanfield after both drivers snagged points in the first qualifying session.
Anderson snagged four points for low E.T. of the session with Glenn adding three to his Countdown total for bagging second spot.
That pulled Glenn within a round of Stanfield (-29) and Anderson to within 52 markers as Stanfield sat eighth after Q1.
However, Stanfield improved in Q2 to snag the fourth qualifying spot, evening out Glenn’s stellar Q1 to keep the margin to 29 markers.
Anderson wound up securing the No. 1 qualifier, his 132nd of his career. That pulls the five-time champion within 48 points, giving his path to the championship simple — win.
- Aaron Stanfield
- Dallas Glenn (-29)
- Greg Anderson (-48)
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Matt Smith denied Gaige Herrera through Q1 after snagging four points with a 6.721 low ET. That chopped Herrera’s advantage from 123 to 119.
Herrera was unable to complete his run in Q1. While Herrera completed the day No. 3 on the board with a 6.765 ET, it still wasn’t enough to clinch a second straight title as Smith held on to the top spot. Herrera leads by 119 points heading to Sunday’s elimination rounds.
The only way Smith becomes the champion is if Herrera loses in the first round and Smith is able to win the event.
- Gaige Herrera
- Matt Smith (-119)