For the sixty-third time in National Hot Rod Association history, the Southern California track at the newly named In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip hosted the annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. As the third race in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, many of the top stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock are still looking for an early-season victory.
This year, Pomona’s legendary race fans enjoyed a special treat with the debut of Round Two of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, which featured a rematch of the semifinalist and finalist from the previous NHRA national event at Phoenix. As part of Saturday’s qualifying round drivers and teams from the nitro and pro stock classes competed for bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship.
Although year-end winners will walk away with a pocket full of money, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge is all about the grudge match. This new specialty race has a lot to offer. You take the world’s fastest drivers and teams, who may or may like each other, and give them another chance to settle results they may be unhappy about from the previous race weekend. Yep, redemption works!
Points Standings for Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge after round one at the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix at Wild Horse Pass are Top Fuel: Doug Kalitta (3 pts), Mike Salinas (2 pts) and Leah Pruett (1 pt); Funny Car: Alexis Dejoria (3 pts), J.R. Todd (2 pts) and Matt Hagan (1 pt); and Pro Stock: Troy Coughlin Jr. (3 pts), Greg Anderson (2 pts) and Dallas Green (1 pt).
Justin Ashley Tops Nitro Race at Winternationals
Shawn Langdon enter Saturday’s redemption race with a 16 to 6 all-time advantage over a red hot Leah Pruett with both in search of Countdown Bonus Points and a bigger share of the year-end purse. But, the driver of the Tony Stewart Racing dragster made up for a slower .092 RT when Langdon lost traction mid-run with Pruett posting a 3.725 elapsed time at 331.04 mph.
Last week’s winner at Phoenix Arizona Nationals, Justin Ashley, was paired against multi-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence. But, the driver of the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster was left at the starting line with a .085 reaction time to Ashley’s .013 RT. Ashely entered the race with a 9-8 all-time record and carded a 3.751 ET at 331.20 mph.
The driver of the Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster entered the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with 6 to 5 all-time advantage over Leah Pruett. The driver of the Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters TSR dragster posted a 3.772 ET to Ashley’s spectacular .039 RT and 3.707-second elapsed time to also become the Number One Qualifier for Sunday’s opening round of the Winternationals.
Chad Green Claims First Ever NHRA Funny Car Victory
With a 190 NHRA Nitro starts in the Funny Car category, Alexis Dejoria’s 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is off to great start. Dejoria faced three-time and defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps, who held a 24-5 win record over Dejoria. Capps was first off the tree with a .070 RT but exploded an engine near the finish, which put Dejoria in the Final.
John Force Racing’s Robert Hight was coming off his first Funny Car win of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series at Phoenix. Hight held a 3 to 2 all-time advantage over the Chad Green driver of the Bond Coat Funny Car. Green got the holeshot with a .036 reaction time to Hight’s .051 RT, and when the JFR driver smoked the tires early, it handed Green a free pass to the event final.
Compared to Dejoria's 190 victories, Green has twenty-eight Funny Car starts in the NHRA professional category. Dejoria was also the winner of round one of the #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. But, Green was ready to claim the first-ever victory in the NHRA Funny Car division with a .059 reaction time for a holeshot win after posting a 3.974 elasped time at 316.08 mph.
Matt Hartford Wins Pro Stock Redemption Race at Pomona
Coming off a controversial win at the Arizona Nationals at Phoenix’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Camrie Caruso was looking to prove her double-bump at the tree was a just a mistake. The newcomer faced off against a red hot Matt Hartford. Hartford (who seemed to have the car to beat at Phoenix before losing in the semifinals) held a 2 to 1 advantage against Caruso and his .029 RT replaced any doubts.
Pro Stock racing fans were eager to see Kyle Koretsky race his way back to the winner’s circle. Koretsky had shown speed at Gainesville and Phoenix but hasn’t been turning on the finish light first much during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Season. Facing off against Bo Butner in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Koretsky made up for Butner’s .033 reaction time with a 6.342 ET and the win.
The driver of the GETTRX Total Seal Pro Stock entry, Matt Hartford, entered the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA redemption race with a 1 to 0 record against Koretsky in heads up competition. But, the two drivers had not faced off in Pro Stock competition in past two seasons. Hartford’s near perfect .0190-second reaction time left the Lucas Oil driver in his wake as Hartford claimed valuable Countdown bonus points with the Pro Stock win.
Artwork courtesy of NHRA
UP COMING:
Route 66 NHRA Nationals
The third Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge redemption race will feature NITRO class semifinalist from the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona and PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE semifinalists from the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville during Saturday qualifying on May 20th at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Redemption racing will be held at all two-wide NHRA events from the Arizona Nationals at Phoenix to the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
