The Los Angeles County Fair was first held in a Pomona beet field in October 1922 and featured chariot races. Since then, over 89 million visitors have attended the annual LA County Fair. Today, the fairgrounds in Pomona include The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum grounds and the NHRA-sanctioned Auto Club Raceway.
The drag racing facility located in Pomona CA has a rich history that dates back to 1952, when a local police officer named Bud Coons convinced the city government that building a drag strip would give young people a place to test their car’s top speed without endangering other drivers on the streets.
The Melling/Elite Performance race team was seen leaving Las Vegas with the 2022 NHRA Pro Stock world championship title but does it really matter. No one believed that Erica Enders would show up at the Auto Club National Finals just to make an exhibition run. Having won xx times this season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, Enders definitely arrived at the track ready to win.
Mrs. Smith Wins Pro Stock Motorcycle at Pomona
Pomona just brings out the best in… well, the best. Angelle Sampey set the pace in qualifying by shattering the track record with a 6.703 ET at 201/61 mph on her Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. After placing fourth in qualifying, Angie Smith (pictured above) eliminated Fred Camarena, Jerry Savoie, and Steve Johnson enroute to final round that looked to have her pitted against her husband Matt. Mr. Smith was sailing along until he hooked horns with Joey Gladstone.
Gladstone and Matt Smith stayed hooked up with both riders posting identical 6.757 ETs but Gladstone took the win with .025 RT to Smith’s .039-seconds reaction time. With a Wally on the line for the 57th annual Auto Club finals, Angie Smith grabbed a holeshot victory with a .017 RT to beat Gladstone’s quicker 6.739 ET at the line. Mrs. Smith picked up her first Wally of the season and has now won the Auto Club Finals twice in the past three years. Mr. Smith tied the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle record with his sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle World Championship.
Photo courtesy of Angie Smith Racing Facebook
Greg Anderson Claims Pro Stock Win at Auto Club Finals
In Friday’s qualifying at Auto Club Raceway, five-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson posted the best time but Troy Coughlin Jr. clocked a 6.508 ET at 210.80 mph on Saturday in his JEGS Chevrolet Camaro. But, Coughlin Jr. fell to Erica Enders in Round Two of Sunday’s eliminations before Enders eliminated teammate Aaron Stanfield in the semifinals. Greg Anderson defeated Chris McGaha, Bo Butner III, and Fernando Cuadra enroute to his matchup with Enders, who has a record of 5 wins and 3 losses against Anderson in previous final rounds.
Behind the wheel of the Hendricks.com Chevrolet Camaro, Anderson nailed the tree with a .020 reaction time to Enders .061 RT. At the finish line, Enders had a slightly quicker 6.515 ET to Anderson’s 6.516 ET but the holeshot got the victory. Anderson was already the winningest driver in NHRA Pro Stock and his win at the Auto Club Finals was the 101st of a stellar career. Unfortunately for him, Erica Enders had her own record-setting season and claimed the NHRA Camping World championship in Funny Car by 242 points over Anderson. It was Enders fifth NHRA Pro Stock world title.
Up Coming:
AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Series has scheduled the first of twenty-one national events at Gainesville Raceway for the 54th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 9-12 at Gainesville Raceway.
