Unfortunately for racing fans, Mother Nature was Sunday’s final winner at the 64th annual NHRA Nationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona (Calif.) Dragstrip. Those hoping to see a race to completion were instead treated to the wet stuff, both liquid and frozen.

Persistent afternoon rain forced the postponement of the final rounds of Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock. They will be completed at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix on April 5-7. That is the next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Circuit.

In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher and Justin Ashley advanced to the finals.
Schumacher, who pilots the Leatherwood Distillery Dragster, is aiming to. Win his third career Winternationals crown. His first two came in 2004 and 2008.

Who cares if your NCAA bracket is busted? What really matters is if your Drag Race Bracket Bonanza Bracket remains intact. 

Today starts the second event of the 2024 season for the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, is no different. In its inaugural event for its first ever full season of game play, DRBB set new records for sign-ups and brackets completed and launched many new features. The most talked about being league play.
 
 “I am so fired up to see all the different Drag Race Bracket Bonanza leagues forming around the world,” said DRBB creator, Elon Werner. “The number one request we received from our players last year was they wanted leagues. We listened to them, and I am thrilled with the response. Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is about fan engagement and community. Seeing all the leagues form just shows how massive our drag racing community is.”

The two rounds of qualifying needed to set the stage for the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals can best be described as a test of survival.

A combination of inclement weather and challenging track conditions brewed a perfect storm of atypical sessions in the Funny Car category that saw unfamiliar faces and times atop the qualifying sheets.

After a lengthy rain delay on Saturday, it was Matt Hagan left standing as he drove his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the top spot at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Patience was truly tested on Saturday as the teams, drivers and fans endured a prolonged wait at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

After persistent rain showers intermittently disrupted the afternoon and evening hours, the drivers of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series finally took to the track a few hours behind schedule, with some utilizing the delay to their advantage.

Amid the weather-induced turmoil, Brittany Force was one of a handful of drivers to improve on their times from Friday. After sitting out the rain, Force stormed to the top of the time charts behind the wheel of her Mark Christopher Auto Center/Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster to earn her first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 47th of her career at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

Brittany Force has been about the wow factor for much of her Top Fuel drag racing career. But this season, the second-generation driver, who is driving under the Mark Christopher Auto Center banner this weekend, has a new focus. 

Top runs are incredible attention-getters, but it’s the consistent ones that win races. 

Force was quick and consistent on a rainy day in Southern California when the rains held qualifying at the NHRA Winternationals to just one session. None of Friday’s best runs held up as Force was joined atop the leaderboard by Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock).

Like father, like son.

The dynamic duo of Billy and Steve Torrence continued to showcase their prowess at the onset of the 2024 NHRA season Friday at the iconic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Commanding the opening round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, the Torrences claimed the top spots on the track.

Friday’s successes continued what has already been a tremendous start for the Capco Contractors team, as both drivers qualified in the top half of the field and met in a thrilling semifinal just two weeks ago in Gainesville, Fla. In Pomona, the pair again surged to the front of the pack, with the seasoned veteran pulling ahead and securing the provisional pole position.

What a difference a few months can bring.

Back in November, Daniel Wilkerson stood as the trusted crew chief for Funny Car pilot Chad Green during his maiden victory in the nitro-powered category at iconic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Fast forward four months, and Wilkerson finds himself in an entirely new role, now positioned atop the provisional pole in that very same class -- this time as a driver.

It has been a whirlwind journey, but one that Wilkerson embraces with enthusiasm and gratitude.

Sportsman qualifying was completed Thursday at the NHRA Winternationals at the In-N-Out Dragstrip in Pomona, CA. 

Steve Graham (Competition), Fred Moreno (Super Stock), and Richie Pauley (Stock) headlined the top divisions after three sessions. 

Graham drove his B/Altered Camaro to the top spot, running a 6.920 elapsed time that was -.730 under the index. Coming in a distant second was the E/Super Mod Automatic Cavalier, which was -.656 under with an 8.284. Ryan Priddy was third with a -.626 hit against the A/Altered Automatic index.