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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN INCREDIBLE SEASON

BERNSTEIN DELIVERS - Before Sunday, Brandon Bernstein had not won an NHRA Top Fuel national event since Oct. 11, 2009 at Richmond, Va.

That is not the case anymore.

Bernstein used a holeshot to beat Tony Schumacher in the season-ending Auto Club Finals.

Bernstein clocked a 3.762-second run at 320.81 mph to beat Schumacher’s 3.753 elapsed time at 325.53 mph. The difference was Bernstein’s stellar .037 reaction time compared to Schumacher’s .054 reaction time.

“I guess it kind of stems from the Budweiser days (when Brandon drove for his dad Kenny),” said Bernstein about the holeshot against Schumacher. “It was such a big rivalry against him because he obviously won his championships and he was the dominant guy. As a driver, you get up for those moments and there is just something about him I get up for.”

Bernstein’s win kept Schumacher from winning his eighth Top Fuel world championship. Antron Brown won the historic crown with 2,555 points, followed by Schumacher’s 2,548 total. Spencer Massey was third at 2,505. Brown, Schumacher and Massey all drive for Don Schumacher Racing.

“It is a lot of joy,” Bernstein said about clinching the championship for Brown. “He is one of my really good friends. I have a lot of friends out here, but I’m not as close to Spencer (Massey) or (Tony) Schumacher. So it was nice to go out there and play spoiler (Sunday) for those two and give my buddy Antron a championship.”

Bernstein, driving in his first season for Morgan Lucas Racing, finished tied with Shawn Langdon for fourth in the points at 2,450.

Bernstein has now won 19 career NHRA Top Fuel races, but since 2008 he was 1-for-15 in final round appearances before Sunday.

“It is just awesome,” Bernstein said about finally winning again. “I can’t say enough about our MavTV, Protect The Harvest team. They did a great job all weekend, qualifying No. 2 and it has been a long time since we have won. It just feels so awesome right now and I’m so proud of the guys and the whole team Morgan has put together is just amazing. It has been a lot of fun.”

Bernstein spent the past nine seasons driving for his famous father Kenny Bernstein’s Top Fuel team. But, Kenny decided to close his team operation at the conclusion of last season.

“I didn’t have a driving job at all and Morgan (Lucas) gave me an opportunity to come over here and it has just been so much fun,” Bernstein said. “We have had a great year and he has had a better year. We have a really good team and a lot of good people over there. It is amazing and really feels great (to win the season’s final race). It gives you a lot of confidence all through the winter because you know you won the last race and you made some really good ground up. We will come out next year and try and win this championship.”

Lucas finished seventh this season.

“Joe (Barlam) has been so good and so close on the tuneup all year and we just thought we would try and be consistent in the Countdown,” said Bernstein about his crew chief. “I just raced the race track and we were not trying to beat ourselves and Joe has done a fabulous job.”

FINALLY! - Cruz Pedregon was tired of the question.

Now, the Funny Car standout doesn’t have to worry about hearing it for quite a while.

Pedregon picked up his first win in 2012 at the last possible chance, going 4.035 at 306.12 mph to beat Courtney Force in the finals of the NHRA Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, giving his season the ultimate send-off.
Winning for the first time in almost 14 months also meant a great deal for the two-time world champion in the class.

"I just wanted to win so I didn’t have to keep getting asked, ‘When are you going to win again?’ Courtney was on her game and I knew we were going to have to do our best,” Pedregon said. “We ran as fast as we could and it worked out for us. I drove well and the car performed well.”

In actuality, Pedregon had performed well each of the past two seasons, finishing third in points in 2011 and fourth this season.

But he only won once a year ago and had only advanced to one final before Sunday came along.

He had the perfect seat for the final-day world championship battle between Ron Capps and Jack Beckman, but Pedregon was more than just a casual observer.

In fact, he was on point all weekend in Pomona, qualifying No. 2 with an outstanding 4.008 at a career-best 319.60 mph.
He knocked off Mike Neff with a 4.082 in the second round, and then went a 4.023 at 314 mph in the semifinals to knock off
Beckman, who had just clinched his world championship when Force beat Capps moments earlier.

Pedregon then knocked off a third big-name driver in as many rounds to send him smiling into the off-season.

“The track was so fast and the fact that we were able to match the Force and Schumacher teams, it says a lot about our teams. I think we can hold our own and that means a lot,” Pedregon said.

“It’s redemption that we finally got back in the win column. We had a car that was good enough to win a few races, so the fact that we punched it in and made it count, it really made up for a lot that we did this season.”

Pedregon talked glowingly about the potential for 2013, a season that he hopes will include crew chief Lee Beard, who came into the fold at the start of the season.

The team found its groove later in the season and Pedregon was so impressed he is already looking ahead to next year.

“I thought Lee was that missing link. It took us about halfway through the season to get it rolling, and we did, and I think now going into the off-season we’re going to get him back here,” Pedregon said.

“Chemistry means something and we really started to develop something this year.”

HOW ARE YOU GONNA TOP THIS? - For a season that was so perfect and so dominating, there really was no other way the 2012 season could have ended for Allen Johnson.

The Pro Stock world championship was already his for the first time, but Sunday’s performance at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona simply proved fitting for an incredible season that delivered the ultimate payoff.

The final brushstroke came when Johnson went 6.528 at 212.76 mph to beat Vincent Nobile and win the Auto Club NHRA Finals, giving Johnson the perfect capper to a near-flawless season.

“To come back and kick their butts and win this race, it was just like, ‘Oh my. What more can we do?’ That just added a little more emotion to it. We’re so blessed and we’re so thankful,” said Johnson, who won for the seventh time in 11 final appearances in 2012.

“We got the monkey off our back (with the championship). We got it done and now we have a bullseye on our back heading into next year.”

In a year where seemingly everything went right, it will be hard for Johnson to top what was truly an inspiring and brilliant season.

Years of hard work and perseverance paid off in major ways in 2012, wrapped up by a thoroughly impressive performance in the stretch run.

He dominated the Countdown to the Championship, capping off the pressure-cooker finish with back-to-back wins in Las Vegas and Pomona.

Johnson knocked off his teammate Nobile in the finals in each event, adding another outstanding layer to Johnson’s dream season.

On Sunday, Johnson could have easily relaxed, but he stayed intense and was on point one last time.

He went 6.513 to fire the opening shot in a first-round win and then raced past Ron Krisher and Mike Edwards with runs of 6.52 and 6.526.

Beating Nobile would be no easy task on Sunday, as he had reaction times of .000, .002 and .015 heading into the finals. But Johnson was first off the line in the championship round with a .024, providing one last spectacular moment in his magical year.

“You know, our team is just so awesome. The Mopar Dodge Avenger has just performed flawlessly this season and I’m out of words. I don’t know what to say,” Johnson said. “I’m just glad I can keep up with my crew. They’ve done such a good job.” The seventh victory in Johnson’s 2012 championship season also allowed him to reflect one more time on the determination of his father, who paved the way for seasons like this one.

“I knew he would be a great engine-builder if he got the opportunity, and he did. To see him be successful and have fun at this, and that kept me in it. What kept him in it was just sheer determination to win something like this,” Johnson said.

“This is huge and it’s a statement to my father’s accomplishments.”

NO DRAMA, JUST A WIN - There was no drama Sunday in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class Sunday at NHRA’s Auto Club Finals.

Eddie Krawiec clinched his second world championship in a row on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Andrew Hines capped the storybook season for the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson riders – he and Krawiec.

Hines beat Krawiec in the final round at Pomona with a 6.766-second elapsed time to beat Krawiec’s 6.805-second lap.

“This was by far the best bike I have had all year,” said Hines, who was the No. 1 qualifier. “I know I set the national record at Reading, but I didn’t have that bike there. This was just absolutely a phenomenal bike to ride all weekend. I could not ask for anything more. The team did a great job after Vegas trying to figure out what was wrong with the bike. We changed every component on it and we put everything we had in the trailer and it paid off. I was skeptical when Matt (Hines, Andrew’s brother and crew chief) was talking last week. My main concern was if we were going to qualify. He obviously knew what he was doing.”

Krawiec won the world championship with 2,773 points. Hines was second at 2,691 points. Krawiec (nine) and Hines (six) won 15 of the 16 races in the Pro Stock Motorcyle races this season.

“Eddie was just happy for me,” Andrew said about what Krawiec told him at the top end of the track after the finals. “It is a total team effort and he had a H*ll of a season. He won nine races and that is going to go down in history as one of the best seasons in the class. I had a season that probably would have won me a championship almost any other year, but going up against that motorcycle was pretty tough.” On Sept. 19, right before the Dallas race Sept. 20-23, NHRA also announced some major changes to the Pro Stock Motorcycle class in 2013.

For 2013, Harley-Davidson and Buell will both be allowed a maximum 160-cubic inch displacement (cid), for a 60-degree, two-valve, pushrod engine. Minimum weight for both motorcycles will be set at 625 pounds. The four-valve Harley-Davidson engine combination will no longer be allowed. Suzuki will still have a maximum of 107-cid, for a two-valve engine. Minimum weight on the Suzuki will be 595 pounds. NHRA also will discontinue the four-valve option on the Suzuki motorcycle.

“I’m really not sure,” Hines said about next year. “We are still waiting for some rules decisions from the powers to be at NHRA. I’m thinking we will hear some stuff this week. Once we get that, we will probably have to get on a solid work program because we have to go racing in four months and right now we have nothing to go racing. It is going to be a learning curve next year. We are not sure exactly how we are going to start the season and it is going to be tough. We have not messed with some of that stuff for awhile, but we have been brushing up on our skills lately talking with some people and I think we are just going to be just fine.”

Krawiec and Hines actually won 13 races in a row dating back to Las Vegas in 2011 before having that string broke by Michael Ray in Dallas Sept. 23.

“Internet keyboard jockeys think that we threw that race on purpose, but believe me, we wanted a perfect season,” Hines said. “That is one that chaps my behind.”

Prior to the Dallas event, NHRA announced a minimum weight increase of 10 pounds for the Harley-Davidson riders Krawiec and Hines. Beginning at Dallas, the minimum weight for Harley-Davidson motorcycles was 670 pounds. That made Harley-Davidsons weigh 55 pounds more than a Buell and 75 pounds more than a Suzuki.

NITRO CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE UPDATE

TOP FUEL

FINALS

Tony Schumacher's formula for miracles didn't do the trick this time. Brandon Bernstein used a holeshot in the Protect the Harvest/MAVTV Dragster to break a 69-race winless streak (since October 2009 at Richmond, Va.) and hand Brown the championship by seven points. That denied Schumacher his eighth title. Bernstein recorded a 3.762-second, 320.81-mph pass against Schumacher's quicker and faster 3.753, 325.53.

SEMI-FINALS

Bob Vandergriff did everything he could to advance to the final round and help his pal Brown win the championship. He almost did that in a sensational side-by-side finish. But Schumacher -- even with his Army Dragster on fire by the time he crossed the finish line -- won by three-thousandths of a second. That means that Schumacher must win the race to claim the championship -- or set the national E.T. record in the runner-up finish.
 
He's 17 points behind Brown after this round-win.
 
"God has a plan," Schumacher said. "If we had gone out [two weeks ago] and won at Las Vegas, we'd be champs right now. But it needed to be a great moment and we're going to have that here in the final round in an hour and a half."
 
To the fans,

QUARTER-FINALS

Massey's next match-up would be against No. 2 qualifier Brandon Bernstein (the opening-round winner against Terry McMillen).
 
Schumacher's next opponent would be Khalid al Balooshi, who had qualified directly behind him (and who, incidentally, drives for Alan Johnson, the man who helped Schumacher win five consecutive Top Fuel titles before starting the Al-Anabi Racing team.)
 
Their two pairings were the last of the four in the quarterfinals.
 
Bernstein knocked out Massey, leaving Schumacher the only driver standing in the way of Brown's first NHRA championship. So if Schumacher wins his race against al Balooshi, the battle would go on. And that's just what happened, as Schumacher clocked a 3.764-second, 325.77-mph run to eliminate al Balooshi.
 
Massey said, "We had an awesome year. We had four victories ad won the Traxxas Shootout. An extra $100,000 is always nice. We wanted orace for the chapionship, but we had a bit of a malfunction. These cars, they run on nitro. Anything can happen."
 
Schumacher said his situation is "what everybody hopes for their whole life. That's what you live for. What a gift. And once again I have it."
 
Schumacher will go against Bob Vandergriff in the semifinal.
 
ROUND 1
 
Steve Torrence and Bob Vandergriff got eliminations rolling. But points leader Antron Brown didn't have to waste time stewing about what would happen to him in the first round, so he and Spencer Massey, his Don Schumacher Racing teammate and one of his two challengers for the championship were the second pairing.
 
Heightening the drama was not just Massey's victory in the FRAM Dragster with a 3.915-second pass at 323.97 mph, but Brown's unlikely mechanical problem that resulted in his car catching fire and leaving him wit superficial burns on his hands and legs. With the flames in the cockpit of the Matco Tools/Aaron's/Toyota Dragster, licking at his feet, Brown unbuckled quickly and leaped from the car. But he clearly was in distress as the headed for the Safety Safari emergency team for help. Brown walked to an ambulance and was taken to the on-site care center, while his wounded car sat on the track and another crew cleaned up the fuel that spilled onto the left lane racing surface. Because fuel, not oil, poured onto the track, Brown was not penalized any points.
 
Massey, standing at the top end, said, "I want to make sure Antron is OK. We don't want to see anything like that ever happen to any driver, much less someone like Antron, in this situation. I mean, this is the end of the season. This is for the championship. I don't like seeing the fire. I don't like seeing someone get burned."
 
Referring to the DSR cockpit canopy that caused such a flap as the Countdown approached, Massey said, "Next year, the canopy's going to be better." At this point, it's unclear whether a canopy would have spared Brown the burns in this particular case.
Nevertheless, Massey said, "Now we've got to get focused on going three more rounds."
 
Massey began the day needing to win the race to win the championship to finish as runner-up with a national record combined with a first-round loss for Brown. Brown had to advance to the semifinals to neutralize an uprising from either No. 2-ranked Tony Schumacher or No. 3 Massey.
 
Schumacher's scenarios for winning his eighth series crown were like Massey's: to win the event or finish as runner-up with a national record combined with a first-round loss for Brown.
 
Schumacher used the entire 1,000-foot Auto Club Raceway at Pomona course to defeat J.R. Todd (3.766, 324.59 to 3.799, 323.27), keeping his U.S. Army Dragster team's hopes also alive.   
 
Said Schumacher of Brown, "You've got to love the guy. He's my teammate. But we want to win." The of his own performance to start his "miracle mission," Schumacher said, "That was a phenomenal run. Fans, you're in for a treat."
 
Because Brown would not be advancing to the semifinal round, he had to wait to see how the points shook out. He returned to peek at the action, both hands swathed in bandages like a boxer's underneath his gloves.
 

FUNNY CAR

SEMI-FINALS

With a giant assist from Courtney Force, Jack Beckman claimed the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship. As he sat on the starting line, waiting to run Cruz Pedregon, the body of his Valvoline/Next Gen Dodge Charger up for any last-second tweaks from crew chief Todd Smith, Beckman knew the title was his -- by two points. Force defeated Capps, 4.069 to 4.091.
 
"I don't know what to say, man," an utterly dejected Capps said after getting out of his NAPA Dodge. "It's heartbreaking. It's going to be tough to sit at the table [with teammate Beckman at the awards ceremony Monday in Los Angeles].
 
Cruz Pedregon defeated Beckman in their semifinal race and said, "I'm happy for Beckman. I know how it feels for Ron. Both drivers have all my respect."
 
For her part Courtney Force sounded almost apologetic. "I hate being in the middle of this." She said she'd bet neither Capps nor Beckman thought that she, a rookie, would have factored into their tug-of-war. "I didn't, either," she said.
 
Beckman immediately credited the NAPA crew, the one he began the season with as his own before Schumacher swapped them to help Capps. He said both teams worked immeasurably hard "to give you a show like no other. That crew and [crew chief] Rahn Tobler helped us after the switch, so they're partly responsible."
 
As for that championship feeling, Beckman said, "It's just stunning. 'So special' doesn’t come anywhere close. We would've loved to race [Capps] for the championship in the final round, but the trophy's going to shine just as much."       
 
He said he told his own crew chief, Todd Smith, who came from the unemployed ranks and the Top Fuel ranks, to boot, "I had no clue you were going to be this good." Then he said, "That man is bad-ass."
 
He praised his own team, saying that fans should go up to the crew members and pat them on the back. "My name goes in the record books. They're the reason it goes in there. Those nine guys gave me the chance to perform my own fantasy."

QUARTER-FINALS

With Neff out of the championship picture, the race narrowed to Capps, the new points leader, and Beckman. Again, the bottom line is that the winner would be the one who outlasted or fared better than the other.
 
Capps was set to face Robert Hight (who had beaten Johnny Gray), and Beckman would meet Jeff Arend (a first-round winner against John Force).
 
As with the Top Fuel contenders, their two pairings were the last of the four in the quarterfinals.
 
Capps defeated Hight with a 4.071, 315.19 effort, forcing Beckman to advance or yield the title. As announcer Alan Rinehart reminded him, "You're going to be the champion in 15 seconds, or you’re going to have to wait an hour and a half to find out."
 
Beckman responded by recording  low E.T. of the day so far -- 4.027 seconds -- in defeating Arend. "It could go down to the final," he said.
 
At this point, it will go at least top the semifinal round. Capps will run against Courtney Force, and Beckman will meet Cruz Pedregon.

 
ROUND 1
 

To win the championship, points leader Jack Beckman and challenger Ron Capps, both form the Don Schumacher Racing organization, simply had to outlast one another in the course of eliminations. Mike Neff's championship assignment was to win the race, set the national E.T. record, and have both Beckman and Capps lose in the first round.
 
Neither Beckman nor Capps helped Neff, so he was eliminated from championship contention in spite of his first-round victory over Paul Lee.
 
Capps, the No. 1 qualifier, rolled his NAPA Dodge Charger to the starting line against two-time champion Tony Pedregon as the class' third pairing. If he won, he would take over the points lead. If he lost, Beckman would become the champion. Capps won with a 4.092-second E.T. at 311.13 mph, putting the pressure on Beckman.
 
Two pairings later, Beckman and his Valvoline Dodge came to the line to race Alexis DeJoria's Tequila Patron Toyota Camry. By that time, Capps had assumed the lead in the standings. If Beckman lost, he would hand Capps the title. Beckman forced the championship fight into the quarterfinals, running away from a tire-smoking DeJoria and winning with a 4.038, 317.19.
 
Beckman joked at the top end that he wasn't watching Capps' run. "I tried to keep my eyes shut," he said, showing his joy at continuing the battle and finding the tune-up that had seemed to go away during qualifying Saturday.
 
Capps, who had admitted to being nervous in such situations, said, "I felt the ulcers growing." 

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - NITRO CHAMPIONSHIPS READY TO BE DECIDED

Beckman said he's mentally prepared for Sunday's challenge, a challenge he's gone over many times in his mind before today.DOWN TO THE WIRE - Sunday’s NHRA AAA Finals race day has the potential to culminate in one of the greatest Funny Car championship battles ever staged.

Three drivers have a mathematical chance to walk away with the title. As Sunday’s elimination pairings stand, point leader Jack Beckman and No. 1 qualifier Ron Capps could meet in the final round. Mike Neff, the third ranked contender, is on the same side of the ladder with Beckman and they could do battle in the semi-finals.

Capps, who struggled through the first two days of qualifying, uncorked his quickest run of the weekend, a 4.007 second elapsed time, to edge Cruz Pedregon for the No. 1 qualifying spot. The pole position enabled Capps to whittle Beckman’s lead from nine points headed into the final session to just two.

Beckman, a past Lucas Oil NHRA sportsman series champion, gave props to the NAPA Auto Parts team but remained confident in his approach for Sunday’s showdown.

“I feel good,” Beckman said. “Maybe if I didn’t I would still say that. But, I actually feel good. I practice this a lot. I’ve been in a lot of different race cars. I’ve made thousands of runs when I wasn’t in the car. I think I’ve done everything I could to prepare, homework wise. I think the key now is not to overthink the situation. I feel pretty good and believe this is what will carry this team into the championship. It is not over. Even when they struggled you could never count them out. I like our chances. But it’s important we have to take this one run and one round at a time.”

Sunday is Matt Hagan's final day as champion. He plans to show the contenders how he won the title.Capps led the Funny Car points up until two races ago when Beckman passed him in Reading. He closed the gap by winning the Vegas event two weeks ago. Regardless of how strong Saturday’s performance might have been, Capps is keeping his emotions in check.

“I believe in karma and when I had fans coming up to me all day letting me know I have it,” said Capps. “It’s too easy to get excited. Like Snake used to tell me, you can’t start drinking your own bathwater. That’s the deal. You can’t. You’ve got to focus on the first round and not even worry about it. That’s when you will get beat, once you start looking ahead. It’s nice to get a run like we did in the first round to give Rahn confidence.

“Tomorrow’s conditions will be pretty darn good. It will be a little warmer and the sun will be out. There will be a chance to set a record and there are cars out here capable of running sevens.”

And while the front-runners are preparing for a round-by-round mentality, longshot Mike Neff plans to make the most of his last ounce of opportunity.

Neff needs both Beckman and Capps to lose in the first round and from there set the record and win the event.

“We are going to go out and give it everything we’ve got,” Neff said. “We are going to try and win the race. We are going to have to see what happens in first round. That is all we can do. Anything is possible. They could oil the track down and we win the race after they went out in the first round. Who knows? Anything can happen and our goal is to go out there and win the race. We are going to run as hard as we can and see where that takes us. We have come back on Sunday before but I know this is a long shot, but we have a shot.”

Keeping busy has been Ron Capps' primary strategy. A busy mind doesn't stress and overthink situations.If anyone understands fully what the combatants are going through, it’s defending champion Matt Hagan. Twice he bore stressful race day championship battles; one where he emerged successful and the other where he came up short.

The best advice to the trio is to keep your emotions in check.

“Cool, calm and confident is the best path,” said Hagan. “It’s easy to get worked up out there. It’s easy to let it creep into your mind. Just gotta keep confident. You just have to put it into the hands of the guys who carry you up and down the road. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll know if it is your day or not.”

“The guy who has his head together the best is most laid back, and does the best to give his team the edge, will be the one to watch.”

Lest any count their chickens before the eggs hatch, Hagan has a game plan of his own. He’s not planning to be winless in the final hurrah of his championship defense tour.

Hagan and Capps could potentially meet in the semis. He could only meet Beckman or Neff in the finals.  

“I’m going to take them all out,” Hagan warned. “We are trying to put things together for next season and we need to come out of here strong. I don’t have love for nobody because no one showed me any love when I was running for it. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC - From despair to delight, Ron Capps turned around one of the most important weekends of his career with one brilliant pass.

Now, the Funny Car standout can only hope this late-season whirlwind has one more magic moment in it.

Struggling through two days of qualifying at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Capps found himself on the bump heading into the final qualifying session. But he changed all that with an incredible 4.007 at 319.29 mph, shooting him to the top qualifying spot in Funny Car in Pomona.

It leaves him just two points behind Jack Beckman heading into Sunday’s eliminations, where the two standouts will line up on opposite sides of the ladder in what could be one of the biggest showdowns in recent Funny Car history.

“I don’t even know what to say. This weekend has been a roller-coaster, much like this whole season has been, and especially these last three races, losing the points lead and then winning in Vegas,” Capps said.

“It’s just been up and down, and then to almost not be in the show with one run to go, I think I aged another 10 years in the last couple hours. “

Capps said he went “berserk” after he saw the 4.007, which was the ultimate run when the situation demanded something impressive.

He spun the tires on qualifying sessions on Thursday and Friday, and then the burst panel blew off the car on Saturday’s first run as he limped to a 4.131 at 276.69 mph.

By the time he came to the starting line for his final qualifying attempt, he was No. 16. But crew chief Rahn Tabler kept him calm and Capps delivered an incredibly clutch run, especially considering what was at stake.

“He’s helped me manage my nervousness and that’s made a big difference. He’s given me a race car and he’s incredible with his crew guys,” Capps said. “He makes sure they do the same thing every time, and I know everything is going to be the same in the car. Having a race car you can depend on, it takes a lot of those extra things away.”

Capps knows the tension will be at a boiling point on Sunday, but he’s done everything possible to remain calm in what could be the most stressful of situations.

He’s heard from Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, traded texts with NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson and continues to get reassurance from Tobler.

Now, all that’s left is eliminations with a championship on the line. Meeting Beckman in the final would be the ultimate scenario, but Capps certainly isn’t allowing himself to think that far ahead.

“The plan was to be ahead of Jack going into Sunday and we failed at that. God forbid it doesn’t happen, but if we go out the same round tomorrow, I’m going to lose by two points,” Capps said.

“But Rahn told me if we go out and win the race, he can’t take it. The plan is to win the race, but it’s going to be tough. I don’t even want to think of anyone past first round.”

LANGDON STILL HOT IN COUNTDOWN - The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series championship is out of reach for Al-Anabi/Toyota Dragster driver Shawn Langdon.

But he stood on the gas Saturday night like that fourth and final qualifying session for the Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif., would give him the Top Fuel crown and the $500,000 payout.

What it yielded was the No. 1 qualifying position, his fourth in seven races (since the U.S. Nationals in September) -- with a 3.730-second blast that is sixth-quickest in Top Fuel history, at 327.82 mph on the Auto Club Raceway's 1,000-foot course.

He used it to pass Brandon Bernstein, the driver who followed him at Morgan Lucas Racing, by nearly two-hundredths of a second. Lucas, Friday's leader, will start third. And Tony Schumacher, points leader Antron Brown's closest challenger for the title, is the No. 4 qualifier. Langdon's Al-Anabi/Toyota teammate Khalid al Balooshi rounds out the top five.

"Ronnie [assistant crew chief Thompson] called it before the run," Langdon said just after climbing from his cockpit. "He thought it would go a (3.)72 or .73. The thing was a handful for that run."

Later he said, "Any time you get an opportunity like that in an Al-Anabi car, you know Alan [team manager Johnson] and the team, they're looking for those big numbers. They said before the run they're looking to go .72-.73. You knew a .72 or .73 was going to be a stout run. I should have gone .72.

"But it had the front end hiked up pretty good and it was driving all over the place," Langdon said. "I knew from the time I stood on the throttle it was going to be fast."

He'll face No. 16 qualifier Cory McClenathan in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations. And Langdon said what's at stake for him and his Brian Husen-led team are pride and a strong foundation for the 2013 season.

"We want to end the year on a good note. Our car has made some big strides toward the end of the season, and Balooshi's car, as well. Both cars have done phenomenal in the Countdown. It's unfortunate that we don't have an opportunity to run for the championship. We feel like we have a championship car right now. The cards didn't fall our way during the Countdown. But we know we'll be back next year," he said.

"This team is built around winning," Langdon said, expressing confidence that with a much better position on the learning curve already, the victories and leadership will come sooner rather than later.

Until then, he said, finish this season with "No. 2, 3, 4, or even fifth place you can't hang your head."

But he's eager to have a Wally trophy to bookend the one he earned at Charlotte at the start of the Countdown.

"It'd be even better to get that second win tomorrow," Langdon, who grew up in Riverside about 15 minutes down the road from Auto Club Raceway, said.

Langdon was the Winternationals runner-up here in February 2011.

Other Round 1 match-ups include points leader Brown and key challenger Spencer Massey, Steve Torrence and Bob Vandergriff, Tony Schumacher and J.R. Todd, al Balooshi and Doug Kalitta, Bernstein and Terry McMillen, Lucas and Mike Salinas, and Dave Grubnic and Clay Millican.

SORRY BOUT THAT ... NOT! - They might be teammates, but Jason Line apparently wasn’t in the sentimental mood on Saturday at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

After Greg Anderson ran 6.527 on Friday, he was on the cusp of his first No. 1 qualifier in what has been a disappointing 2012. Instead, his Pro Stock teammate ruined that party, running a 6.517 at 212 mph in his 2012 Camaro to take the No. 1 spot heading into Sunday’s eliminations for the Auto Club NHRA finals.

It’s Line’s ninth No. 1 qualifier of 2012, leaving Anderson with a rare and shocking goose egg in that department for the season.

“I really thought he was going to get one,” Line said of Anderson. “I felt like both him and I were going to go 6.51 on that last one, but we’ll both get it figured out.”

That’s the sentiment both he and Anderson have echoed all weekend in Pomona.

Their 2012 Camaros have proven more finicky than either expected, leading to inconsistent performances and their share of struggles.

To rub salt in the wound, it’s all happened while Allen Johnson has enjoyed a career-best season. It included him officially clinching the world title on Saturday, putting the final stamp on his marvelous year.

When asked about whether this weekend’s No. 1 qualifier spot has him wishing the season still had more in it, Line simply shook his head.

“Nope, I’m not. I’m ready for it to be over,” Line said. “Allen did a great job and they deserve to win, but that being said, I don’t want to watch him win next year. We’re going to have a productive winter and everyone in the shop is motivated. We’re going to make something happen.

“We feel really good about next year. We’re headed in a good direction and next year is going to be a different story.”

As for finishing out the 2012 season strong, Line appears well on his way to doing that.

He took advantage of the pristine conditions on Saturday, and Line admitted the best way for the team to feel strong about 2013 is to finish 2012 in outstanding fashion.

“We had a great run this morning. I had two really good runs today. We finally have a better handle on our Camaro and it’s turned into a really good race car. That feels good,” Line said.

NOT THIS AGAIN - For the third time since September, Funny Car driver Todd Lesenko launched a body high into the air following another major engine explosion. He was uninjured but took quite a ride in the bodyless chassis as evidenced by this Roger Richards photo sequence. Once again, Lesenko escaped injury.

 HINES STILL COMPETING WITH KRAWIEC - In earning his fourth top-qualifying spot of the season and 34th of his career, Pro Stock Motorcycle's Andrew Hines said he had "tried to do everything I could to be under 100 points behind Eddie [class champion Krawiec] so they couldn't crown him until tomorrow.

"Hopefully I can get my win tomorrow, and I'll be a little bit happier." Talking as if his only competition is Krawiec, Hines said, "Being the No. 1 qualifier is a big deal in our camp. He [Krawiec] went out there and went No. 1 right in front of me. So that made me a little angry. He went (6.)811, which tied the track record. My bike squeaked out an 80 with a 9 (6.089), track record, I believe. That's a heck of a deal for my team, to turn around my bike from Las Vegas[where he qualified fourth and had a quarterfinal finish to post his 300th career round-win] and bring it out here and be low E.T. all four qualifiers. That was phenomenal."

Hines will race James Surber in the opening round Sunday.

BLOW-UP = DRAMA IN TOP FUEL CHASE - Antron Brown said his Matco Tools/Aaron's/Toyota Dragster was "just trucking along" before the engine exploded as he approach the finish line.

"It went away quick. It was a bummer, man," the points leader said. He had an oildown freebie, so the clean-up didn't cost him any points.

He'll need them, for his No. 10 starting position paired him against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Spencer Massey, the No. 3-ranked driver in the standings who entered the weekend with an outside shot at bumping off Brown.

JOHNSON NO. 1 AND NO. 2 SAME DAY - Newly crowned Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson will start the season's last race from the No. 2 position, going for his seventh victory in 11 final-round appearances. So far he is 51-16 in elimination rounds. No. 15 Greg Stanfield will give him his first-round test.

YAY! I'M IN! I'M RACING HIM?! - Saturday produced some positive news and some unpleasant news for Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria,. She jumped from 22d to 10th and finally settled into the No. 14 position. Unfortunately for her, she'll face points leader Jack Beckman, who has one day, one set eliminations in which to make his case for his first championship. Still, DeJoria said, "It's the last race of the season, and the pressure is on, especially after not qualifying in Vegas. There was a lot of competition this weekend, and I'm so grateful that we qualified at the NHRA World Finals, the lastrace of my rookie season. Hopefully we will go rounds tomorrow and put on a good show for all of our friends and family who have come out to support us." 

IT'S SHOWTIME! - Tom Hoover was walking around the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona nitro pits and it didn’t take the former Funny Car icon long to realize the atmosphere is totally different from the time he won his one and only race at the famed facility.

Hoover drove his famous Showtime Corvette to the Funny Car crown in the 1979 Winternationals in the one and only race of the season when the track was known simply as Pomona Raceway.

Today Hoover is as different as the facility he once mastered. The one constant has been his love of nitro racing.

“I miss it tremendously,” said Hoover, who spent much of the weekend hanging out in the Santo Rapisarda pits. “I raced for nearly 35 years. When you start dreaming about it at night - of talking to my dad and arguing with him over the tune-up - is a good sign it has never gotten out of your system.”

Hoover generally attends three races per season and those stops are usually one of the Pomona events, Brainerd and Indianapolis. These weekends are about connecting with those he once traveled the tour with, his “other” family. Besides, as Hoover puts it, when the smooth-talking Don “the Snake” Prudhomme says it’s okay to be a spectator it kind of puts the experience into perspective.

“You learn by your peers and some of the mistakes they make,” added Hoover. “You see what they’re doing and not a lot has changed.”

Hoover understands drag racing has always required heaping amounts of cash and dedication. The veteran questions his decision to walk away from the sport; a decision he believes stopped him from falling short of wringing out everything the sport had for him. But in the end, maybe this was the best decision.

“When my Pioneer deal ended, I could look on the horizon and we didn’t come from all that kind of money, just middle class people in Minnesota, and I really felt good that I got as far as I did,” Hoover said. “If you’re not really a commercial thing right now, you’re done.”

With this said, he’s at peace with the tough decision to move on with his life.

“I think we could have run [part-time] but I think you see where it has gone today,” said Hoover. “[John] Force owns half of the field, and Schumacher has the rest. There’s no room for independents.”

Right now Hoover’s closest connection to drag racing is a tribute nostalgia Funny Car built by a fellow independent racer of the same era - Doc Holladay.

“She’s a beauty,” Hoover beams. “But I told to Doc to go ahead and have fun because I bought a house down in Florida near Dick LaHaie and I spend my winters down there. I told him to go ahead and spend his hundred and a half. I will have fun watching you.”

THE PAINFUL TRUTH - Greg Anderson knows his limitations. The multi-time NHRA Pro Stock driver understands “dumping a driver at the finish line” or “running dead-on his dial” is not in his skill set.

Simply put, Anderson is no bracket racer and has no problem whatsoever admitting his shortcoming. The first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem.

“I know that first hand,” said Anderson. “I told everyone at the Summit banquet that I feel embarrassed every year that I come to the event. [Summit teammates] Jason Line and Tim Wilkerson are both ex-bracket racers. They have experience. I know nothing about it.”

What was a tough admission was only compounded when Anderson was challenged to speak to a room full of weekend warriors.

“I get up there and I stumble and don’t know what to tell them,” Anderson admitted. “I don’t have experience doing it. I told them how I have attempted to act like a bracket racer the last two or three races and have failed miserably. Now I know why I didn’t bracket race because I suck miserably at it.”

Anderson spent the last three races doing his best to manipulate the Pro Stock eliminations bracket in order to set up early round races against point leader Allen Johnson with the objective to make up points. Needless to say, Anderson’s mission of slowing down on quick qualifying passes failed miserably.

Anderson fans take heart because your champion has learned his lesson.

“I probably won’t try it again,” he confirmed. “My window for that type of racing is gone. My hat’s off to those guys, it’s a hard way to race. I wouldn’t want to do it.”

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - SEASON WINDING DOWN AS CONTENDERS JOCKEY FOR POSITION

DIFFERENT KIND OF SPECTACULAR - Two days into the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona and Jack Beckman has managed to grab the spotlight on both days.

With a rousing 4.025 at 319.75 mph on Friday, he much preferred this method of stealing the show, and now the only question is what the Funny Car standout will do for an encore over the weekend.

If he has his way, he’ll use Friday’s run, which puts him as the momentary No. 1 qualifier, to bolster his way through eliminations and capture the Funny Car world championship.

Two days might be quite a lifetime away for now, but Beckman is simply thrilled to have rebounded from Thursday’s show-stealing explosion with an outstanding 4.02.

“These are the things that you dream of. You don’t think of blowing a car up that bad, but when you do, you think, ‘Wouldn’t it be unbelievable for this team to come back and go to the top of the field.’ That’s not really practical most of the time, but a 4.02 at almost 320 (mph), that was just perfect all the way down track,” said Beckman, who is gunning for his fifth No. 1 qualifier in 2012.

“For the seven mechanics to do what they did, and for (crew chiefs) Todd (Smith) and Terry (Snyder) to block out what happened yesterday and make the adjustments and run that quick, there’s not words that are complimentary for those nine people.”

Beckman’s 4.02 eclipses Courtney Force’s 4.032 from Thursday to bump her into the second position, while Ron Capps, now seven points behind Beckman after he earned three bonus points for the 4.02 run, has still yet to qualify.

Two qualifying sessions remain at Auto Club Raceway on Saturday, but Beckman’s stress level was greatly reduced after Friday’s run produced far less theatrics than Thursday.

That run looked impressive until late in the run when his car exploded in a massive ball of flames, sending car parts and debris flying. Avoiding any injuries, Beckman and the team quickly regrouped and put together a complete run on Friday, looking every bit the driver to beat this weekend.

“Our objective here in qualifying was to not lose points. We’re doing everything we need to do well, but the war is going to be Sunday,” Beckman said. “We want to get our car in the final and turn on the win light and that would guarantee us the championship.”

Plenty could happen between now and that possible magical moment, but Beckman doesn’t seem affected by the magnitude of the moment.

After all, he did just rebound from a massive engine explosion with impressive grace on Friday.

“I watch a lot of sports, not necessarily for the athletic portion, but for the mental portion and I always appreciate people who are at the top of their game and how they repeatedly perform well,” Beckman said.

“I’m back at a track I’m entirely familiar and comfortable with, and there’s a certain amount of security in that. But you always get those worries, especially when you blow the car up.

“You have to compartmentalize that stuff and leave it at the trailer if you want to do well. Some days that’s relatively easy; it’s doing that for every race that separates the champions from everyone else.”

DRESS REHEARSAL GOES WELL - For Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas, this season finale at Pomona, Calif., is really a dress rehearsal for the 2013 season, in a sense.
 
Crew chief Aaron Brooks has been keeping one eye on the Auto Club NHRA Finals and another on his plans for the GEICO/Lucas Oil Dragster for next season. That's what Lucas indicated Friday after taking charge in the class' first qualifying opportunity after a late-Thursday washout.
 
"Right now we're looking at it like we're kind of getting ready for next year," he said after topping the list with a 3.761-second run at 324.98 mph on the Auto Club Raceway's 1,000-foot course.
 
Actually, the early 2013 focus started between the Reading and Las Vegas races during this Countdown. That's when an inconsistently behaving clutch set-up prompted Brooks and crew to front-half the car. They took it Las Vegas for the Big O Tires, NHRA's most recent race, and Lucas said it "kind of threw us a little bit of a curveball."
 
So he was eager to get on the racetrack Friday and test his revamped car. And he indicated the team likely will do some more tinkering with its adjustments. With that, his low E.T. might or might not hold up through two more sessions Saturday for his fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and ninth of his career.
 
"I feel like there's some left out there. I think a lot of people, because of looking at the weather forecast, are a little more conservative than they would be," Lucas said. "I'm just happy to be in this position, because it lets us have a chance to try some things tomorrow."
 
Lucas, a three-time winner this season and 2011 Winternationals winner here, grew up in nearby Riverside and attended Jurupa High School (as a classmate of fellow Top Fuel standout Shawn Langdon, his former teammate).
 
"We've got karma built up. Something about this place -- it's got some magic for us," Lucas said. "You can come in here with a little more confidence."
 
A victory here would be a welcome end for a year that began with great promise but stalled in mid-season. Because his dragster "had a clutch package that was pretty sweet," he said, he and his crew decided they could experiment. "We kind of got ourselves lost a little bit," he said.
 
"This year's been nothing more than a learning season. We built a good foundation and some good success. For us it's all about the big picture. Our goal was to shoot for a top-five finish and get some wins under our belt to prove that we're a competitive team. We feel like we've accomplished our goals," Lucas said.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL - For someone with 75 No. 1 qualifiers in his illustrious Pro Stock career, Greg Anderson hasn’t had to spend much time talking about them during a rocky 2012 season.

In fact, the four-time world champion is still waiting on that first one.

Anderson's last chance comes this weekend at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, and he put himself in a good position on Friday. Anderson ran a class-best 6.527 at 211.76 mph during the second qualifying session, putting him in line for his first No. 1 qualifier of the 2012 season.

“It’s like Christmas for me. It’s been a while. I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but for me, it’s been a while,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if will hold after (Saturday). It’s supposed to be nice again, but I’ll take it for one night. I’ve got at least until 11 a.m. (Saturday) to enjoy it.”

During a year that’s been uncharacteristically out of sorts at times for Anderson, he’ll gladly take this minor victory.

Soon to be crowned world champion Allen Johnson is right behind with a 6.537 heading into Saturday, but Anderson is finally starting to feel comfortable in his new 2012 Camaro.

It’s been a long time coming for that, and Anderson has endured plenty of struggles along the way while watching Johnson charged ahead with a career-best season.

On Friday the light at the end of the tunnel for Anderson appears brighter.

“We’ve been working very hard on these new Camaros and we got a little bit lost when we brought them out,” Anderson said. “The cars are going to be great, we just got a little confused with the chassis’ we built.

“We’re finally turning the corner. It’s going to be too late for this year’s championship, but that’s okay. We’re starting to turn the corner and the future looks great. They’re beautiful cars and they’re starting to run as good as they look. It’s an exciting time.”

For a year that’s included so many up-and-down moments, Anderson also appeared cheery and upbeat on Friday.

That’s a sharp contrast to the Anderson who could easily get down on himself in previous years when mired in a slump. Anderson said he’s worked hard at handling that aspect better and it showed on Friday.

The next step is taking some momentum into 2013.

“Right now, I’m handling it well. I’m happy and I’m at peace with what’s gone on this year.  It’s been an off year and a learning year, but I do feel the momentum building with this team and these cars,” Anderson said.

“There’s a lot of young dudes out here who will absolutely wear you out on the starting line, but I feel like I’ve been doing a decent job there. I feel good and I feel like I’ve got a few good years left in me. I think we can win again, I really do.”

TRUCKIN' ON - Knowing teammate Eddie Krawiec will claim the championship but saying, "I just want to make a statement," Andrew Hines gained three more points for maintaining his provisional No. 1 qualifying position in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. He improved his elapsed time on the Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson from Thursday's 6.872 seconds to 6.838 and found a little extra speed, from 196.04 mph to 196.10. He said Friday's progress was a surprise. When his crew told him the numbers, he said, "I thought they were crazy and lying to me." He has a four-hundredths-of-a-second advantage over tentative No. 2 Krawiec, the points leader. He said the E.T. is "pretty close to safe. It helps us keep on truckin'."

STILL ON THE OUTSIDE - Funny Car contender and regular season point leader Ron Capps is 15th after two days of qualifying with a 4.700 best.

Capps isn't sweating it with two sessions remaining.

“It just went out and it rattled (the tires). It was like a sprint car after that. I have the utmost confidence in Rahn Tobler and J.C (assistant John Collins)," said Capps. “We’re all good. We have two good runs left for tomorrow.”

Capps entered the weekend trailing point leader and teammate Jack Beckman by three points. Beckman picked up three more points by making Friday's quickest run.

KEEPING IN STEP - Khalid alBalooshi was second quickest with a 3.761, 324.98.

HELPING THE HEROES - Oakley, a drag racing sponsor since 1999, has also been a staunch supporter of the U.S. Military by developing technologies which improve the safety, performance and comfort of those who bravely answer the call of their country.

The Infinite Hero Foundation is a non-profit 501 ( c ) (3) formed largely in part by the popular lifestyle manufacturer in order to support those returning from deployment with serious medical conditions. Today in Pomona, the group announced five new grants for deserving groups dedicated to assisting the country’s wounded warriors. This is the first cycle of grants in the foundation’s first year of service.

Those receiving grants include Heartbeat – Serving Wounded Warriors, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Institute for Creative Technologies, Semper Fi Fund and Community of Veterans.

“Oakley has worked with the military for twenty-plus years,” said Erick Postan, Director of Military sales for Oakley. “We’ve been involved in developing products for our Special Forces to the armed services in both federal and law enforcement services. This part of the business is near and dear to our hearts. Some of the things we’ve seen as we’ve developed relationships over the time we’ve been involved; you see the challenges our service members and their families. This is one of the main reasons we support this.”

Postan said the five grants are crucial to carrying out Infinite Hero Foundation’s mission.

“All of the grantees are showing in an area of increased accessibility for better health and challenges which our service members face whether its physical or mental injuries like PTSD,” Postan added. “The face we are starting with these five and expect as Infinite Hero expands to serve more areas of the community.”

In addition, U.S. Army-sponsored driver Tony Schumacher will wear a special purple Infinite Heroes Foundation helmet which will be auctioned with proceeds going to the foundation.

“It’s neat that I get to wear this helmet this weekend,” said Schumacher. “When they told me the helmet was going to be auctioned off with 100-percent of the proceeds going to the foundation, I started to think I was going to have to buy this myself. This is one cool helmet.”

RESURGENCE - Pro Stock driver V. Gaines made a slight improvement in Friday session with a 6.544. Gaines most recently won the NHRA Auto Plus Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.

DRAGGED BY DRAGQUOIA - The "Dragquoia" that Top Fuel points leader Antron Brown designed for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge didn't go into a museum after receiving Sony Computer Entertainment America's Gran Turismo Award at the recent SEMA Show at Las Vegas. It's serving this weekend as the tow vehicle for Brown's Don Schumacher Racing Matco Tools/Aaron's/Toyota Dragster.

A funky blend between a Toyota Sequoia and what Brown called "a family dragster," DragQuoia raised funds for Racers For Christ, Brown's charity of choice. Chuck Wade and his team at Motorsports Technical Center at Torrance, Calif., built the SUV for the contest.

AN HONOR - Jerry Eckman, making his second appearance this season in his return to a Pro Stock driving role, had some special "cargo" on board Steve Kent's Pontiac GXP. Riding with him was a remembrance of Army Spc. Bradley N. Shilling, 22, of Stanwood, Mich., who was killed Nov. 18, 2006, during combat operations in Baghdad while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shilling's father is attending the race as part of the Hot Rods for Heroes program that U.S. Army veteran Ron Greenwood founded.
 
Affixed to the dashboard of Eckman's car are likenesses of three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who served in the Vietnam War: retired U.S. Navy SEAL Thomas R. Norris and Army Sergeants Major Robert M. Patterson and Jon R. Caviani.
 
"It's such an honor for me," Eckman, clearly humbled, said.
 
Kent called Eckman and said that because this race would conclude on Veterans Day, that he would like for Eckman to help him honor our troops past and present. He told Eckman, "You're my favorite veteran. I'm going hunting and you're driving my car, representing the veterans."
 
Eckman served in Vietnam, as well. He replied to Kent, "I'm no hero. I was just a foot soldier out in the jungle, doing my job."
 
Kent reassured him: "You're a hero, because your country called and you answered the call to duty."
 
Said Eckman, "If that's a hero, there's a lot of us. There's a lot of us that did." 

 
¡BIENVENIDOS! - Cruz Pedregon, Tony Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, Morgan Lucas, and Brandon Bernstein helped Toyota host a group of about 15 Los Angeles-area Hispanic-market media representatives Friday at Auto Club Raceway. They began their progressive educational trip through the pits at DeJoria's hospitality area in the Kalitta Motorsports compound, conducting a Q&A session with the Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car driver. Lucas and Bernstein then showed them their GEICO/Lucas Oil and Protect The Harvest/MAVTV/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragsters from stem to stern. The Pedregons served up lunch and an in-depth look at the anatomy of a Funny Car with their Snap-on- and K-LOVE-sponsored rides. The journalists caught a peek at Toyota's Christmas Tree and fuel-usage simulators in the Manufacturers Midway at Toyota's Pit Pass area and had a chance to meet renowned drag-racing artist Kenny Youngblood. All nine Toyota drivers, including Kalitta drivers Jeff Arend, Dave Grubnic, and Doug Kalitta, participated in an autograph session for the media. Thanks to Rick Lalor, of the Auto Club of Southern California, the group watched qualifying from the event and track sponsor's suite in the tower. The purpose of the tour was to acquaint the Latino-community media outlets with the NHRA and get them up to speed about how the cars perform.

BECKMAN WHO? CAPPS WHO? - Don Schumacher Racing drivers insist they don't have team orders and that they race heads-up. If anybody doubted that, Funny Car's Johnny Gray reassured fans Friday. Referring to the championship battle between the organization's Jack Beckman and Ron Capps, Gray said, "We don't care about those guys. They can go fight their own fight over there." He wasn't expressing animosity at all, just focusing on his own Service Central / Big O Tire Dodge Charger. Gray is fifth in the order with two more sessions remaining Saturday.

PLEASANT SURPRISE - Paul Lee in his second of a two race deal driving for Gary Densham has a strong performance headed into Saturday. Lee drove the McLeod-sponsored Funny Car to seventh-quickest lap after two sessions with a 4.082.

HANGING ON - Past NHRA series champion Mike Edwards eked out a spot in the 12-car provisional field with a 6.597. He entered the event sitting in sixth place in points, trailing Greg Anderson for a top five spot by a mere 31 points heading into the final event.

THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE 2012 SEASON

 
IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, YEAH RIGHT - Rain washed out the Top Fuel qualifying session Thursday evening at the Auto Club Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif.  
 
The showers came after Courtney Force (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) earned provisional No. 1 qualifying spots.
 
Qualifying is scheduled to continue Friday and Saturday with eliminations Sunday.

A TALE OF TWO ROOKIES - After the way Funny Car rookie Courtney Force has raced over the past two months, her only complaint might be that there aren’t two more months left in the 2012 NHRA season.

Force put herself in line for her third No. 1 qualifier since the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, running an impressive 4.032 at 315.93 mph on Thursday during the first round of qualifying at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.

It’s a continuation of Force’s strong finish to her debut season in Funny Car, which means the only disappointment is that this weekend marks the final event of the season.

“Since getting that No. 1 spot at Indy, it really showed myself and my team that we have a good car and we have plenty of potential,” Force said. “It definitely builds your confidence and gets you pumped for next year.”

With one eye on next year, Force still hopes to finish 2012 with a bang, too. She’s well on her way after setting the tone on Thursday, putting her line for a shot at her second win this season, which would all but cement NHRA Rookie of the Year honors.

Thursday also marked a great chance to see how far Force has come since making her Funny Car debut this past February at the same track.

The nerves that were apparent in February are now gone, replaced by a confident driver with an impressive first-year pedigree.

She picked up her first win in August in Seattle, and finished as the No. 1 qualifier at Indianapolis and Dallas. Her dominant run of 4.032 on Thursday was also a step ahead of the Funny Car pack at Auto Club Raceway.

Teammate Mike Neff, who remains in the championship hunt behind Jack Beckman and Ron Capps, is currently qualified No. 2 with a 4.062 at 313 mph. Neff is currently 86 points behind Beckman.  

“Coming out here, being that it’s my home track, it’s kind of surreal remembering back to February and coming out here and how sick to my stomach I was,” Force said.

“Our mindset is a lot different now, and I’ve got a lot of great people behind me.”

It’s all come in rapid fashion, but Force expects to be at the top of the qualifying pack these days. That’s a nod to the work she’s put in, along with how well her team has meshed and developed.

Three more qualifying shots remain, but Thursday’s standout performance also gives Force plenty of confidence heading into the weekend.

“We’ve got a great team and a great car. To go out there and run a 4.03 on the first lap is just pretty amazing,” Force said. “It’s definitely a good feeling knowing we’ve got a good car. It would be awesome to hold onto that No. 1 spot.”

KABOOM! - Somewhere along the 1000-foot race course of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Jack Beckman lost an eyebrow and would like it back.

Beckman, the current NHRA Funny Car point leader, suffered a horrendous fiery explosion during first day qualifying at the NHRA AAA Finals. The concussion of the engine explosion disintegrated the body sending portions over the track and up into the grandstands. It also burned his eyebrow. No other injuries were reported.

Beckman’s calamity transpired just short of the finish line at the conclusion of his 4.117 elapsed time. He slowed to 273 miles per hour.

“I have never had that happen,” Beckman said. “And, I’m not signing up for this again. Anyone who wants to donate a left eyebrow I’m kind of needing one now. As soon as it blew up, the first thing you get in your head is to get the parachutes out. I went for the chute levers and the brake, I thought I didn’t get the chute but the levers were gone with the rest of the body. (It) covered the visor with oil. Blew the [visor] up about a quarter of an inch. Other than that, everything was just fine.

“I was thinking, the body’s gone, don’t wreck the car. I’m trying to keep it off of the wall and I don’t know where the wall is. Then as it started slowing down, bouncing and spinning in its oil … out of the corner of my eye I could see the wall. I was thinking to myself I hope Capps is either way ahead or way behind. Outside of that, it was a routine run.”

Beckman said, during the course of the run, there was no warning of the impending doom.

“After all of these cars are going out here and shaking the tires, I talked to [crew chief] Todd Smith and let him know I would pedal it if it shakes. I didn’t want to run early [on Friday] if I have to. I had in my mind to catch it once it goes through the shake zone. Then the next phase is 200 – 400 and if it lights the tires, you can give it a little bit of a slap. It makes it past that and I felt we were looking good. I was just about to get off of the wheel for the parachutes and then there was no body on the car. There wasn’t a whole lot of warning.”

Beckman confirmed the team has a spare Valvoline/Next-Gen body to go with.

“It has some battle scars on it but it’s been good to us,” admitted Beckman. “We’re gonna feed it another green and white body and hope that’s all it takes. I hope we get seven more runs.”

Beckman entered the event leading No. 2 Ron Capps [qualified 13th] by just three points. Neither championship contender earned any bonus points in the first session.

STICK A FORK IN IT - Try as he might to focus on the details that will seal his first National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock championship, provisional No. 1 qualifier Allen Johnson isn't getting much help from the fans and well-wishers at the Auto Club Nationals who in their excitement want to talk to him about nothing else.
 
An article within Competition Plus magazine also wasn't any help at all, it caused him to wake up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat.  
 
"It's hard to keep it off of your mind because everyone who comes up to you wants to talk about it. We came in here the same way we came in every race," the Team Mopar/J&J Racing owner-driver said. "We want to put the Mopar Dodge Avenger on the pole and win the race.”
 
He said he was "doing fine" at not imagining all the worst-case scenarios "until I read an article on CompetitionPlus.com. There was a story on there about Bob Glidden and the 1980 championship where he came in way out of the points and Lee Shepherd only needed to win first round. Bob had to set every record and win the race and I’ll be d***** if he didn't do it. I read that and woke up at 3 AM in a cold sweat."
 
Johnson ran a 6.565-second, 210.47-mph on the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona quarter-mile that, if it remains quickest through four sessions, will be his 10th tenth this season, 29th of his career, and the second of his career at this event.
 
Even if someone eclipses that, Johnson will be the new champion.
 
Besides, the veteran racer said, it's easy to brush all that aside: "When you put on the helmet, all of those butterflies and everything goes away. You become natural and do your job."
 
Still, after dwelling on the Competition Plus article, Johnson said he wasn't going to take any chances.
 
"I watched the first few cars and first few runs, and I made the decision if it started to shake . . . our mindset was that we were going to get one run, and then it was going to rain and they’d set the field and we didn’t make it," Johnson said. "I had my mind made up if it started to shake, I was going to start grabbing gears. We were going to get down the track and at least be 16th.
 
"When I put it in high gear and that Hemi was humming at the finish line, that was a pretty good feeling," he said. "My guy came on the radio and said, 'I think we can say championship now.' "
 
Officially that will have to wait until Saturday, but Johnson can breathe easier after his quick E.T.
 
"The Mopar Dodge Avenger made a really good run, and fortunately we are No. 1. If the weather conditions hold like they are supposed to do for the rest of the weekend, I think the run should hold for the top three or four," Johnson said.
 
Jason Line, Johnson's closest rival in the standings, took the early No. 2 spot with a  6.569-second pass with a class-fastest 211.10 mph in the KB/Summit Camaro.
 
Johnson said he wasn't surprised by the conditions, or by his performance.
 
"The computer told us we would run a mid-6.55," he said. “Out mid-track, until the fuel cars make a run, it’s a little iffy out there. This track doesn't get run on too much and it's pretty green when we come out here. It'll get better with each run. It usually does."
 
The news also promises to get better for Johnson as the weekend goes along.

LEFTOVERS - Andrew Hines knows fully well that he won't get that fourth National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Motorcycle championship he has longed for -- the one that would push his title totals past those of brother Matt Hines, Angelle Sampey, and John Myers.
 
However, just because Eddie Krawiec, his Vance & Hines Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson teammate is poised to clinch his own third crown this weekend at the Auto Club Finals doesn't mean Hines doesn't want all the other performance honors.
 
Hines grabbed the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Thursday's lone session with a
6.872-second elapsed time at 196.04 mph on the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona quarter-mile -- although he conceded the top speed so far to Krawiec at 196.19 mph.
 
Still, Hines said, he's "havin' another great weekend so far."
 
If his E.T. holds -- and he said he wasn't all that optimistic -- it would be the 34th of his career and fourth here at the season finale.
 
"The .87's in jeopardy, no doubt," Hines said. "There's a lot of bikes that just ran .80s. It's going to be tough, with a  couple of 60-degree days. As long as the rain showers stay away, we should be just fine.
 
"It'd just be nice to keep chipping away at the points and make up 11 or 12 on him and they can't crown him until Sunday," he said, referring to Krawiec. "That'd be a little nicer for me. At least I have a motorcycle that's capable of winning this race this weekend."
 
He said he was satisfied with his accomplishment that opened this season finale and the last race with Full Throttle sponsorship. (Next February's Winternationals here will kick off the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.)  
 
"Coming off the trailer being No. 1 qualifier is what our team prides itself on. Hopefully we can get it to stick," Hines said.
 
Overall, he said, the team has met its season-long goals.
 
"Coming in here being 1-2 in the points is what our ultimate goal was this entire season. Ideally, from my side of the coin, I'd like to be No. 1," Hnes said. "When we left here last year, we rolled out of this track saying, 'Next year we want to be 1-2.' And we're sitting in that position."
 
The frustration, he said, was that his Harley-Davidson hasn't been as consistent as he would have liked.
 
"I was just saying to myself, 'Where was this motorcycle two weeks ago when I needed it?' That's what I needed two weeks ago to keep my head up in the championship chase. Ultimately it didn't play out like that. We just came here and threw everything we had at it. I didn't think my bike was going to perform as well as it did."
 
It certainly wasn't a cinch, though, that he would edge Krawiec by two-thousandths of a second or tentative No. 3 qualifier Matt Smith by one-hundredth of a second.
 
"We're trying stuff this weekend that we've never tried before. We changed all the components on the motorcycle, put different kinds of components back on the motorcycle trying to alleviate some issues," he said. "The components are different brands, to get in line for next year. Everything but the chassis is totally different."
 
The trick, he said, is "if we can take what we have a roll it into our tune-up for next year."

AIN'T NERVOUS - Staring down the championship pathway before him, one could easily draw the conclusion Antron Brown has been nervously pacing the floor in anticipation of this weekend’s NHRA AAA Finals showdown in Pomona.

Experience has made the multi-time championship contender reserved in his emotions regarding the challenge before him. Even when his Countdown to the Championship stalled right out of the starting gate, the resilient Brown and his Matco Tools team led by Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald reached down and fought their way back into the battle.

“We rebounded well and then we’ve just been in attack mode at every race,” said Brown, who enters this weekend with a 65 point lead over No. 2 ranked Tony Schumacher.

Brown could have made his lead nearly insurmountable in Las Vegas but stumbled once again. Just to make sure they didn’t stumble again, the team stayed over following the event and tested to correct the electrical gremlins which got the best of them.

“I’m just in race mode right now,” Brown admitted. “I want to go out and race, I’m ready to race. Not even thinking about winning the championship, I just want to go out and race, I want to try to win this race. And if we do well everything else will take care of itself. I’ve just been ready, like I’m antsy to get going.”

But, he'll keep a keen eye on Schumacher who has made championship runs from behind a work of art.

Brown is prepared for whatever Schumacher’s storm might bring this weekend. He’s not going to spend the weekend looking over his shoulder. As he puts it, he’s got Schumacher and teammate Spencer Massey exactly where he wants them, in his rear-view mirror.
 
“It’s a lot easier to look over your shoulder than it is to look in front of you trying to catch somebody,” admitted Brown. “I know what that feels like, because the thing about it is that everything you do counts. If you mess up, you don’t have a chance. Like right now, it actually feels good to have a little cushion like that, and I don’t mind looking over the shoulder right now. I really don’t mind.”

Brown also admits the prospect of battling teammates for the championship doesn’t change his approach. To beat Schumacher or Massey, is the same as beating Shawn Langdon and doesn’t change his mindset in the least.

“Teammates or not, we have nothing but respect for all the teams we race against,” said Brown. “I give them all respect. If they’re out there racing with us and they’re in the top 20 of Fuel or any professional category, the top 16, they’re doing something special to be out there. Our deal is that when we put the helmets on we get mean and nasty with everybody, doesn’t matter who they are.”

BROWN NEEDS SEMIFINAL BERTH - Top Fuel's Antron Brown brought a 65-point lead over Tony Schumacher into this final race of the season and will clinch his first NHRA title if he can advance to Sunday's semifinal round. He has done that 14 times in the previous 22 races. He has a 70-point advantage over Spencer Massey and a 116-point margin on Shawn Langdon. Brown might want to avoid drawing Khalid al Balooshi, for the Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel rookie is the lone racer to defeat him in the Countdown  (at Charlotte, Reading, and Las Vegas).

A REAL VETERAN'S DAY - Ron Greenwood had no idea the kind and gentle crew member he befriended was a U.S. Army veteran from the Vietnam War.

Greenwood, the driving force behind the Hot Rods for Heroes movement, a group seeking to bring awareness to military veteran needs through motorsports was looking for a promotion to carry out with Brogdon – Kent Racing and their popular Pro Stock team.

Then it became apparent to Greenwood, the perfect Veterans Day promotion would be to have a veteran behind the wheel of a Pro Stocker this weekend.

“I don’t think everyone fully understands the significance of this,” said Greenwood. “We posted about Jerry driving last week on our Facebook page and it drew 2100 likes in just days. I think it says a lot about Steve Kent when he steps out of the cockpit to let a veteran drive. The chance for him to race on Veteran’s Day, I don’t know of any other sport with that kind of admiration and type of sincerity where this kind of thing has ever been pulled off.”

Eckman joined the U.S. Army upon graduation in 1960. He was assigned to the 7th Army division in Germany where he spent four and a half years. He was reassigned to the growing Vietnam conflict and was classified as a MACV advisor to the Southern Vietnamese Army, Army of Republic Vietnam [ARVN].

Eckman learned quickly his assignment wasn’t what he had pictured.

“I heard the term advisor and I believed it was a job where you wore a business suit and carried a briefcase,” Eckman admitted. “I learned quickly there was one of us assigned to so many of the ARVN troops. We were advising them, showing them how to fight their war. We were right there with our combat suits and guns. We didn’t have those suits and briefcases like I envisioned.”

Eckman, by then an E-5 sergeant, quickly developed a bond with his “students” and incoming American troops, who referred to him as the “old” man at 23 years old. These were his kids.

“You only knew some of these guys for six or eight months but they became like family to you,” Eckman said. “You share so much together. When I went to the [Vietnam] Memorial, I noticed all of these old guys. I wondered where the years had gone. Then I looked in the mirror and realized, I’m one of them too."

Adding to the emotion of the weekend will be the added responsibility of carrying the mementos of three Medal of Honor recipients throughout qualifying and hopefully into Sunday’s final eliminations.

“They will be taped to my dash,” added Eckman. “What an honor for me.”

Greenwood believes Eckman’s weekend will inspire many veterans to succeed over the years.

“I have Jerry’s story printed and framed on my wall as inspiration,” said Greenwood. “We are both humbled and honored someone like Jerry Eckman would agree to do this. Words cannot say how grateful we are for two of the most unselfish car owners in NHRA Pro Stock with Rodger Brogdon and Steve Kent. They do this because they love and appreciate our veterans. We love and appreciate them too."

BAGGED AN ELK - After testing for two days at Las Vegas following the recent Big O Tires Nationals, Top Fuel owner-driver Steve Torrence joined close friend and his Capco Racing Dragster crew chief Richard Hogan in Montana for some hunting. And Torrence, an experienced hunter with a rifle and a bow and arrow, used a single shot to down a six-by-six elk from about 350 yards away. Said Torrence, "It was the first time I shot an elk. It was a memorable experience, and I'm glad I could share it with Richard."