2009 NHRA WINTERNATIONALS - EVENT NOTEBOOK
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TUESDAY NOTEBOOK - THOSE WINNING KALITTAS, CAPPS DELIVERS FOR NAPA AND ACE, LINE WINS ANOTHER ONE FOR KB RACING
A FAMILY TRADITION – Doug and Scott Kalitta always presented a formidable one-two punch when they raced together under the Kalitta Motorsports banner in Top Fuel. Nearly eight months after Scott’s tragic death, the cousins are still winning.
The Kalitta team has always front-halved and back-halved the dragsters to get the most out of the chassis, and the yellow 60th anniversary dragster Doug Kalitta drove in Pomona utilized the same rollcage that shielded Scott when he won the 2005 NHRA Winternationals crown.
This marked Doug's first victory in the season-opener and the third time a Kalitta had won the opening event since Connie Kalitta triumphed in 1967. This win represented his 31st and another one of life’s goals he can scratch off the list.
“I was telling [crewchief] Jim O [Oberhofer] that I really wanted to win at Pomona,” Kalitta said. “Pomona has always been one of those races I always wanted to win.”
Kalitta, who plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2009, fired a huge salvo over the bow of the competition letting them know he intends to be a championship contender despite the limited appearances. He defeated Antron Brown for the victory.
The victory ensured the team will head to Phoenix in two weeks to compete.
“I think we’re looking good [for more races],” Kalitta admitted. “We’ll just play it by ear. I’m hoping we’re at more of them and hopefully this win will increase our chances of finding a primary sponsor.”
Kalitta’s road to the finals started from the No. 11 qualifying position and wound its way past Urs Erbacher, Cory McClenathan and Morgan Lucas
Not a bad weekend for a drag racer who opened Sunday’s eliminations by warming the race fans in the left-side grandstands from mid-track on with a massive fireball. By Tuesday afternoon memories of that mechanical failure-induced flame up were extinguished as the winning rounds provided a measure of momentum.
“I guess this means we are back,” Kalitta said, clutching tightly his first trophy since winning the 2007 national event in Richmond, Va. “Coming out here with a different crew than I’ve had in years past, says a lot. Great group of guys and they are just hungry to win.”
Essentially, Kalitta’s team is comprised largely of former members of the Hillary Will team which won the NHRA national event in Topeka, Kan., last May.
When it’s all said and done, the focus returns to Scott, and this victory represented their first since his racing death and subsequent conversion of nitro racing to 1,000 feet.
“I think of Scott when I am up there on the line on occasion,” Kalitta said. “He used to have a few traits he’d do to get himself up for the race. I’ve kind of followed that and because I do what he used to, I think about him. It motivates me to get up on the wheel and you can say he’s with me all the time.
“I’m pretty sure he’s proud that three of us have won the Winternationals now.”
Even Connie was extremely proud; he took time to pose for the winner’s circle picture. After all, it’s not every day his nephew and son can win Top Fuel at the Winternationals.
KING TUESDAY – There’s something about racing on a Tuesday that always seems to excite Ron Capps. Maybe that thrill can 
be traced to the fact that he’s undefeated on that particular day of the week.
Yes, Capps’ first win came on a Tuesday in Seattle, 1995, when he defeated Cory McClenathan while driving Roger Primm’s Top Fuel dragster.
“There were about 40 people or so in the grandstands to celebrate with me,” Capps recalled.
For Capps, it was all about remaining motivated during a rainout.
The motivation came from the boss’s son Tony Schumacher, who tried to explain to his Don Schumacher Racing teammate to keep his focus and not get caught up in the “we’ve won first round, so we can get out of here” mentality.
“Usually when he comes in there like that, I’ll laugh and tell him to get out of here but this time when he walked away, I felt really motivated,” Capps admitted. “He was right in everything he said. I never knew there was this much pressure on a Tuesday.”
A forty race drought will cause pressure. That pressure can permeate through a driver and into his crew chief.
Capps knew his tuner Ed “Ace” McCulloch was feeling the pressure considering they hadn’t won since Richmond [Va.] of 2007.
What’s a driver to do? If you’re Capps, you go on a tear and lay down impressive runs such as a 4.12 to open the day, then a 4.08 to win the second round and a 4.05 to get to the finals.
That’s the kind of a performance that will swing the pendulum of momentum back to favorable in a hurry.
“I just gave him a hug, it was pretty emotional,” admitted Capps, who conveyed this season the team was in an option year of the contract with NAPA Auto Parts. “There were times he [McCulloch] felt insecure about his job. With the round robin of crew chiefs in this industry, it doesn’t take long for a crew chief to struggle and a team owner say, ‘I’m gonna replace you.”
Capps said that wasn’t the case with his team but when a situation like that transpires, confidence can become shaky.
“You have to just pat them on the butt, and tell them to keep their spirits up,” Capps said.
Beyond that, as a driver, one cannot look past anyone in the field. The 25-time winner learned a long time ago in his career and was given a reminder last summer when he lost a heavily favored race against Tony Bartone.
The potential could have been there as paired on the opposite side of the ladder were the unsponsored racers Jim Head and Gary Densham. First he had to get past low qualifier Robert Hight, a driver for a team that always brings out the best in Capps.
When Head won and reeled off a 4.10, Capps knew if he made the final round, he was in for another tough battle.
“Those are two guys who can run with anybody,” Capps said. “Jim Head is capable of being low elapsed time in any given round. When he ran that 4.10 ahead of us, it justified what I was thinking.”
Capps has known the level of competition in the Funny Car class has been at a crescendo for the last five years, at least.
“I told someone that I relish the day when there will only be 16 Funny Cars at a race,” Capps admitted, referencing the potentially short fields for Top Fuel in 2009. “Then we won’t have all the stress of just having to qualify. There can be 20 cars here and sixteen to eighteen who could legitimately win the race on Sunday. I’ve gotten gray quick over the competition in this class the last few years.”
This weekend added a few more gray hairs to the mix.
HOLDING THE LINE – While his fast-running teammate was in Pomona collecting records like they were going out of style, 
Jason Line was busy grabbing win lights.
The former world champion collected his 16th career Pro Stock national event victory and the first at the NHRA Winternationals.
“I drove pretty good today and that feels good because I’ve been criticized for that recently,” Line admitted. “I had a good hot rod, probably the second best in the place today. To actually win here feels really good.”
Line entered eliminations as the No. 2 qualifier behind Anderson and used a lethal combination of quick reaction times (.004 in the first round) and a 6.567 in the final round to defeat one of the best starting line leavers in Mike Edwards.
“I believe that we shine in these kinds of air conditions,” Line said, referencing the KB Racing operation. “I believed we could go 211, but never a 6.52. Looking at that 6.52, I think there was more to it.”
Line believes the win puts new life into a team who has been dogged lately with the struggling world economic conditions.
“I think we’ve got some good things on the horizon,” Line said. “This might not be our best year but I know for sure we could have our second best year. For our team, that’s saying quite a bit.”
KB Racing has won the NHRA season-opener in five of the last six seasons.
NO COMPLAIN ZONE - After five days of inclimate weather in Southern California, Mother Nature finally decided to play nice as 18-time NHRA winner Antron Brown drove his Mike Ashley-owned Matco Tools dragster to a runner-up finish, losing to Doug Kalitta on Tuesday at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. It was Brown's 39th career final round appearance and sixth in Top Fuel. He now ranks second in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings with 90 points.
"This really was an awesome weekend for our Matco Tools crew," Brown said. "You can't complain when you go to the final round. We have a no complaining rule here at MAR (Mike Ashley Racing) and we're really thrilled with this long weekend here at Pomona. To qualify No. 1 and run that awesome 3.77 and get to the final round, we couldn't ask for much more. Other than being a few days late, it was a great start to the season for our Matco team. I told people we're going to have a strong team and I think we really proved that this weekend. With Mark (Oswald) and Brian (Corradi), we're going to be in the running all season long."
SURPRISE, SURPRISE - For the second time in his Pro Stock career, Mike Edwards picked up a season-opening runner-up finish when he came up just short against Jason Line in the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
"If you would have told me that I would have opened the year with a runner-up finish, I would take that any time," Edwards said. "My whole team, from the guys at the engine shop to those at the track, did a phenomenal job in getting us ready for the season. We didn't get to test as much as we would have liked, but knew when we left Pomona in November we had team an engine program real close. Now, this time pulling out of California, as a group we feel confident that we have the whole package to be competitive all season and that gives us that extra little step to try even harder."
PRO STOCK NATIONAL RECORD - Greg Anderson, driver of the Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, set a Pro Stock national elapsed time record today with his second round winning time of 6.528 seconds. The last time the Pro Stock national record was set at the Winternationals was in 1997, Warren Johnson at 6.927 seconds. Anderson also set a track speed record for his category with his second round speed of 211.13 mph.
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER CRASH - Randy Eakins, from Carson City, Nev., was checked and released by NHRA emergency services officials after the parachutes on his Top Alcohol Dragster failed to deploy following his run in the second round of eliminations. His dragster entered the top end sand trap at a high rate of speed and was stopped by the first safety net. The front end of his dragster received some damage.
GIANT KILLERS
BOTH ENDS OF THE TRACK RECORD
KALITTA GOING ROUNDS
PEDALING
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RAIN CONTINUES TO SOAK POMONA ON MONDAY
Rain continued to soak the grounds of Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Monday, forcing NHRA officials to postpone the continuation of eliminations for the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals until Tuesday. It is the fifth straight day where a series of winter storms off the Pacific have brought heavy rain to the Southern California region and continued to delay the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season-opener.
The second round of Top Fuel and Funny Car eliminations will open Tuesday’s racing, starting at 11:30 a.m., and will be followed by the continuation of the first round of Pro Stock.
Tickets will be available for Tuesday’s racing for $26. Fans holding tickets for any of the rain-delayed days (Thurs., Fri., Sun. or Mon.) may redeem those tickets on Tuesday for entry.
ESPN2 coverage for the race now will be televised in a 30-minute show tonight at 9:30 p.m. (ET) and another 30-minute highlight show on Sunday, Feb. 15 in a yet to be determined time slot.
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SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - RAIN WINS IN THE END, COMPETITION RESUMES ON MONDAY
RAIN IS THE DEVIL – Thursday was a wash. Friday produced the same result. If not for a lucky break on Saturday, there might have had a complete washout of the NHRA Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals.
The NHRA labored through rain showers on Sunday, but the combination of a couple of scary Pro Stock rides and a late afternoon shower forced officials to pull the plug on the day's events.
Competition is scheduled to resume on Monday morning at 11 AM with Stock eliminator before second round of Top Fuel followed by Funny Car and the completion of the Pro Stock first round.
CORRADI CONCEDES – Brian Corradi, crew chief for Antron Brown, the No. 1 qualifier in Saturday’s abbreviated qualifying 
doesn’t believe the 3.708 elapsed time his driver recorded was legit. He does believe the run would have still been the best of the session.
“A 3.84 likely,” Corradi surmised.
When it comes to the two quick runs recorded by the Funny Cars of Robert Hight and Del Worsham, Corradi said those runs were legit because the incremental times added up.
“I agree with the NHRA’s decision not to recognize our run as a record, but I am extremely disappointed that we don’t get the qualifying points. That’s what stings the most,” Corradi added.
ONE FOR THE WAR STORIES – Jerry Toliver will always believe the first time he ever drove for Funny Car legend Jim Dunn will 
go down as a good war story.
Toliver’s Saturday qualifying run was the first time he’d ever driven Dunn’s car. There were no test sessions to break in the new chassis. When he strapped in, his No. 16 qualified run was truly a maiden voyage.
“We really had no choice but to run the car to the finish line,” Toliver admitted. “You have a job to do and you do it. I never felt uncomfortable driving the car to the finish line.”
The standard procedure for a new chassis is to make a shakedown run and then come back with a full effort. The steady rains had limited the nitro cars to just one opportunity to get in the field.
Toliver asked prior to the run if he should go to 400 feet and click it. Dunn quickly said no.
“We had discussed that earlier,” Toliver said. “He told me to not pedal the car more than three times. That’s exactly what I pedaled it – three times.”
When Big Jim instructs, one would be wise to listen.
“I stopped pedaling because the run was over and the car had started to hurt itself,” Toliver added. “I figured we might get lucky and someone else might not make it to the finish line. We got lucky.
“I’d venture to say that all of that bad luck we’ve had in the bank was enough to allow us a good luck withdrawal. Maybe we’ll get some lucky breaks this year. I am going to have some fun driving for Jim Dunn this season.”
It’s just as well the Canidae-sponsored entry didn’t make it to the 1,000 foot mark under full power. Toliver’s unfamiliarity with the cockpit caused him to miss the parachutes.
“I went to whack the parachutes and they were in a different spot than what I am accustomed to,” Toliver added. “You do things by habit in these cars. Your brain is trained to do certain things and you are repetitive. It’s a good thing that we didn’t make a full run, we might have been halfway down the shut-off area before I got the parachutes pulled.”
YESTERDAY MEETS THIS WEEKEND – Forty-one years ago the Ford Motor Company sent four drivers to the NHRA 
Winternationals in Pomona, Ca. and together they performed magnificently introducing the new 1968 Ford Cobra Jet Mustang, putting driver Al Joniec in the Super Stock winners circle.
This season has an opportunity to repeat itself in a roundabout way.
There’s no factory backing this time, but at least four cars are running under the same mantra that the manufacturers raced under back then – Race on Sunday, Sell on Monday.
Longtime Ford collector and avid Stock eliminator enthusiast Brent Hajek has spearheaded this recollection of days gone by albeit with modern technology.
Hajek purchased the first ten of Ford’s new race ready Cobra Jet Mustangs with every intention of racing a handful of these special edition musclecars.
What would inspire a man to purchase ten of these cars at once?
“We just thought that was the thing to do,” Hajek said, reminding us there was no discount for the bulk purchase. “Plus they’re fast and we needed to have them.”
An avid collector whose collection includes rare musclecars and drag racing machines as well as a 252-mph Mustang (recorded at Bonneville), Hajek felt these cars were capable of delivering a return on his investment, but most importantly, he wanted to get some of them on the track, namely at the NHRA season-opener.
Hajek’s four cars are driven by a quartet of accomplished drivers who can boast three world championships. The 2008 Mustangs driven by Jimmy Ronzello, Gary Stinnett, John Calvert and Jim Waldo bear the names of those who competed in 1968. There are two stock cars, running AA/Stock and A/S, with two automatic transmission counterparts.
The manual transmission cars were prepared in Calvert’s Lancaster, Ca., shop while the automatic cars were developed by Holzman Race Cars in Witchita, Kan.
Hajek admits if not for the unselfish efforts of his drivers, this weekend’s brush with history might not have transpired. Preparing the cars required a measure of work.
“We wanted to change two of their class designations, so we converted two of them to automatic transmissions,” Hajek explained. “There were a few minor safety issues. We extended the roll cages and made a few changes on the brakes. We did away with the power steering, power disc brakes and those kinds of things. Just basically minor things are all we changed.”
Adding to the prestige of the weekend was the fact the four legends who competed back in 1968, were part of this weekend’s special tribute. Gas Ronda, Al Janiec, Hubert Platt, and Randy Richie were on hand to reminisce and lend assistance when applicable.
Platt was eager to participate when he first learned of Hajek’s plan to field the cars at Pomona.
"I talked to Brent back in November," Platt recalled. "He was going to try and get a few of the cars built and I asked him not to forget me. I reminded him to put my name on the car. I also asked him please not to charge me for it. I'm waiting on the bill to come."
While Hajek says that he hopes the 2009 effort is as kind to his drivers as it is was back in 1968, Platt warns that it wasn’t all peachy keen, as they would say back in his hometown of Stone Mountain, Ga.
"In 1968, that car was bad,” Platt recalled. “I won a lot of races with it. I'll never forget that when I left Pomona I went back to race the car in Daytona. I ran over a second under the record in beating a Dodge. I got thrown out of the race and I pleaded my case.
"I told them they could drop that car off of Stone Mountain, and it still wouldn't go that fast," Platt, who was based in Stone Mountain, Ga., continued. "They threw me out anyway."
For the record, none of the 2009 participants were bounced from competition.
TRIVIA WITH KALITTA – Kalitta Motorsports is celebrating 50 years of drag racing by team owner and drag racing legend 
Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta and this weekend’s event marked the first installment in a special trivia challenge.
As part of the year-long celebration, the team is introducing an online trivia game, the Connie Kalitta Trivia Challenge on Team Kalitta’s website, www.teamkalitta.com.
A trivia question about the legendary career of Connie Kalitta will be posted on the Team Kalitta website as well as on the 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled Top Fuel dragster driven by Doug Kalitta via decal on the front wing of Doug’s newly-hued bright yellow Top Fuel dragster entry at each of the season’s 24 NHRA national events. Doug’s yellow rail is also decorated with large, special-edition “50 years of Connie Kalitta” decals near the cockpit on each side of the car.
Entrants in the Connie Kalitta Trivia Challenge with the correct answer will be eligible to win a Kalitta Motorsports prize package. Winners will be chosen at random from valid entries at the conclusion of each event.
THANK GARLITS AGAIN – Every time a Top Fuel dragster catches fire, NHRA announcer Bob Frey always suggests the drivers should bow towards Seffner, Fla., and pay homage to Don Garlits, developer of the first successful rear-engine dragster.
Doug Kalitta’s first round victory resulted in a huge fireball which burned from mid-track through the finish line. When Frey offered his traditional suggestion, guest color commentator Larry Dixon offered his opinion.
“If it [the engine] wasn’t behind him, I think he would have lifted quite a bit sooner,” Dixon remarked.
A CHANGED MAN – Time away from drag racing revealed a lot to Top Fuel driver David Baca and because of the revelations, 
he’s viewing the sport in a different light.
Baca, whose last driving effort before this weekend's return was a temporary assignment as driver for David Powers Motorsports, understands fully drag racing is simply an addiction.
“Once you get this stuff in your blood it’s hard to get it out,” Baca said. “Did I miss it when I was away? Yes. Am I going to let it dictate my life, unless the right opportunity came, where I’m on the tour full time? No.”
Baca considers himself to be lucky to have signed a sponsor such as Mach 1 Global, whose backing enables him to run 12-races in 2009. He and partner Rick Henkleman will continue to race with the emphasis more on winning than just being another team on the tour.
“We have the best parts and we think we can run with the boys,” Baca continued. “We’re going to give them hell. But in this economy right now, it’s challenging to do this without someone who is able to step up and pay that money. But if someone was able to do it, I might consider going back to the circuit full time.”
Baca is quick to point out his primary focus is on family, wife Michele and their two children.
The time away from chasing the drag racing tour enabled Baca to reconnect with a semblance of normal life.
Baca lives on Discovery Bay in California, and found the time away from drag racing applicable with pursuing other interests.
“I have boats . We fish, we ski and do all that kind of stuff,” Baca said. “I’ll be honest with you, every weekend I was out slalom skiing. In the afternoon I was probably out riding around in the pontoon boat or I was in the ski boat hanging out.
“I spent the last couple of years getting organized. Fortunately for me, I believe I noticed things in my business life that a lot of others are dealing with in this cycle now. I think the last couple of years; I got my business life in order so we could come out here and do this right.”
Baca couldn’t fully divorce himself from drag racing during the time off.
“I would pour myself a cocktail and sit back and watch the race,” Baca said. “But watching it I said ‘I surely don’t miss having to ride to an airport and catch a plane and everything like that.’ Sometimes a break is good. I know mechanically, that break was good for our team.”
GLOBETROTTER IN THE HOUSE – Legendary basketball icon and former star player for the Harlem Globetrotters, Curly Neal, was a special guest of the NHRA at the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Neal was known for his masterful ball-handling and dribbling skills and his patented move of spinning the ball on his index finger during his days as a Globetrotter.
STILL WORTH IT – Swiss Top Fuel driver Urs Erbacher and his mostly European crew traveled 12,000 miles to make exactly two passes down the drag strip, yet the four-time FIA champion says the effort was worthwhile despite a weekend filled with rain delays and cancellations.
Erbacher lost in the first round to Doug Kalitta.
"No one enjoys race weekends like this but we're still very pleased with the new car and how it is working for us so far," Erbacher said. "We managed to qualify in the top half of the field, which is very encouraging for our team, and we were set to have a big race day. It just wasn't meant to be this time."
A FITTING TRIBUTE
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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK: NHRA RAINS ON THE PARADE; HANG ON ANTRON; HIGHT RAISES THE BAR…
RAIN ON THE PARADE - Early in the nitro Funny Car session, the left lane began showing bogus speeds on the scoreboard 
before going out completely. Then the obviously incorrect speeds stopped showing up at all.
The NHRA made a decision to race ahead instead of halting action, which would have forced postponement due to rain.
In checking the incremental elapsed times of low qualifier Antron Brown and Joe Hartley, the NHRA decided their runs, although obviously quick, could not be counted as legit runs.
The NHRA issued a statement Saturday evening stating that Brown's and Hartley's were determined to be invalid and will not be officially recorded.
"NHRA is confident that the two cars in question were among the sixteen quickest cars, but because it's impossible to assign times, the ladder will remain intact. Also, NHRA will not be awarding qualifying points for this race to Top Fuel drivers," the statement concluded.
Currently the NHRA does not award points for, or award points for 1,000-foot records.
HAND SIGNALS ARE A MUTHA – Antron Brown has learned 
assistant tuner Mark Oswald’s sign language. A thumbs-up means the Matco Tools dragster will go from Point A to Point B. An opening and clenching fist means exactly the kind of run the sophomore Top Fuel dragster driver reeled off in Saturday’s lone qualifying session.
Brown recorded the quickest run in the history of thousand-foot racing with a 3.708 elapsed time, a run the NHRA has chosen not to validate.
Obviously the hand signal couldn’t have predicted what could have been a world record, so what does it mean?
“Squeeze your butt cheeks because you’re about to go for a ride,” Brown admitted. “He did that to me in testing at Phoenix before we ran the quickest run and I asked him [over the radio], ‘What does that [signal] mean?
“I got to the finish line and he looked at me and said, ‘Now you do.”
This time was different. Brown says he won’t use swear words but even that run caused him to use creative terminology.
“Good jugamafuga, that’s what I said,” Brown said.
Saturday’s historic run marked the second consecutive NHRA Winternationals No. 1 qualifying effort for Brown since debuting at this event last year.
He was also the quickest Top Fuel dragster at the team’s only test session two weeks ago in Phoenix.
That’s not a bad feat considering two weeks ago was the first time dyed-in-the-wool Funny Car tuners Brian Corradi and Oswald took a shot at tuning a Top Fuel dragster. When Mike Ashley purchased the team in January, he brought in members of his former Funny Car team and morphed them with the existing team to create the current crew.
“We only had four days of testing for the previous team and the new team to gel,” Brown admitted. “Matco Tools, our sponsor, wants to win championships … they aren’t out here just to be out here, so I, we, had a lot of pressure from the start. I just gain confidence with every run we make. If those guys can tune a Funny Car, they can tune a dragster. They just loved Funny Car because they could turn the screws at it.”
A FRESH START – Robert Hight was quickly reminded how important it is to spend the off season refining a team's 
combination.
Hight thundered past Del Worsham for the top qualifying position with a 4.037 second pass.
“It just shows how hard we worked over the winter,” Hight said, in a post-qualifying press conference. “The last few winters we have focused on safety and new cars. We went back before the season and looked at what we had lost mostly with. We tried to refine that and put in a few new ideas. We’re hoping for consistency because I don’t think you will see one team dominate in the Funny Car class.”
Hight believes that the field would have been extremely tight if there had been four qualifying sessions. With rain scrubbing the first two and the last session, Hight felt the pressure on his lone opportunity.
“There’s always a lot of pressure when you know you have weather that can potentially affect qualifying,” Hight said. “This first run concerned me because we, as well as a lot of teams in Phoenix, had issues. The track was tricky.”
Compounding the pressure , the fact that Hight and tuner Jimmy Prock were breaking in a new combination.
“Jimmy went back to Indy and jumped on the clutch dyno,” Hight said. “He worked night and day and came here with a new set up. What we ran out there was something we had never run before. That’s tough to do because there’s usually a learning curve that you experience when you do that. To go out there and go to the top spot is unbelievable.”
The run might have been unbelievable on Saturday, but for Hight, the experience leaves him uncomfortable for Sunday.
“Austin Coil [John Force’s tuner] said that a combination needs about 20 – 25 runs before you can get a full gauge on what it does and doesn’t do,” Hight explained. “For us, it made a difference because we got in. The thought of not qualifying at my home track in front of family, friends and sponsors is scary.”
ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH – Greg Anderson admitted that starting the lone Pro Stock session only to have rain suspend it, was 
more than he was prepared to endure.
“You sit around all winter and we were anxious to get a shot at that track, if only to see how we stacked up against everyone else,” Anderson said.
Anderson drove his way to the No. 1 spot with a 6.588 elapsed time at 209.59 MPH.
“I felt going into that session that we had a good winter in our engine development,” said Anderson. “We tested the cars well over the winter and felt we had a good product over the winter. You never know until you get on that race track.”
Anderson believes there are teams with more potential than they pulled off today. He was .028 quicker than teammate Jason Line, who was second. Mopar runner Allen Johnson was third with a 6.625.
“We just mastered a green race track better today,” Anderson admitted. “Today’s run was a good one but there’s not always going to be that much of a gap.”
UNFORTUNATELY UNQUALIFIED – If misery loves company, then Larry Dixon’s failure 
to qualify has company in Tim Wilkerson.
Dixon, in his national event debut for Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing, missed the sixteen-car field when he shook the tires, leading to a broken ignition.
“To say we’re disappointed might be the biggest understatement ever,” Dixon said. “Sheik Khalid was here and we really wanted to put on a good show for him. We came to Pomona with the same high expectations as everyone else, but sometimes parts break; there’s nothing we could have done differently. It’s unfortunate, but NHRA awards the same number of points at Phoenix, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Just one race after finishing runner-up for the Funny Car championship, Wilkerson opened his season by ending up in the No. 17 qualifying position.
"You name it and it went pretty much wrong for us here, from the weather to some stuff on the car," Wilkerson said. "We had the air line that runs the timer system fail on us, but we couldn't see that or even know it before the run. There was really no way to know it wasn't functional until I hit the throttle, and man the car was just strange. I pedaled it real quick, and it hooked up and was going, but the motor was zinging, just screaming out there. At the same time, it was really obvious the car just wasn't running, so I finally lifted quite a bit early because nothing good was going to happen with the motor running away like that. At the time, it had turned into a pretty nice afternoon and nobody was really thinking about not getting the second run in, so my biggest worry was the fact we were going to have to be heroes on the last pass to get it into the field.
"On top of all that, my visor fogged up on me and I could barely see. So, I've got a car that's obviously hurt or broken, and I can't see. That's a bad combination, so my instinct was to save the car and maybe me, for the last run. Then, we get back here and service the car and that's all going along great, when we notice this big black cloud coming over. There was blue sky all around it, but man it found the race track like a magnet. A few little drops turned into a steady rain, then a shower, and that was it.”
Wilkerson's aborted run was a 5.141, which missed the field by 8-hundredths of a second.
SURE NEFF – Let the record reflect that sophomore Funny Car driver Mike Neff is in it to win it.
The idea that he’s unsponsored is a major misnomer.
“The car does have funding with it,” Neff told CompetitionPlus.com. “Ford is one of our largest contributors and with what they give us is more than adequate to run the car with. We’re not lacking for what it takes to win.”
That’s why Neff, a former nitro tuner before joining John Force Racing in 2007, says he’s planning on challenging for the title in 2009. He’s not going to be a test car, as some suggest.
“We’re committed to challenging for a Countdown to the Championship position,” Neff said.
Neff admits the team would like to have additional sponsorship to add to the program to replace the loss of Old Spice who departed at the end of the season. Rumors persist that a new sponsor is on the horizon, but such talk is something Neff knows nothing about. Then again, he’s not typically in that loop.
The loop he does claim to be in, is the tuning loop when it comes to his race car. Neff was already a championship tuner, having tuned Gary Scelzi to the 2004 NHRA Funny Car title, but after a year of driving he’s learning new lessons with from John Medlen with each passing day.
“He is just a great man is so many ways,” Neff said. “He’s probably been one of the most knowledgeable guys I’ve ever known. I’m talking about life in general. He’s a good Christian man who is a pleasure to be around. He’s really open-minded and it’s nice to be around someone like that. He’s really positive and that rubs off on the team.”
That’s why if Neff ever returns to tuning, he’s learned many lessons to apply.
“I’ve learned quite a few things,” Neff admitted. “I think if I ever go back to tuning that I’m the better for this experience. I think the driving experience has helped a lot, and though John makes all the tuning decisions, I remain in the loop. If I was to go back to tuning any time soon, I will be up to speed.”
PLASTIC SURGERY – John Force’s Funny Cars were the subject of scrutiny during Wednesday’s technical inspections. The 
source of the problem was a 45-degree wicker used by Funny Cars to channel air around the unique injector scoop.
According to our source, the same wicker approved by NHRA tech officials during the National Time Trials test session in Phoenix, Az., was deemed illegal by officials in Pomona.
Force’s team returned to the pit area and replaced the “illegal” component.
Force later confirmed the teams are running the same bodies they brought to tech in Phoenix.
“We don’t cheat,” Force said. “Now we may embellish our war stories at Christmastime, but we don’t cheat when it comes to the race car.”
FINDING THE RIGHT COMBO – Suppose you’re a crew chief 
and you haven’t tested during the off-season. Couple that with two days of rain and a third one with iffy conditions, where would you start?
For Rahn Tobler the answer lies in experience.
“We look back to what we did back in November,” Tobler said. “The track is going to be different because a lot of the rubber has washed off of the surface.”
However, with driver Cruz Pedregon being the defending champion, he got to make his qualifying run deep into the session. According to Tobler, one can get a good idea of which direction they need to go by watching the first five pairs run.
“You usually have to watch yourself early in the run at Pomona, and with a situation like we have this weekend, that will be magnified. You usually don’t worry about this track from 100 feet on down.”
HERE ONE MINUTE, GONE THE NEXT – Gary Scelzi was walking through the Pomona pits in his street clothes. There was no 
firesuit, no scooter rushing to the next meeting. He was just a normal person visiting his old stomping grounds.
“I get to enjoy the fans and be relaxed,” Gary Scelzi admitted while making a pit stop at Pomona. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this relaxed at a race track which is probably a good thing.”
Scelzi conveniently planned a business meeting on Friday in nearby Azusa and made a visit to the track on Saturday morning. He planned to leave before the first round of qualifying.
“That’s what I have to,” Scelzi admitted. “Evidently I made the right decision because I donn’t feel bad right now. Of course, I haven’t watched a car go down the track yet and I don’t plan to either. I guess it’s a bit of therapy and I figure my experience is nothing more than taking in a teaspoonful. If I can get the hell out of here and feel good about it, then I will be fine.”
Scelzi isn't currently in a ride this year, but hasn't slammed the door closed on his driving career.
“I plan on coming back but it’s going to have to be the right deal,” Scelzi admitted. “The right people, the right amount of money and if it comes through next season, I’ll be back. If not, maybe the next year. If you don’t see me in the next two years, then I’m not coming back.”
There is the standing invitation from Jim Head and while Scelzi would love to drive for his longtime friend, the demands of converting the car to his stature will be more trouble than it’s worth. Add in the fact Head is seeking a driver who will bring along sponsorship money and that’s why Scelzi is fine with waiting.
“We’ve talked about it and I just don’t want to come drive for one race,” Scelzi said. “I could drive the car any time I want, but I think right now I just need to sit out a year. This time off is going to do me right, give me time to get my head right and focus on the business. Besides, the kids love having me at home.”
OH-BAMA, OH-MILLER – Someone pulled a prank on the ultra-conservative Top Fuel team owner and manufacturer Bill Miller 
at Pomona.
The unidentified culprit printed up a batch of bumper stickers that read, OBAMA-MILLER, Together in 2012 which included the statement - “I’m Bill Miller and I approve this message.”
Miller took the prank in stride and even laughed, crediting the prankster, “with a good one.”
That’s only because Miller hasn’t caught them yet.
“I think I know who it was but no one is taking credit for it,” Miller said with a smile. “I think it’s funny, but when I find them, I’ll get even.”
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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - ANOTHER WET DAY AT THE TRACK
There was one attempt to dry the track for Friday's qualifying, but that effort proved for naught.
Rain continued to fall in Southern California Friday, forcing NHRA
officials to cancel the second round of professional qualifying at the
Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Rain started in the early morning hours and continued to be heavy at
times throughout the afternoon. No racing was completed before
officials pulled the plug for the day around 1:15 p.m.
Two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 3
p.m. Sunday's final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m.
The race, which will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, is the first of
24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2009.
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THURSDAY NOTEBOOK - RAIN GETS THE FINAL WORD
NEVER RAINS IN SO-CAL? - Rain showers forced the postponement of first day qualifying at the NHRA Winternationals in 
Pomona, Ca.
Nine pairs into Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying, the first sprinkles began to fall and developed into steady rain.
Rain is forecast through Saturday morning, with 90% chance on Friday.
Saturday’s forecast drops to 60% with Sunday presenting a perfect day
for racing.
ESPN2/NHRA THROUGH 2016 - The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will be featured on ESPN through 2016
as part of a five-year, multimedia rights agreement extension between the National Hot Rod Association and ESPN. The NHRA has appeared exclusively on the ESPN networks since 2001. By the end of the extended agreement, the partnership will have been in place for 16 years.
As part of the agreement, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will continue to be showcased on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is the premier sportsman series in drag racing and, for many aspiring racers, serves as a stepping stone for the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
"The NHRA continues to deliver strong results across our multimedia platforms, and this extension is our long-term commitment to the NHRA and drag racing fans around the world," said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming and
acquisitions.
In 2009, same-day coverage of qualifying and finals airs on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD for all 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Viewership has grown in the past few years as a more consistent schedule has been developed, with finals coverage for 18 of the 24 events scheduled to air in evening viewing hours in 2009. ESPN2 is available in more than 97 million households.
"This partnership has allowed us to solidify one of the important pillars of our sport into the next decade," said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. "During this relationship we've seen the NHRA Full Throttle Series showcased as one of the
first properties in HD on ESPN2 and one of the flagship properties on the network. We appreciate the continued evolution our programming has enjoyed as it provides comprehensive coverage for devoted and casual fans and serves as a marketing tool for NHRA to reach a new audience of general sports enthusiasts."
ALL WARMED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR IN THE BOOKS ...
THAT'S GONNA LEAVE A MARK ...
Roger Richards had the right shot in Stock eliminator qualifying when John Irving had more than a fair share of problems chopping down the tree ... literally!
