Updated throughout the day
PRE-RACE NOTES
As we gear up for the final eliminations of Race 3 in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, let’s take a moment to review some significant facts and figures that set the context.
Winning a Winternationals title can be challenging, as evidenced by three of the sport’s prominent figures: Antron Brown, Brittany Force, and Austin Prock.
While Force has secured the No. 1 qualifying position in five of her last six Winternationals appearances — including this year — she has faced early exits in the semifinals over the past three years, twice succumbing to her JFR teammate Prock, who now drives the Cornwell Tools Funny Car.
This No. 1 qualifier marks the 54th of Force’s career and the 43rd since crew chief Dave Grubnic joined her team in 2019. Her father, John, is a record eight-time Winternationals champion, and her sister, Courtney, claimed the title in Funny Car in 2013.
Brown achieved his first No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel at the 2008 Winternationals and has celebrated four victories at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, though he has yet to secure a Winternationals title. On race day, he is just two rounds away from his 950th Top Fuel elimination round and his 1300th overall race day round. Advancing past the first round today will allow him to achieve both milestones.
Prock has reached the finals five times in nine starts at Pomona, with a single victory in Top Fuel at the 2022 Finals. He has been the runner-up on three occasions at the Winternationals (2020, 2022, and 2023) and was also a runner-up to teammate Jack Beckman at the previous year’s Finals.
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Justin Ashley, conversely, has had a commendable run, winning the Winternationals for three consecutive years. He aims to join Funny Car icon Don Prudhomme, who dominated the event from 1975-78, as one of the only two competitors to achieve four consecutive Pro wins.
Other Top Alcohol Dragster champions, Rick Santos (1998-2001) and Shawn Cowie (2018-21), have also claimed the event four times in succession.
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Three members of the Kalitta family have enjoyed victory at the Winternationals. Patriarch Connie earned his first Top Fuel triumph at the 1967 edition of the event in his Ford-powered dragster, while his late son Scott secured the Top Fuel title in 1995. Doug, Connie’s nephew, is the most successful at Pomona with seven wins across 15 final rounds in both of the track’s annual races, including four Winternationals titles and three NHRA Finals victories.
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Two-time Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon, who grew up in nearby Chino, still holds a special connection to this track, having won in three different classes. “I’ve always thought of Pomona as my home track and have had the chance to win significant races here, dating back to my Top Alcohol days in the late 80s,” he shared. “My highlights include consecutive Winternationals wins in different types of cars, first in a Top Alcohol Dragster in 1989, followed by a Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1990, and a big victory with my nitro Funny Car in 1995.”
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Four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan has been a finalist in six of his last 11 appearances at the Winternationals, including the last two. He has more wins (7) and more rounds (56) at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip than any other venue on the circuit.
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This morning, Mother Nature gave Pomona a brief shower, helping to clear the famed Parker Avenue dragstrip of dust and dirt, paving the way for what promises to be a record-setting day of racing. Stay tuned as Top Fuel begins at 11 a.m. PT.
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Top Fuel Round One
Following a morning rain, Pomona’s air temperature stands at a cool 59 degrees with the track temperature at 83 degrees as Top Fuel eliminations commence. Justin Ashley, after a streak of 12 consecutive round wins over three Winternationals victories, sees his streak come to an end with early tire smoke against Josh Hart, whose R+L Carriers dragster matched his qualifying time of 3.675. Hart expressed optimism this morning, stating he anticipates his car will reach championship-capable performance by the conclusion of the next event.
In the upcoming round, Hart faces a tough opponent in Shawn Langdon, the Arizona Nationals champion, who also won the season’s first Mission #2Fast2Tasty events. Langdon recorded his ninth consecutive win light (including four in 2F2T) and 12 out of 13 at the expense of Ida Zetterström, with a low round time of 3.668 as Doug Kalitta followed closely with 3.660 to defeat Scott Palmer.
Tony Stewart celebrates a victory in his opening-round matchup for the third consecutive event as Antron Brown struggles with traction against Stewart’s 3.71. For the second straight race, low qualifier Brittany Force eliminates her former babysitter, Steve Chrisman, and will advance straight to the semifinals due to the 14-car field.
Clay Millican navigated some tire shake to defeat Shawn Reed, who experienced smoke issues despite his winning time of 3.87, which leaves him without lane choice against Jasmine Salinas, who also progressed past first round for the third consecutive event after seeing four-time world champion Steve Torrence unusually foul with a double-stuffed throttle.
With Brown’s first-round defeat and Kalitta’s win, “Air Doug” moves into second place in the point standings behind Langdon.
Second-round Top Fuel matchups (lane choice first): Brittany Force vs. bye; Jasmine Salinas vs. Clay Millican; Doug Kalitta vs. Tony Stewart; Shawn Langdon vs. Josh Hart
