The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season has been one of the most exciting seasons in drag racing history and it will come to a fitting end at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Nov. 13-16, at the 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals.
The best in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will once again battle for the coveted race victory and world championship titles at one of drag racing’s most tradition-rich events. Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Rickie Jones (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the season-ending race that will once again be televised nationally on ESPN2.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, NHRA will feature many of the sport’s greatest legends and those drivers will share some of their favorite memories from 50 years of the Auto Club NHRA Finals. “The King of Speed” Kenny Bernstein, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, “TV” Tommy Ivo, Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch, Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme will be featured during the event and participate in a series of special NHRA Legends Chats and a special autograph session on Saturday afternoon in the popular Hot Rod Junction.
The NHRA Legends Chats will run from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday and the special legends autograph session will take place between Saturday’s pro qualifying sessions. Fans can attend the Legends Chats and autograph session by obtaining a special commemorative 50th Anniversary NHRA Legends Card, which will be available on a first come, first served basis at the Hot Rod Junction.
NHRA fans also will play an important role in the 50th anniversary celebration as they will help decide the most iconic moments in the history of the Auto Club NHRA Finals. Fans will vote for their favorite moments from the event via interactive pages set up on NHRA’s social media channels.
On the track, world championship titles and race victories will be up for grabs at the fabled drag racing facility that sits just east of downtown Los Angeles.
Seven-time world champion Tony Schumacher is the points leader in Top Fuel. Schumacher has shined in past opportunities to earn world championship titles at Pomona and if he’s successful this season it will be a record eighth championship for the driver of the U.S. Army dragster. After a ho-hum regular season, Schumacher hit his stride in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, posting victories at Charlotte, Dallas and Reading. A four-time winner of the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Schumacher will try to close out his late season surge in style with another victory.
Doug Kalitta, Steve Torrence, defending winner and world champ Langdon and 2012 champ Antron Brown are all still in contention but will need extraordinary performances in the final two races of the season to catch and pass Schumacher.
Other drivers to watch in Top Fuel include Atlanta and Topeka winner Spencer Massey, reigning Auto Club of Southern California Road the Future Award winner Brittany Force, Pomona and Sonoma winner Khalid alBalooshi, Englishtown and Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals winner Richie Crampton and Denver winner J.R. Todd.
In Funny Car, Hagan took home the Auto Club NHRA Finals victory last season, but was disappointed his win didn’t include a world championship trophy as well. Following his recent win in Pennsylvania, Hagan enters the final stretch with a lead over John Force, and the Virginia cattle rancher’s Mopar Express Lane / Rocky Boots Dodge Charger is primed to make a run for a second world championship crown and first since 2011.
Force earned his 16th world championship title last season and this year his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang has been one of the quickest and fastest cars on the circuit. However, it’s going to take one of his best efforts to secure a record 17th world championship.
Force’s daughter Courtney is also a top contender for the championship, as she earned back-to-back playoff victories at Dallas and St. Louis and sits third in points at the controls of her Traxxas Mustang. She became the first female to post four wins in a season in Funny Car and the first woman to win back-to-back races in Funny Car. A world championship would be the icing on the cake to wrap up a dream season for the 26-year-old racer, which also included earning the 100th win by a female driver in the Mello Yello Series and passing her sister Ashley as NHRA’s winningest female Funny Car driver.
In addition to the trio of championship challengers, the list of potential event winners in Funny Car is deep, and includes three-time season winner Alexis DeJoria, Bristol winner Tommy Johnson Jr., four-time season winner Robert Hight, Ron Capps, Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham and Cruz Pedregon.
In Pro Stock, one of the most intense playoff battles could be settled at Pomona. Jason Line leads the pack in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro and is followed by history-chaser Erica Enders-Stevens, a four-time winner this season who is trying to become the first female to win an NHRA world championship title in Pro Stock. Hot on her heels is Dave Connolly, Shane Gray and Allen Johnson.
The 2014 world championship in Pro Stock Motorcycle is coming down to Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Andrew Hines and Krawiec, the winner of this event last season. Hines currently holds the points lead over Krawiec, but the pair have gone back and forth during the season, both posting five wins each. Both riders are looking for their respective fourth world championship titles and may likely have to defeat each other head-to-head in Pomona to claim the season crown.
Special celebrations throughout the weekend are scheduled to highlight this significant milestone event. In addition to the NHRA Legends Chats and special autograph session featuring the legends, there will be several NHRA-exclusive Cacklefests showcasing the vintage dragsters of the sport’s early days, a special car corral in the Hot Rod Junction featuring a wide variety of vintage dragsters and classic race cars and The SealMaster Track Walk, where fans can walk on the famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona track prior to Sunday’s final eliminations. The SealMaster Track Walk also will feature several of the sports legends.
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and enjoy some cherished face time and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.
Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.
The event also will feature thrilling competition and world championship finishes in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Nov. 14, with sessions at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16.
To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or visit www.NHRATIX.com. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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