Yahoo Autos Force makes quickest No. 1 run of 2024 at NHRA Finals in Pomona
Brittany Force made the quickest Top Fuel run of the 2024 season on Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, qualifying No. 1 for the fourth time in the past five races at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.
Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the last of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the sixth race in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Force, who won the most recent race in Las Vegas, went an impressive 3.643s at 336.65mph in her Monster Energy/Chevrolet dragster, collecting her sixth No. 1 of the season. After enduring her share of struggles this season, Force and her team have come on strong to close out the season as she looks to end the year with a second straight win. She’s 108 points out of first, giving her an outside shot at a championship as well, but Force is thrilled with how her team has persevered to get back on track.
Steve Torrence went 3.644s just moments earlier on Saturday, but Force and her team laid down an incredible run to close out qualifying.
“We ran a 3.64s and that’s huge. I’m very proud of [crew chief] David Grubnic and John Collins, and the whole Monster Energy team. I wanted as many bonus points as we could get,” Force said. “[The number of cars in the 3.6s] says the competition is fierce. It’s killer out there. I didn’t know how quick I ran but when I pulled off the track there were cameras in my face so I thought it might be better than it felt.
“I’m not disappointed [in being a championship longshot]. Everything happens for a reason and it all helps pull our team together. We win as a team and we lose as a team.”
Torrence’s 3.644s at 334.90mph puts him second, while defending world champion Doug Kalitta is third after a 3.650s at 334.98mph. Shawn Langdon took fourth with a 3.653s at 331.45mph, jumping into second in points.
He’s currently 43 behind points leader Justin Ashley, who is looking for his first world championship. Ashley will open eliminations in an epic first-round matchup against Antron Brown, who is only 46 points behind the young standout. Kalitta and Torrence are 78 and 79 points behind, respectively, while Clay Millican also remains in contention at 95 points out of first heading into the opening round of eliminations.
In Funny Car, Austin Prock closed out qualifying with an incredible track-record run of 3.804s at 334.57mph in his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. Prock clinched his first career world championship in qualifying, making the quickest Funny Car run in seven years and the fourth-quickest in Funny Car history. It is his 15th No. 1 qualifier in 2024, the most in Funny Car history.
Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson stayed alive in the championship chase, making two strong runs of 6.50s on Saturday, including a category-best 6.505s at 211.20mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It is the eighth No. 1 qualifier of the season for the five-time world champion, who also remained in contention for the world title. He’s currently 48 points behind leader Aaron Stanfield, with a potential semifinal matchup looming between the contenders.
He could also meet KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn in the championship round in what would be a winner-take-all final round. It’s a scenario that has the veteran and the all-time wins leader in the category excited for Sunday, as an epic championship finale could be in store at Pomona.
“Qualifying means everything. To be able to control our own destiny on Sunday is all you can ask for,” Anderson said. “The way the ladder is set up is a prayer answered. I can’t remember a time when we had three cars within two rounds of the championship going into Sunday.
“Win the race and win the championship. If I can pull that off, it might be the biggest thing I’ve done in this sport. We’ve got it all set up. I just hope I wake up on the right side of the bed. For the last dozen races I’ve had the strongest horse out here but I just haven’t closed the deal. Tomorrow, I hope the sun shines on me and if it doesn’t, I hope it shines on my teammate, Dallas Glenn.”
Glenn is 29 points behind Stanfield, qualifying second with a run of 6.512s at 209.82mph, pulling to within a round of Stanfield heading into eliminations. He could potentially meet Stanfield in a winner-take-all final round as well, while Stanfield qualified fourth with a 6.517s at 209.98mph.
Matt Smith kept Gaige Herrera from his second straight championship on Saturday, securing enough qualifying bonus – as well as the No. 1 spot – to extend the championship race into Sunday. He qualified in the top spot for the sixth time this year, going 6.721s at 202.64mph on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. With that, he closed the gap to 119 points against Herrera, though Smith will need plenty of help to secure a seventh world championship on Sunday.
If Herrera knocks off Clayton Howey in the opening round of eliminations, Herrera will claim his second straight world title. Smith’s only path to a championship is if Herrera loses in the first round and Smith wins the race. If that doesn’t happen, Smith would at least like to end the year with a victory.
“We came here to try and get the win and we’re in a spot to do that,” Smith said. “We’re still alive [for the championship] but we made too many mistakes during the Countdown to battle Gaige [Herrera] for the championship.
“Funny, but I’m going to finish No. 2 in the championship and I’ve never been No. 2 in my career. I’ve either won the championship or been third or fourth or lower. It would be huge for us to win the race tomorrow or for Angie [Smith], John Hall or Jianna [Evaristo] to win it. I’d love to see one of them win it. It would be a great way to end the season.”
A. Smith qualified second with a 6.758s at 201.43mph and Herrera is third after going 6.765s at 201.22mph.
Eliminations for the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
