It’s typical that all four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series professional class driving titles will be decided this weekend at the season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona.
Half of the titles chase are with within 90 points, equivalent to three rounds of racing as the finale points are worth 1 1/2 times the normal. The closest margin is in Top Fuel dragster as Steve Torrence holds a slim 16-point edge over Brittany Force. In Funny Car, Robert Hight leads Jack Beckman by 46. Erica Enders is 92 points ahead of Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock while Andrew Hines is a round away from another Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.
All four classes will be on the track Friday for the first of four qualifying passes. The top 16 after Saturday’s session will advance to Sunday’s finals, which will begin at 11 a.m. Sportsman racers will also compete in the season finale.
In contention for Summit Racing Series national championship titles will be sportsman classes Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Super Pro Motorcycle racers from seven geographical divisions.
Hight has led the points race most of the season but will have stiff competition at Auto Club Raceway Matt Hagan, Beckman’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate, is 56 points out of the lead after back-to-back wins while John Force, the 16-time champion and the lead figure of John Force Racing, is fourth 72 points out of first. Driving the Auto Club-sponsored Chevrolet, Hight is not going to change his approach to the event.
“This year, it’s a lot like 2017 and I’m going in as the leader,” said Hight of his second title run. “It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s exciting and I can’t wait. I want to get going and it doesn’t get better than a shot at winning a championship at your home track in front of your sponsors. This is what it’s all about and we’re not going to change how we race.
“We can’t go there and protect points. That’s not how we got here. We’ll go in swinging and be aggressive.”
Hight also has the experience of entering the final day in front and finishing second in the points race to Finals winner J.R. Todd.
“I just believe losing the championship on the last day kind of motivated everybody,” said Hight of 2018. “We didn’t make a lot of crazy changes to the combination or the car. We really looked at how we lost last year and we really focused on those things. We raced smarter and worked on the things that give you consistency. The trick is to be quick and fast, and consistent.
“It’s about going down the track and being consistent.”
Beckman is also banking on previous experience to guide his team this weekend.
“To go six years and come close a couple of times and not the seal the deal makes you realize exactly how tough it is to win a championship,” said the driver from Norco. “When (John) Force was winning all of those championships in the late 1990s/early 2000s, even he’ll tell you he kind of took it for granted for a little while. It seemed easy to do.
“Well, I am firmly aware of how incredibly difficult it is to do, and to do it with the Infinite Hero cause on the side of the car would be special for so many extra reasons there. A second Funny Car championship would mean the world to me.”
Hagan’s run at the title strengthened with consecutive victories at Dallas and La Vegas following, for him, a mediocre season.
“We struggled at the beginning, but it’s one of those things where the points are so close once they’re reset that it really only takes a race or two to get back in there,” said Hagan. “If we would’ve done better from the get-go, we might be leading in the points, but ‘woulda, shoulda, coulda.’ We’re happy to be in this position where we have a shot right now.
“The only thing we can do is control our own destiny; do the best job we can and let the points fall where they may.”
Force has been here before and is ready for the challenge.
“This ‘Old Blue’ Chevy Camaro has been a great race car all year. It’s a fast hot rod and Brian Corradi, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi and all the young guys on my team, they’ve worked really hard to give me the best car out there,” said the 16-time champion. “I love being in this car.
“Doing what I get to do and being out there with all the fans and with our sponsors, it makes me feel alive. I’m ready for Pomona.
Hight has been out front 22 of the 23 events in what he has called a “dream season.” Six wins in eight finals, qualifying first eight times can lead to those thoughts.
“I’ve had years where I led all year and we lost in the Countdown,” said Hight, who has Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham as crew chiefs. “I’ve had years where we were horrible until we got to the Countdown and we ended up winning a championship. This is what I’ve dreamed about, having a year where you’ve got the most wins and you’ve been in the lead all year. Now we’ve got to finish it off.”
