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Justin Ashley leads NHRA title race at Pomona finals

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley, center, rides back to the pits following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley drives through the shutdown area during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley laughs with a crew member following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Jason Rupert, right, hits the timing blocks, for a disqualification, as he nearly collides with Jeff Diehl, left, during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Austin Prock, right, is congratulated by his Top Fuel teammate Brittany Force after winning his first season championship following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Austin Prock celebrates after winning his first season championship following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Prock will start Sunday’s eliminations from the top qualifying position. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Billy Torrence does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Pro Stock driver Mason McGaha does his burnout during qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Buddy Hull argues with an official as his crew chief Jon Dunn, bottom left, looks on following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Hull’s run was disqualified eliminating him from Sunday eliminations. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Matt Hagan does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Blake Alexander heads down track during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Brittany Force heads down track during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Tony Stewart heads down track during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Race fans pack the grandstands during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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Funny Car driver Jack Beckman inspects the track prior to the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Pro Stock driver Aaron Stanfield prepares for the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley, near lane, races against Antron Brown, far lane, who is second in points, during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. The two will face off in the opening round of eliminations. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel drivers Tony Stewart, left, and Steve Torrence race down track during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel Brittany Force, right, races to the top qualifying position during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 as she races against Tony Schumacher, left. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Jason Rupert, right, hits the timing blocks, for a disqualification, as he nearly collides with Jeff Diehl, left, during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Antron Brown drives through the shutdown area during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Pro Stock driver Aaron Stanfield heads through the shutdown area during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Buddy Hull argues with an official as his crew chief Jon Dunn, bottom left, looks on following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Hull’s run was disqualified eliminating him from Sunday eliminations. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Jason Rupert, right, hits the timing blocks, for a disqualification, as he nearly collides with Jeff Diehl, left, during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera rides through the shutdown area during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Jason Rupert, right, hits the timing blocks, for a disqualification, as he nearly collides with Jeff Diehl, left, during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel drivers Ida Zetterstrom, left, and Billy Torrence race down track during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Buddy Hull argues an official following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Hull’s run was disqualified eliminating him from Sunday eliminations. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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Funny Car driver J.R. Todd does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Blake Alexander does his burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Austin Prock, right, is congratulated by his Top Fuel teammate Brittany Force after winning his first season championship following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Sixteen time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force watches qualifying with his daughter Courtney Force during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Force has been sidelined recovering since June after being involved in a massive crash in Virginia. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Top Fuel driver Brittany Force does her burnout during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car teammates Austin Prock, far lane, and Jack Beckman, near lane, race down track during the second round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan, left, and Chad Green, right, race down track during the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Funny Car driver Austin Prock celebrates after winning his first season championship following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. Prock will start Sunday’s eliminations from the top qualifying position. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley, center, rides back to the pits following the final round of qualifying at the 59th NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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POMONA – NHRA Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley said there is little room for error for his team at the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Finals in Pomona. He said his team is focused on having a near-perfect weekend.

Ashley started the qualifying rounds Saturday for the 59th In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona Dragstrip with a 44-point lead over Antron Brown and was 45 points ahead of Shawn Langdon, the third-place driver in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Langdon moved ahead of Brown into second place after qualifying and is 43 points behind Ashley. Brown is in third place, three points behind Langdon, who qualified fourth.

Ashley is in a position to win his first NHRA championship but he understands there is a lot of work to do.

“We’re trying to stack round wins and hopefully come away with that championship,” Ashley said.

Brown has won three NHRA championships in his career and wants to add another.

“It will be huge for all of us,” Brown said. “For our whole team as a whole. We’re not talking about the end result. We just want to keep on making history.”

Tony Schumacher holds the record for most NHRA Top Fuel championships with eight. Steve Torrence was the last driver to win four NHRA Top Fuel championships. He won four in a row from 2018 to 2021.

Brown won NHRA Top Fuel championships in 2012, 2015 and 2016 and wants to join the four-time title club.

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“We’re going to fight to the end and give it all we got,” Brown said.

Brittany Force was the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel with a run of 3.643 seconds at 336.65 mph. Torrence was second at 3.644 seconds and 334.90 mph. Doug Kalitta, the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion, was third at 3.650 seconds and 334.98 mph.

“This field is strong. The competition is just fierce. I think we got a great race track, conditions are great and everyone’s running killer,” Force said.

It was the sixth time Force was the No. 1 qualifier this season and the fourth time in the past five races. She won the race in Las Vegas two weeks ago, her first victory in almost two years. Her qualifying time at Pomona was the best in Top Fuel this year.

“I believe everything happens for a reason. And it’s been tough for us for two seasons,” Force said. “I feel it holds this team together, it makes this team stronger, keeps us digging deeper and always pushing.”

Ashley and Brown will meet in the first round of eliminations today in a race that could determine the championship.

Ashley was the fifth-fastest qualifier and has a slight edge. Brown was the 12th-fastest qualifier, 0.055 seconds behind Ashley.

Austin Prock capped a championship season in NHRA Funny Car with a top-qualifying run, set the track record and recorded the fourth-fastest qualifying time in NHRA history.

“We’re rolling into this weekend like any other,” Prock said. “We want to leave here with some more gold. That’s the main focus. We want to get this red, white and blue Auto Club car in the winner’s circle. It’s been a long time since it’s been there. To double up here in Pomona would be real special.”

Prock was the No. 1 qualifier with a run of 3.804 seconds at 334.82 mph. It was the second time the track record was broken on Sunday.

Ron Capps broke the track record during the first round of qualifying with a 3.821-second run at 332.75 mph. It was good enough for the No. 2 spot.

Jack Beckman was third in qualifying at 3.828 seconds and 334.82 mph.

In NHRA Pro Stock, Aaron Stanfield had a 32-point lead over Dallas Glenn entering qualifying Saturday. Greg Anderson was in third place, 56 points behind Stanfield.

After qualifying, Stanfield’s lead was trimmed to 29 points over Glenn and 48 over Anderson.

Anderson was the No. 1 qualifier in NHRA Pro Stock after a run of 6.505 seconds at 211.20 mph. Glenn is second at 6.512 seconds and 207.82 mph. Stansfield was fourth in qualifying at 6.517 seconds and 209.98 mph.

“We had a great qualifying effort. We did everything team-wise that we needed to do in qualifying. We can control our own destiny, That’s all you can ask for. That’s a prayer answered and that’s the way you want it. You don’t want to have to sit back and hope and pray and depend on someone else to do your dirty work. You want to do it yourself. The way the ladder is set up it’s going to be a hell of a Sunday,” Anderson said.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera had a 123-point lead over Matt Smith and can wrap up the championship today. Herrera needs to win his first-round race to secure the title. If Herrera loses in the first round and Matt Smith wins all his races, Smith will win the championship.

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“I’m going to finish second,” Smith said after qualifying. “Gaige is a phenomenal rider and he doesn’t make mistakes.”

Richard Gadson was in third place, eight points behind Smith.

Smith was the No. 1 qualifier with a run of 6.721 seconds at 202.64 mph. Angie Smith was second at 6.758 seconds and 201.43 mph. Herrera was third at 6.765 seconds and 201.22 mph.

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