POMONA — When NHRA Funny Car driver Ron Capps races at In-N-Out Burger Dragstrip in Pomona, it brings back fond memories.
It’s where he won the season-opening Winternationals in 2016 en route to his first Funny Car championship in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
It is where he won the Winternationals in 2021, a race postponed until the middle of summer because of the COVID pandemic. He went on to win his second Funny Car championship that year.
But it is also a track that reminds Capps of Hollywood and movies that were shot at the track over the years. The dragstrip in Pomona is not only considered the birthplace of drag racing, but it is also where some memorable movie moments were born.
When he returns for this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, he will be looking for his first win in almost two years.
Capps has won 75 NHRA Funny Car races in his career, but he was shut out in 2024. He made it to four final-round appearances and was the runner-up each time.
“Last year was a rebuilding year. It was tough at times,” Capps said. “We were trying to get ahead of the competition. I feel good. I feel the best I’ve probably felt in a few years.”
Capps reached the final at the NHRA Gatornationals in Florida to open the season. But he lost again, this time to Chad Green. Still, it put Capps in the mix at the top of the Funny Car standings.
He is in seventh place in the NHRA Funny Car standings after two races, 29 points behind Paul Lee. The top three drivers in the Funny Car standings are separated by eight points. Jack Beckman is second, two points out of first, and Bob Tasca III is third, eight points behind Lee.
Lee won the Funny Car race at Firebird Motorsports Park in Arizona last weekend. Capps was knocked out in the first round of eliminations of the NHRA Arizona Nationals and was involved in a fiery crash in a race against Blake Alexander.
Capps’ car exploded midway through his run and sent him across both lanes of the dragstrip into a retaining wall. He was able to walk away from the crash, but his car was destroyed.
“After the crash, I couldn’t wait to get back in the car. I think a lot of it is we have a good team and a good car,” Capps said.
“We’re always favored to win. We’ve got a very, very good car. There’s nothing better than being in a fight like that for a championship with a very good chance of winning.”
The three-time Funny Car champion from Carlsbad said he is ready to make more history at Pomona.
“It’s a nice, feel-at-home kind of race,” Capps said. “But the track is so fast and historical and that’s what I love about it. I’ve had great success there.”
Antron Brown looks for more
The last time Antron Brown was at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, he won the Top Fuel championship and the race. He worked his way from third place in the standings to claim his fourth career Top Fuel championship and his first as a team owner.
It was an impressive run in the NHRA Auto Club Finals and he said he is looking forward to returning to Pomona this weekend.
“We’re coming back and we’re just looking at the weather. It’s going to be cool, brisk weather out there. The track is going to be really good,” Brown said. “We got to come correct. That’s the game plan. We’re really pumped and excited to get out there.”
Brown said his team can use a lot of the information from his winning run last year for the Winternationals. His team is in a good place and he is confident it will help him.
“Our setup is not much different than what we raced last year. Except for we made a couple tweaks where we can run harder than what we did at the end of last year,” Brown said. “We know we’re capable of doing it. We did our homework this offseason that we prepared for to come out there and execute it. That’s where our head is right now.”
Brown starting the season where he left off in 2024, winning the NHRA Gatornationals. He defeated Shawn Langdon in the final March 9 at Gainesville Raceway.
But Brown was eliminated in the second round last weekend at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. Jasmine Salinas defeated Brown in a close race by 0.050 seconds. Brown said his car dropped a cylinder on a hot day at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.
“That’s how it goes in nitro racing in these types of temperatures,” Brown said.
Brown is in second place in the Top Fuel standings after two races and trails Langdon by 40 points. Doug Kalitta is in third, 58 points out of first.
Brown was 6 for 6 in final rounds last year in his championship season. He wants to improve on those numbers, and add some more No. 1 qualifiers. But he is still proud of what his team accomplished last year and wants to continue the success.
“It was very, very satisfying,” Brown said. “It felt really good to put all the work in as one and get it done.
“It’s been a dream for me to be a part of something that’s so special with a great group of people. It’s all what you hope for, what you plan for.”
Top Fuel All-Star Callout concludes
Before the Winternationals start, there is some unfinished business from Florida that needs to be resolved.
The Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout that was supposed to run in the season opener in Gainesville but was rained out will be completed Friday in Pomona.
Eight of the Top Fuel drivers will race each other in the All-Star Callout. First-round matchups are set with Steve Torrence vs. Tony Stewart, Doug Kalitta vs. Clay Millican, Langdon vs. Brown, and Justin Ashley vs. Brittany Force. The event will be televised at 6:30 p.m. Friday on FS1.
John Force won the Funny Car portion of the Winternationals last year, his 17th career win at Pomona. But after crashing in Richmond, Virginia, Force missed the remainder of the season recovering from head and other injuries. Jack Beckman took over for Force and finished the season. Beckman is back for John Force Racing in 2025 and Force, a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion, is still recovering from his injuries.
Dallas Glenn won the Pro Stock portion of the Winternational races last year, defeating Erica Enders in the final round. It was his second Winternational championship in a row.
Qualifying for the Winternationals starts at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Friday. They continue Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. The final rounds of elimination start at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Television coverage on FS1 is at 8 p.m. Saturday and noon and 3:30 p.m. Sunday.