Titanic Funny Car Conclusion at Pomona Finals!

Titanic Funny Car Conclusion at Pomona Finals!

by editor on Nov.17, 2015, under National News

In what truly was one of the most memorable season conclusions in NHRA history, Del Worsham has claimed the 2015 Mello Yello Funny Car World Championship….

Southern California native Worsham defeated Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoff rival Jack Beckman in the semifinals to secure the Funny Car season title at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and become just the third driver in NHRA history, joining Kenny Bernstein and Gary Scelzi, to win world championships in both nitro categories. Worsham won the 2011 Top Fuel world championship.

Driving his DHL Toyota – Del Worsham won both the event and the NHRA World Championship at Pomona on Sunday.

Worsham managed to win the title while Don Schumacher Racing drivers Beckman, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Ron Capps all kept lowering the national elapsed time record throughout the day. Beckman finally claimed the 20-point bonus for the record at 3.884 seconds, but it wasn’t enough.

“When I put this trophy next to my other one at home it will be real,” said Worsham, who earned $500,000 from NHRA and Mello Yello for the championship. “Every time I looked up there was a Schumacher car sitting there in my face. I was nervous about it. I was counting points. I am not going to tell you it was like any other race, because it wasn’t. I know the points are the same as the first round at Charlotte, but the circumstances here were much greater.”

Worsham also powered his DHL Toyota Camry to the overall AAA Auto Club event title. After getting past Tony Pedregon and Robert Hight in earlier rounds he defeating Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final round to claim his fourth victory of the season and 38th of his career, including 30 in Funny Car.

Jack Beckman ran an astounding national record setting 3.884 secs at Pomona – but fell just short of the ’15 Mello Yello world title.

“The cars were running so fast here this weekend that the record just became part of the equation,” Worsham said. “(Beckman) was making up points before we even started racing by setting the record. Today it came down to being head to head and I am grateful for the way it worked out.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Hines claimed his second consecutive and fifth overall world championship title in Pro Stock Motorcycle when his closest rival, Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie, lost in the second round. Hines, who pocketed $75,000 for the title, is the youngest driver in NHRA history to win five world championships and continues the amazing domination by the Vance & Hines team in the two-wheel category.

Matt Hines clinched his 5th World Championship in Pro Stock Motorcycle racing

“My outstanding Harley-Davidson team did a great job of keeping me focused and keeping the pressure off of me,” said Hines, who won four races during the season atop his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson, including three in the Countdown playoffs. “It was awesome that my wife [Tanya] got to give me a kiss right before I ran, and thanks to my teammate for helping to get the job done. I guess we put the fear of Harley into them. Five championships is pretty awesome.”

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Worsham in the winner’s circle at the final playoff race of the NHRA Mello Yello Series Countdown to the Championship.

Langdon earned his second Top Fuel win of the season, sweeping both Wally trophies at this track for the second time in his career. Langdon, who won the season-opening Winternationals in the cockpit of an Alan Johnson Racing dragster, defeated Antron Brown in the final round in a Don Schumacher Racing machine. Langdon powered his Red Fuel dragster to a 3.715 at 332.43 to finish in front of the recently crowned world champion, who posted a 3.732 at 321.73 in his Matco Tools dragster.

Now driving for DSR in Top Fuel – Shawn Langdon – won both events at Pomona in 2015

“I love this track,” said Langdon, the 2013 world champ who now has 11 career victories. “It has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up right around the corner (Mira Loma, Calif.). I was always out here watching my heroes race. I have so many great memories out at this track. Luckily I’ve had a good career here. It makes it sweet to share these special memories with your family and friends.”

In Pro Stock, Johnson claimed his second win of the season and 26th of his career, by holding off Vincent Nobile in the final round. Johnson used a quicker reaction time and drove his Magneti Marelli/Mopar Dodge Dart to a 6.541 at 210.18 to take the win over Nobile, who clocked a quicker, but losing effort of 6.540 at 211.93 in his Mountain View Tire Chevy Camaro.

“We had struggled during the entire Countdown, never winning more than two rounds a race and losing twice in the first round,” Johnson said. “We also struggled during qualifying and in eliminations. But right before the final, we discovered that a torsion bar was bent. We fixed that, and the car went straight down the track.”

Allen Johnson roared to an impressive win in the final round for NHRA’s current Pro Stock class configuration.

Johnson says he is happy to win the last Pro Stock race featuring carbureted engines. He added that his plans are currently 50-50 regarding whether he will compete in 2016 when NHRA introduces the new-look Pro Stock class with electronic fuel injection, among other significant class changes.

“This was a very special win because it will be remembered as the end of an era,” said Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock world champ. “To do this today the way we did it by digging down deep and getting it done was very special.”

Krawiec closed the Pro Stock Motorcycle season with a victory and earned a second place points finish when he defeated two-time champ Matt Smith in the final round. Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 6.846 at 192.58 to finish in front of Smith’s Victory Gunner, which trailed with a 6.888 at 194.21. It was Krawiec’s fourth victory of the season, fourth at Pomona and 31st of his career.

The Pro stock Motorcycle final saw Eddie Krawiec defeat Matt Smith.

“I’ve been to eight finals in a row here in Pomona, so this track has treated me well,” Krawiec said. “It is also a big deal for us to get the 75th win for Harley-Davidson.”

The 23-race 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season opens Feb. 11-14 with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

The Lucas Oil Lowdown

In the final results from Auto Club Dragway and the Auto Club NHRA Finals, Joey Severance and John Lombardo Jr. lead the list of winners in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Severance not only won the event, but took over the points lead, taking home the NHRA Lucas Oil National Championship with his semifinal round win over Shawn Cowie, earning a spot in the final.

The Woodburn, Ore., racer then knocked out David Sheetz with his best run in eliminations posting a 5.278 second lap at 271.84 mph. The win was Severance’s tenth and fourth this year to go along with his first championship.

Joey Severence clinched the 2015 Lucas Oil TAD World Championship during his event victory at Pomona.

Lombardo, out of Brea, Calif., scored his sixth NHRA national event win and his second in Pomona. Lombardo was in a fight for the championship with Jonnie Lindberg with Lindberg winning the championship before being knocked out in the final by Lombardo on a holeshot. Lombardo’s 5.445, 273.05 beat the quicker 5.439, 267.22.

John Lombardo wheeled his Les Davenport-tuned Chevy Camaro to victory in TAFC

The NHRA Summit National Championship was also up for grabs at this the final NHRA event of the year with Todd Piper leading the way, taking the Summit Super Pro National Championship. Piper was joined by Robert Steffen, Nick Hastings and Mark Schwalm celebrating wins and NHRA Summit Championships.

Piper took a slight lead in the final against Chris Bear and held on to win by about eight inches running 7.182 to Bear’s 7.449. Piper’s Dad also ran here in Pomona for the Summit championship back in the early 2000’s.

Steffen took the early lead on Brock Moshier in the Pro class then ran 10.564 on the 10.56 dial for the win in his Chevy Nova with a .020 second package.

Hastings used a nice .011 second reaction time in his Mustang to take the win in Sportsman when Adam Tabor left early with a foul start and Schwalm won in the motorcycle class when Rick Poole ran too quick. Schwalm went 7.714, 167.51 on his Kawasaki.

The Comp Eliminator title went to Tony Mandella who captured his sixth win posting a reaction time of .007 seconds while Jeff Adkinson scored in Super Stock for his second national event trophy. Adkinson knocked out local runner Brian McClanaham. Adkinson’s first win came here in Pomona in 2013.

Jeff Adkinson wheeled his Pontiac Sunfire to a big win in Super Stock

Marko Perivolaris won his first NHRA national event while Gary Stinnett bagged his 23rd. Perivolaris was .006 seconds off the start and forced Trever Larson to run too quick on a breakout in Super Gas. Stinnett took a big lead at the start over Prescott Dean in Super Comp and held on for the win.

Rounding out the Lucas Oil winners was Leo Glasbrenner in his Firebird who took out Brian’s brother Ryan McClanahan in Stock Eliminator. Glasbrenner was near perfect at the start and held on to win by three feet.