The 20th and final stop of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series brings with it the drama of a late-season points chase as multiple titles remain up for grabs this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Raceway.

TOP FUEL

There are eight drivers still mathematically eligible to win the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel title but realistically, it comes down to Justin Ashley, Antron Brown, and Shawn Langdon. Ashley enters the final event of the season clinging to a 44 points lead over three-time champ Brown while Langdon is very much alive with a 45 points deficit.  Considering that the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals features a points-and-a-half format, its safe to say that each of the three leading contenders is still very much in control of his own destiny.

Ashley has been the leader for much of the season, but the SCAG driver has yet to win a title while Brown and Langdon have extensive title experience during their long careers.

Reigning champion Doug Kalitta and four-time champ Steve Torrence remain in contention, but facing a 85 point deficit, they’d both need something extraordinary to happen to claim the top spot.

FUNNY CAR

Austin Prock has led the championship standings since Epping in June, and his debut season in the Funny Car class has been one for the ages with eight wins in 11 final rounds. Prock will clinch his first Funny Car title as soon as he completes his first qualifying run on Friday.

While Prock’s coronation is imminent, there is a still  a race to be won and there are a host of drivers who’d like to finish the season with a victory. In addition to Prock, Blake Alexander, J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman, John Force, Matt Hagan, Bob Tasca III have won at least one event while past winners such as Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, Chad Green, and Alexis DeJoria are looking for their first wins of the season.

The recent Ford Performance NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas produced one of the quickest Funny Car fields of all time and the entry list for the class remains strong in Pomona so there is a possibility of an all-three second field.

PRO STOCK

In Pro Stock, just 56 points separate the top three title contenders with Aaron Stanfield in the lead while Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson are in pursuit.

Glenn has five wins in nine final rounds this season, and entered the Countdown as the No. 1 driver a round one loss in Las Vegas proved costly after Stanfield won the event with a win against Anderson in the final round.

There is likely to be plenty of jockeying for position among rival teams heading into Sunday’s final eliminations. Stanfield is also having a career  year with six victories in ten final rounds.

Anderson kicked off the Countdown with three straight semifinals and added a runner-up in Dallas, which has kept him in contention for a fifth title in his HendrickCars.com Camaro.

The points battle aside, there are several drivers knocking on the door of their first Pro Stock win including the Cuadra brothers, Cristian, David, and Fernando Jr., who enjoyed a great outing in Las Vegas. Mason McGaha has also enjoyed success this year as he looks to join his father, Chris, as a national event winner.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Much like Prock, Gaige Herrera is close to locking up the title in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class with a 123 point lead over six-time champ Matt Smith. Herrera, a ten time winner this season, can clinch the title if he maintain that 123 point advantage at the end of qualifying since Smith could only earn a maximum of 120 points during eliminations.

While the title may be out of reach, Smith, along with his wife, Angie, and teammate John Hall, have shown the ability to run with Herrera at times this season. Smith has also qualified no worse than third at any event this season.

Richard Gadson is looking to put the wraps on a successful rookie campaign by winning his first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title while Seattle winner Chase Van Sant is eager to claim his second victory. The same goes for Hector Arana Jr., who has had a very competitive bike at most events this season.

In addition to the Mission Foods NHRA Pros, champions will also be crowned in a number of Lucas Oil Series sportsman classes this weekened including Top Alcohol Dragster, Comp, Super Stock, Super Gas, Right Trailers Top Sportsman and Right Trailers Top Dragster.

2023 EVENT WINNERS
Doug Kalitta, Top Fuel; Chad Green, Funny Car; Aaron Stanfield, Pro Stock; Gaige Herrera, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.628 seconds by Clay Millican, Feb. '18; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov., ‘22.
Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Matt Hagan, Feb. '17; 337.33 mph by Ron Capps, Nov. '22.
Pro Stock - 6.480 seconds by Erica Enders, Nov. '14; 213.84 mph by Drew Skillman, Nov. '15.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.661 seconds by Gaige Herrera, Nov. ’23; 203.80 by Herrera, Nov. ‘23.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading; 338.94 mph by B. Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Hight, July ’17, Sonoma
Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, Mar. ’22, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Enders, May ’14, Englishtown
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.627 by Gaige Herrera, October ’23, Dallas; 205.04 by Matt Smith, July ’21, Sonoma

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, November 15
LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
TOP ALCOHOL qualifying at 12:00 and 5:45 p.m.
MISSION FOODS SERIES Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
MISSION FOODS SERIES Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, November 16
LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations at 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.
TOP ALCOHOL eliminations at 10:15 a.m. and 4:05 p.m.
MISSION FOODS SERIES Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
MISSION FOODS SERIES Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, November 17 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10:00 a.m.
MISSION FOODS SERIES eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION
SUNDAY, Nov. 17, FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10 a.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, Nov.17, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 4 p.m. (ET