The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Pomona still feel like that classic Southern California kind of chaos—sunlight, dust, and then suddenly the weather decides to throw a wrench in everything. This year’s weekend had its share of drama on and off the track, but the racing itself stayed wonderfully close, the kind that keeps you leaning forward even when you swear you’re done watching for the day.
Misryoum newsroom reported the weekend started with the early forecast looking ugly, then improved as the week wore on. Friday and Saturday seemed like they might get swallowed by rain, but thankfully most of it didn’t fully arrive. Still, Sunday morning delivered the damp reality—rained early, and the show ended up starting at 12:30. And then, right when things finally get going, Tony Schumacher grenaded a rear end for the second straight day, dragging out a cleanup that took more than an hour. In the pits and in the grandstands, patience became the unofficial event theme.
Even with everything stacked against the schedule, fans stayed. You could almost feel it in the air—burnt rubber and engine heat mixing with that faint, greasy smell from the cleanup crews. The day didn’t fully wrap until 8 p.m. Sunday night, right when the curfew hit, which is… honestly, brutal timing. But during the downtime, Pomona didn’t go quiet. The legends were out in force, racers made time for fans, and the Nitro Stage interviews plus Nitro Alley interactive displays and games helped keep people busy. And yes, In-N-Out Burger being on-site didn’t hurt either—there’s a certain kind of comfort in hearing that burger line still moves.
Misryoum editorial desk noted the weekend’s pull was also in the sheer number of stories around the sport’s history, especially as NHRA kept celebrating its 75th anniversary. Beyond the drivers honored with special crystal awards as part of NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list—people like multitime Top Fuel world champ Gary Beck and Kenny Bernstein returning with Susie Arnold Armstrong—there were also the familiar faces brought back for NHRA’s 1,000th Funny Car race. Misryoum newsroom reported
that included former racers like Bruce Larson and Johnny Gray, alongside the current drivers who won on the 100s. Legends weren’t tucked away either. Shirley Shahan, the Drag-On Lady herself, made her return—again hanging with Top Fuel rookie Maddi Gordon. Don “the Snake” Prudhomme also showed up, bringing Richard Tharp for autograph sessions, and Bob Muravez (Floyd Lippencott Jr.) was around too, reuniting with old buddies and soaking up the moment.
Misryoum analysis indicates the on-track story tied back to what Pomona does best: make winning feel heavier. Tony Stewart had a big weekend, scoring Elite Motorsports’ first Top Fuel win, with Matt Hagan joining him in the winner’s circle in Funny Car. In the Media Center after the event, Stewart talked about how special Pomona feels—one of NHRA’s crown jewels—especially because it’s Leah Pruett’s home track and because of the way that meaning travels through the sport, like when Stewart mentioned Pruett sneaking out of school as a kid just to catch the races on Friday. Hagan echoed the same vibe, too, describing the moment at the staging lanes—the mountains behind you, the sun setting, and that feeling of lining up a 12,000-horsepower race car to go down 330 miles an hour.
And then there was the kind of detail that almost sounds fake until you hear it: Just Ashley. Misryoum newsroom reported that he flashed serious Pomona magic with a runner-up finish behind Stewart. Ashley had won the Winternationals three straight years (2022–24) and was runner-up in 2021 when he couldn’t run the final round due to heat prostration. This weekend, he was a machine on the starting line—three straight .025 reaction times in a class
where anything below .050 is considered world-beating. Not only that, but even his “slow” light of .036 in the final still beat Stewart off the line. In six leaves this year, he’s averaging .028. Last year he left on 47 of 49 opponents; this year he’s six-for-six already. And yes, apparently that starting-line precision is contagious—his Scag Racing Top Fuel teammate, Will Smith, cut a .029 light in round one in the Bluebird Turf machine.
I don’t know what they’re putting in the water over there, but… everyone probably wants a drink.
There’s also a fourth and fifth kind of takeaway for people watching the long arc: the Prock family’s momentum and what it might mean next. Misryoum editorial team stated that early 2026 returns after leaving John Force Racing to align with Tasca Racing haven’t been good, but the Winternationals looked like another step forward—like the “Prock Rocket” might be ready to launch. The trials are already well documented: tuning mastermind Jimmy Prock had to assemble
a combination based on available parts he wasn’t fully familiar with, and it’s been a work in progress with gains and losses. Still, Pomona mattered because it was the first race where they were able to get all the parts they wanted and needed to go fast. Austin, the two-time world champ, lost in the first round again after failing to qualify at the season opener in Gainesville, and qualifying was still checkered—only two solid
runs, one a three-second time that qualified them fifth. But their peers knew the struggle was coming… so maybe they’ll start looking in the rearview mirror soon. If the Prock Rocket keeps coming together, it won’t stay back for long—at least, that’s the feeling. And honestly, you can almost hear the crowd shift when that kind of momentum shows up, even with the lights and schedules getting messy—
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