Funny Car star John Force ended a 20-month victory drought Sunday, winning the 50th running of the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.
Force’s holeshot win — 4.124 seconds at 298.67 mph to Ron Capps’ 4.123 at 305.08 — was his NHRA-record 127th of his career and first in 40 races dating to Topeka in 2008.
Force leads the standings for the first time since Nov. 12, 2006, the last day of the 2006 season when he celebrated the last of his 14 championships.
Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) also won their divisions in the first event in the 23-race NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In Top Fuel, Dixon (3.808 at 316.60) beat Doug Kalitta (3.848 at 310.05) for his fourth Winternationals win and fifth victory at storied Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
In Pro Stock, defending champion Edwards left the line second, but made up the difference (6.577 at 210.47 to Anderson’s 6.618 at 209.62) to win by 0.003 seconds at the stripe in his Pontiac GXP.
“This is really huge,” the 60-year-old Force said. “This is big for me coming back from the cellar — and I was in the cellar. You used to think that winning was easy and then it got real tough. To win this race, it’s special because it’s my home. I’ve worked hard and got back on my game because I really wanted it.” The Associated Press
“It’s beyond words,” said Dixon, a student of the sport who understands the significance of winning the Winternationals. “It’s a huge event in its own right whether it’s the fourth or the 12th or whatever and to win the 50th with all of the hype and everything and the gold Wallys, just having a shot at running for it and then doing, I feel very blessed.
“[Tying Prudhomme] I feel like I felt when I passed Don Garlits’ 35 wins; it’s not even fair to compare me with them. When ‘Snake’ was racing there were only three or five races in the season so he didn’t get to run his numbers up, and when he stopped driving the car, the car was winning and if he hadn’t put me in the car he would have kept winning. It’s apples and oranges to me. If I had the kind of season record that Prudhomme had [in 1975 and ‘76] I’d have more wins than John Force. I’m still grateful to get my first win back in 1995; it’s more than I ever thought I’d have the opportunity to do. You can wish for it, but you can’t make it happen, That’s why I feel so very lucky to have been in some great cars and had some great crew chiefs and the opportunity just to hold my end up.”
“It feels good to come out here and win a race right off the bat,” said Edwards. “It’s a major win. I was telling Lisa last night before we got to go to bed I won this race 30 years ago in Modified; it’s been a long time. What a way to start the season. Interstate Batteries’ is outrageously dependable, and that’s what my team is. They just make this car go up and down the track. It’s just a pleasure to be a part of this team. These guys are just that good. We’re just fortunate to have what we have.”
“I needed every bit of that last run there. Greg, man, he walloped me on the starting line. It was a great race in the final there in Pro Stock. My hats off to Greg, Jason, and all those guys with the tough winter there. Ken Black, we all want to see him back out here because we all miss him. Those guys are an awesome team, and we love the challenge they give us because they’re the best — they’ve got a lot of championships.” NHRA
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