Mustang Club of Maryland

WINTER NATIONALS NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series

J.R. Todd, Gary Scelzi and Greg Anderson got the first trophies of the season in Sunday’s Carquest Auto Parts Nationals at Pomona. In the Top Fuel final, Todd ran 4.482 seconds, 324.98 mph as Brandon Bernstein coasted to an 11.397, 71.36 mph pass. Hot Rod Fuller qualified second in the Valvoline dragster but lost in the semis. In Funny Car, Scelzi’s Dodge Charger went 4.716, 332.26 mph as Robert Hight’s Ford Mustang hit the center-line cone and was DQ’d. In the semis, Hight had made the quickest FC pass ever at 4.646. Ashley Force qualified 15th in her pro debut but lost to teammate Hight in the first round. (Father John also went out in the opening round.) Kenny Bernstein didn’t qualify in his return to the class. In Pro Stock, Anderson’s Pontiac GTO clocked 6.651, 207.05 mph to best Greg Stanfield’s 7.001, 163.65 mph in a GTO. Ron Krisher didn’t qualify in his Valvoline Cobalt. Eddie Krawiec will be Andrew Hines’ Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate. Jerry Toliver plans to return to Funny Car later this season in a Toyota Solara. Reportedly, Dale Armstrong will come out of retirement to be Toliver’s team manager/crew chief.

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