Race fans gather under the canopy of Funny Car driver Matt Hagan’s pit during a rain shower delay at the NHRA Winternationals on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan takes the number one qualifying position after a 3.893 second run at 330.15 mph during the final round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Eliminations Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan takes the number one qualifying position after a 3.893 second run at 330.15 mph during the final round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Eliminations Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan takes the number one qualifying position after a 3.893 second run at 330.15 mph during the final round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Eliminations Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan takes the number one qualifying position after a 3.893 second run at 330.15 mph during the final round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Eliminations Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force races to the number on qualifying position with a time of 3.711 seconds at 335.73 mph during the final round of qualifying at the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Eliminations Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
POMONA — It is now springtime but winter weather conditions played havoc with the NHRA Winternationals Saturday.
The first of the two scheduled qualifying sessions in each major class at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip had to be canceled due to rain, and the second run got pushed back to a 5 p.m. start.
After a morning rain doused the track, crews had it just about dry and ready to go when a downpour around 1:30 temporarily put a halt to racing.
With more rain forecast for today, the start time for the elimination finals was moved up to 10 a.m.
Qualifying No. 1 in Top Fuel in the lone session Saturday was Brittany Force with a run of 3.711 seconds and a speed of 335.73. Tony Schumacher notched the No. 2 spot (3.737, 328.30).
Billy and Steve Torrence, father and son, were seeded No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, after Friday’s one qualifying session and are now No. 3 and No. 4.
For Force, it was the 47th time she qualified No. 1.
“That was a good, consistent run,” Force said. “We’re in a good place.”
She hasn’t won since 2022, when she was the national champion.
Much-heralded rookie Tony Stewart goes into today’s final as the No. 13 seed in Top Fuel.
Matt Hagan, the defending Winternationals and national champion, was the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car, and Dallas Green was No. 1 in Pro Stock.
