Chris Rivas did everything in his power to win a Pro Stock Motorcycle championship, it’s just the things he couldn’t control is what got him.

Essentially his championship hopes were toast in the semi-finals once
Eddie Krawiec defeated teammate Andrew Hines in a controversial race.

Rivas won his fourth event of 2008, third during the Countdown to the
Championship. The victory also marked his second consecutive defeat by
newly christened champion Krawiec who won the title without the luxury
of winning a national event.

Rivas finished second in the championship points, five points back of Krawiec.

Never mind the towering inferno blazing behind his cockpit, Larry Dixon won his second Top Fuel event in five final rounds. He couldn’t wait to get out of the car, not to avoid the danger, but to throw his hands in elation.

Yes, it’s been that kind of season.

“While everyone was getting excited about the final round and
everything I’m trying to put my fire suit out because my shit was on
fire,” Dixon said, cracking a smile when discussing his victory over
Hot Rod Fuller. “The guys on the rescue team we’re telling me to stop
running and I was like I will once I get to the hose. It burned the
chutes off of it and everything. We left it all out there on the track.
The car nosed over really bad on the other end and I was just like it’s
going to blow up and I’m not at the finish line yet so I saw the win
light come on and my car blew up. But that’s all I cared about.”

PEDREGON AND KRAWIEC WIN POWERADE SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CROWNS

Dixon, Pedregon, Anderson and Rivas claim event titles at Auto Club NHRA Finals
 
Cruz
Pedregon earned his second NHRA Funny Car world championship title, and
first in 16 years, by racing to victory Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA
Finals in Southern California.

Meanwhile, Eddie Krawiec won his first POWERade Series crown in Pro
Stock Motorcycle, and did so without winning a race during the season.
He joins Rob Bruins, the 1979 Top Fuel champ, as the only drivers in
NHRA history to win a season title without earning an individual race
victory.

After Pedregon won his first round meeting against Jerry Toliver, he
secured his first title when his two closest challengers lost in the
first round. Season-long leader Tim Wilkerson fouled against John Force
and then Robert Hight lost to Pedregon's brother, Tony.

Final point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories
following the 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA
Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Tony Schumacher, 2,703; 2. Larry Dixon, 2,445; 3. Cory McClenathan,
2,406; 4. Hillary Will, 2,405; 5. Antron Brown, 2,370; 6. Rod Fuller,
2,368; 7. Brandon Bernstein, 2,327; 8. Doug Herbert, 2,307; 9. Doug
Kalitta, 2,209; 10. David Grubnic, 2,194.

Sixteen years later, Cruz Pedregon wins second Funny Car championship

Sixteen years after winning his first NHRA title, Funny Car veteran Cruz Pedregon returned to the top of the drag racing world
Sunday afternoon after advancing to the quarterfinal round of the
season-ending 44th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway.

"I'm stunned," an emotional Pedregon said moments after his brother
Tony Pedregon eliminated the last racer within reach. "It's awesome
Tony got that win right there because I'm standing here thinking of my
dad (Frank) and that I hope he's proud of his sons. I was 18 when he
died and Tony was 16 and now we each have two world championships.
We've come a long way for a couple of Hispanic kids from Chino."

Final round-by-round results from the 44th annual Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the
final of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Rod Fuller, 3.838, 314.83 def. Steve Torrence, 3.937,
254.86; Doug Herbert, 3.928, 298.93 def. Morgan Lucas, 3.986, 280.08;
Cory McClenathan, 3.878, 313.00 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.314, 230.06; Urs
Erbacher, 3.887, 316.67 def. J.R. Todd, 4.041, 309.77; Tony Schumacher,
3.821, 317.42 def. Tim Boychuk, 3.890, 300.53; Troy Buff, 3.840, 309.27
def. Hillary Will, 3.887, 313.44; Larry Dixon, 3.866, 312.57 def. Clay
Millican, 3.904, 314.46; Brandon Bernstein, 4.026, 276.80 def. David
Grubnic, 5.273, 128.59;

QUARTERFINALS -- Erbacher, 3.926, 309.84 def. Bernstein, 4.538,
243.81; Dixon, 3.868, 314.17 def. Herbert, 6.781, 85.86; McClenathan,
3.880, 312.57 def. Buff, 10.051, 76.71; Fuller, 3.862, 313.66 def.
Schumacher, 3.853, 315.56;

SEMIFINALS -- Dixon, 3.855, 309.98 def. McClenathan, 3.874, 309.77; Fuller, 3.851, 312.64 def. Erbacher, 3.991, 282.36;

FINAL -- Dixon, 3.833, 300.93 def. Fuller, 3.839, 310.48.

Sunday's final results from the 44th annual Automobile Club of
Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The
race is the final of 24 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Larry Dixon, 3.833 seconds, 300.93 mph def. Rod Fuller, 3.839 seconds, 310.48 mph.

Gary Scelzi understands the reality that he could be walking away from his final opportunity to drive a championship contending nitro car, once the Pomona weekend ends.

Scelzi’s not retiring, just stepping away while the time is right, to
tend to other business. He’ll come back if the perfect opportunity
presents itself, but with the current state of the drag racing economy
he knows those chances are getting slimmer with each lost drag racing
sponsorship.

“My wife and I talked the other day and there are basically, probably
only two people that I could drive for,” Scelzi said. “That would be
Connie Kalitta or Jim Head. Of all the people out here these are the
ones that I could drive for and have a good time. If I do make a
return, you might see me in Jim Head’s car at the Winternationals if he
decides not to run it. I doubt that but it is a possibility.”

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 44th
annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended
Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

 
Top Fuel -- 1. Tony Schumacher, 3.827 seconds, 315.93 mph  vs. 16. Tim
Boychuk, 3.925, 305.49; 2. Larry Dixon, 3.831, 309.70  vs. 15. Clay
Millican, 3.907, 309.42; 3. Hillary Will, 3.835, 314.31  vs. 14. Troy
Buff, 3.904, 302.96; 4. J.R. Todd, 3.848, 308.14  vs. 13. Urs Erbacher,
3.904, 309.20; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 3.849, 311.13  vs. 12. David
Grubnic, 3.897, 310.20; 6. Cory McClenathan, 3.855, 314.31  vs. 11.
Doug Kalitta, 3.884, 309.56; 7. Morgan Lucas, 3.855, 306.46 vs. 10.
Doug Herbert, 3.877, 307.58; 8. Rod Fuller, 3.862, 310.34  vs. 9. Steve
Torrence, 3.862, 313.22.