The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series draws to a close in just a few short weeks with the running of the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29 – Nov. 1 and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15.   

The competition in all four professional categories is expected to be heated, with Full Throttle world championships hanging in the balance for the final two races.  In Top Fuel and Funny Car, the number of spoilers will in some cases double the number of NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship participants as NHRA announced that both nitromethane classes currently have the largest number of entries for any race this year.   In Las Vegas, the entry list in Top Fuel and Funny Car is 25 and 20, respectively.  For the season finale at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, 24 Top Fuel cars are entered, with 20 in Funny Car.   For the Las Vegas event, pre-entries total 721 race vehicles in the professional and sportsman ranks, compared to 562 in 2008.

Las Vegas, Pomona boast largest entry list of season in Top Fuel and Funny Car

The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series draws to a close in just a few short weeks with the running of the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29 – Nov. 1 and the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15.   

The competition in all four professional categories is expected to be heated, with Full Throttle world championships hanging in the balance for the final two races.  In Top Fuel and Funny Car, the number of spoilers will in some cases double the number of NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship participants as NHRA announced that both nitromethane classes currently have the largest number of entries for any race this year.   In Las Vegas, the entry list in Top Fuel and Funny Car is 25 and 20, respectively.  For the season finale at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, 24 Top Fuel cars are entered, with 20 in Funny Car.   For the Las Vegas event, pre-entries total 721 race vehicles in the professional and sportsman ranks, compared to 562 in 2008.

Also significant is the number of Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars entered in both races to compete in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.   To date, 27 Top Alcohol Dragsters and 25 Top Alcohol Funny Cars are entered for the Las Vegas event, with 25 Top Alcohol Dragsters and 27 Top Alcohol Funny Cars in Pomona.   

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana, rider of the Lucas Oil Buell, has a 28-point lead over defending world champ Eddie Krawiec and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team heading into the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.   

Mike Edwards, who drove the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac GXP to a dominating performance in Richmond, Va. two weeks ago and earned the maximum 150 points, all but clinched the NHRA Full Throttle world championship in Pro Stock.   The only team with a legitimate shot to prevent that is the Las Vegas-based Ken Black Racing team, led by Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GXP, who trails Edwards by 128 points.

In Funny Car, there are six drivers who still hold legitimate claims to the NHRA Full Throttle world championship, led by current points leader Robert Hight.   Hight, who drives the Auto Club Ford Mustang, sits 13 points ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood.   Force Hood is trying to become the first female world champion in the Funny Car class. Tony Pedregon, Ron Capps and Tim Wilkerson are in a tight log-jam in third through fifth.   Currently at sixth is Jack Beckman, driver of the Valvoline/Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger, who is 86 points behind Hight with two races remaining.   

Top Fuel is a four-driver battle for the championship. Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army dragster team is 47 points ahead of Larry Dixon and the Al-Anabi Racing dragster.   Cory McClenathan and Antron Brown trail Schumacher by 68 and 81 points, respectively.

Advertisement