Noone was more surprised by Blake Alexander’s chart-topping lap Friday night at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona than Alexander himself.

After watching many of his competitors abandon their runs, and suffering an issue of his own on his pass, Alexander admits that Friday’s success took him by surprise.

“I could hear it put a hole out and it didn’t really complete the run,” Alexander said. “In drag racing you can always do a little better, but we are happy with the way it went.”

Slotted in the bottom half of Friday’s pairings, Alexander drove his Head Inc. / Pronto Auto Parts Ford Mustang Funny Car to a 3.961-second pass at 318.84 mph to blast to the top of the charts at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

“It is obviously a nice way to start. I think it is possible that throughout the weekend people could run better, but it is a huge confidence builder,” Alexander said. “It positions us to do something well on Sunday.”

Alexander survived a number of challengers later in Friday’s opening round of qualifying, with Robert Hight of John Force Racing placing his Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car closest with a 3.962 at 327.11 mph, falling just one-thousandth off the top spot.

Cruz Pedregon qualified third with a 3.967 at 317.34 mph, while Ron Capps (3.971) and Matt Hagan (4.009) rounded out the top five.

If his time holds up on Saturday, it will be Alexander’s first-ever top qualifier award. His previous best qualifying effort this season was sixth one week ago in Sonoma, California.

As for if it will hold up with two more rounds of qualifying to go on Saturday, Alexander was blunt with his answer.

“No,” Alexander said of his provisional No. 1 spot lasting through the weekend. “We will need to run better. I think tomorrow night the track will get better and everyone will have a little bit more out there. I could be wrong, it is pretty tricky out there. When you pull up there you can tell that no one has run on the track for 17 or 18 months. The groove really isn’t there. This track already has bumps to navigate and other characteristics, so everyone will have to do pretty good to make it down the track.”

Regardless of where he ends up on the ladder, Alexander is just excited to be back at the southern California facility after more than a year and a half away.

“This place is very special,” Alexander said. “Obviously at the end of the year the Finals are magic and it is cool to be here at this unique event where you are off in left field. Noone has run here at this time in a long time, so this is unique. I’d like to (qualify first) anywhere, but it would be special here.”