As Ashley Sanford made her final appearance in the Top Alcohol Dragster class this weekend, she had more than her usual Southern California family and friends in her cheering section at Auto Club Raceway.

The aspiring fulltime Top Fuel racer from nearby Fullerton hosted Girl Scouts from the San Gorgonio Council.

The Redlands-headquartered council guides more than 12,000 young ladies, preparing them – in their words – “to empower themselves and the world,” practicing “a lifetime of leadership G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Risk taker, Innovator, Leader) experiences and connections . . . and take action to make a difference in the world.”

Attending the NHRA Finals at Pomona is one of the last official acts for Dale Aldo before he retires as director of motorsports marketing at Chrysler.

And Mopar-supported drivers Allen Johnson, Jim Campbell, Leah Pritchett, Tommy Johnson Jr., Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, and Jack Beckman shared in his send-off celebration Saturday.

Aldo has worked with Mopar trackside for 10 years. He was a part of six championships in the Pro classes, seven if Capps wins, as well as the 2016 Manufacturers Cup.

This one is for Terry Chandler.

That was the declaration made by Funny Car veteran Tommy Johnson Jr. moments after earning his second victory of 2017 and first since the passing of his longtime sponsor, supporter and friend Sunday at the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Making Top Fuel history wasn’t enough for Brittany Force in Sunday’s eliminations at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif.

In the second round of eliminations, she became the first female to win a Top Fuel title since Shirley Muldowney in 1982, all the more remarkable because Force, 31, wasn’t born until 1986.

Alexis DeJoria wanted her final race as an NHRA Funny Car driver to be a spectacular experience. She wanted the hospitality experience to be one level higher than that.  

In the midst of race, haulers are arranged for what appears to be a permanent facility aimed to enclose one heck of a going-away party for the Patron-sponsored driver.  

Terry Vance, co-owner of the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson operation, said before the Pro Stock Motorcycle final round between Andrew Hines and newly minted class champion Eddie Krawiec, “I think Eddie’s just got destiny going with him.”

Vance was partially right. Krawiec came into race day Sunday as the lone Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown contender to have clinched a championship. That happened to him Saturday. Then Krawiec, the No. 1 qualifier with a meet-best 6.781-second elapsed time, knocked out Lance Bonham in the first round. He followed by dismissing the outgoing champion, Jerry Savoie, and later two-time champion Matt Smith to reach his ninth final round this season.

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For the first time since 1982, a female has captured a NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championship. Brittany Force clinched the category crown in the quarterfinals of eliminations Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Bo Butner (Pro Stock) also won world championships in their respective categories at the final 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. The race winners at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona were Force (Top Fuel), Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Butner (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Sunday's final results from the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the final of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Final round-by-round results from the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) following the 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the final of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series -