POMONA, Calif. — Doug Kalitta claimed the victory in Friday’s Proper Trailers High Gasoline All-Star Callout at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating Brittany Pressure within the last spherical of the bonus race as a part of the sixty fifth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.
Pressure (High Gasoline), Ron Capps (Humorous Automobile) and Greg Anderson (Professional Inventory) are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers on the third of 20 races through the 2025 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection season.
The bonus race was postponed from the NHRA opener in Gainesville and accomplished Friday in Pomona, as Kalitta went 3.657-seconds at 335.15 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Instruments dragster to energy previous Pressure within the championship spherical of the big-money race.
Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, defeated Clay Millican and Antron Brown earlier within the day to achieve the finals, including one other particular second on the monitor the place he earned his first world title lower than two years in the past.
“It’s been some time since we raced on a Friday, in order that was fairly cool and we had been tremendous excited for what Proper Trailers has accomplished for us with this Callout,” Kalitta stated. “We tried to do it in Gainesville, and there’s no higher place to carry it than right here. I really like working this place, however I’m simply glad to get by Brittany and Antron and Clay. It was a enjoyable day, for positive.
“The blokes gave me an amazing automotive to have the ability to run that .65 after watching Brittany run the .64 a pair occasions. I knew we had that run in us, and I’m glad we had been in a position to do it.”
High Gasoline Qualifying
Pressure went to the highest through the first session with a run of three.646 at 334.82 in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Vitality dragster. On that move, she made the quickest run to 1/8-mile in NHRA historical past, going 301.67. If it holds, it might be her 53rd profession No. 1 qualifier. Kalitta is at present second and Josh Hart made an enormous soar to 3rd after going 3.675 at 332.34.
“To return proper out of the field and put a [3.]64 on the board, after which again that up with one other .64 could be very excellent for this Monster Vitality group,” Pressure stated. “It’s robust once you come into an occasion and go proper right into a race with none probability to qualify or make some runs. We went proper into it and we had been seeking to win the factor. Sadly, we obtained beat within the last. It felt prefer it had cylinders out.
“We’re off to a great begin. We nonetheless have an extended weekend forward of us, however we put some good numbers on the board. Successful, that’s the final word purpose. That’s why we’re right here. That is my house monitor and I’d like to win right here. We’ve been very profitable prior to now, and with (crew chief) David Grubnic, we come right here and we need to win.”
Humorous Automobile Qualifying
Simply days after an enormous explosion and crash in Phoenix, Humorous Automobile’s Ron Capps was again in Pomona, making the quickest run of each periods, together with a run of three.830 at 328.94 in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra that places him atop the sphere as a part of an interesting story. Ought to that maintain, Capps would decide up his first No. 1 qualifier of 2025 and the thirty eighth in his season, however this one would absolutely be particular contemplating what went down on Sunday in Phoenix.
However Capps and his group confirmed spectacular resilience on Friday, making a run within the 3.80s to open qualifying after which going even decrease to shut out the day. Capps praised the stellar work of his group to get up to now after what went down at Firebird Motorsports Park, hoping it ends in an unbelievable story on Sunday.
“I’m fairly beat up and sore and bruised up and simply needed to get again within the automotive,” Capps stated. “I simply couldn’t watch for at the moment. It couldn’t get right here quickly sufficient. No hesitation in any respect. They pulled me up, after which we fired it and went and earlier than I knew it, I made the run, and so they got here on the radio and stated, ‘You’re the No. 1 qualifier.’
“I’ve accomplished plenty of media this week, and never for the perfect cause, however we talked about all week in these interviews about the way you reply as a driver. How do you reply? However extra so our group, and I’ve by no means, by no means, ever had any doubt. I’ve bragged about ‘NAPA Know How’ but it surely’s these guys, man, they’ve hardly slept.”
Defending world champion Austin Prock is second after a run of three.837 at 333.25 and his John Pressure Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third with a run of three.855 at 326.40.
Professional Inventory Qualifying
In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip continues to deal with Professional Inventory reigning world champion Greg Anderson very effectively, because the veteran was the one driver to dip into the 6.40s on Friday with a standout run of 6.495 at 210.01 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It places him because the quickest Professional Inventory qualifier in Winternationals historical past, whereas the qualifying subject can be the quickest within the race’s iconic historical past.
Anderson, who has certified first and second on the first two races, respectively, is on monitor for his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 134th in his profession.
The final time Anderson was in Pomona was the NHRA Finals in November, the place he gained a winner-take-all last spherical towards KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. These two have met within the last spherical at every of the primary two races – with every driver successful a race – and Anderson confirmed no indicators of slowing down on Friday.
“There’s so many automobiles that may run quick, and I’m so rattling pleased with this KB Titan group,” Anderson stated. “I’ve obtained eight automobiles out right here this weekend, and fairly truthfully, any a type of eight automobiles, in the event that they hit it on the goal, any run can go to the pole. I’ve obtained a small a part of that, and doubtless prouder of that than the truth that my automotive went to No. 1 as a result of it’s onerous to try this to make all of them run good.
“I actually really feel that we will run 6.48, whether or not we will get beneath that 6.480 [track record] or into the .47s I don’t know. It’s going to take one hundred pc nailing it on the beginning line and getting that killer 60-foot [elapsed time].”
Matt Hartford is at present second with a 6.510 at 209.14 and Aaron Stanfield is third after going 6.515 at 210.28.
Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday on the sixty fifth annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
