The NHRA made the call Sunday to cancel the 2025 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona amid unrelenting rain, unsafe track conditions, and temperatures that made it impossible to prepare a safe surface for 11,000-12,000 horsepower race cars. With the race officially called, the remaining 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world champions were determined by current points: Austin Prock in Funny Car, Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock and Richard Gadson in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Doug Kalitta locked up his second Top Fuel world title on Saturday, and Shawn Cowie clinched the Top Alcohol Dragster championship the same way.
NHRA President Glen Cromwell spoke at length about the decision during an in-depth appearance on the SpeedFreaks show with host Kenny Sargent – the show’s founder, CEO and co-host – and co-host Crash Gladys. Cromwell acknowledged the disappointment, frustration, and shock from fans, teams, and the wider drag racing community, but stood firmly behind the choice on the grounds of safety.
Cromwell described the weekend as unlike anything he’s seen in nearly three decades with the NHRA. “I’ve been with the NHRA for 28 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “We had rain come in Friday and it never let up. It continued all the way through today.” The forecast for Monday and Tuesday wasn’t promising, and long-range models showed another front moving in by Thursday and Friday. “We exhausted everything we could do,” Cromwell added. “There’s just no guarantees.”
Even during brief breaks in the rain, the situation deteriorated. Cromwell explained that 48 hours of continuous rainfall had forced water underneath the rubber on Pomona’s concrete pad, peeling it loose as soon as the surface began to dry. “People don’t quite understand that – when water gets underneath that rubber, it starts to peel up,” he said. “We would have had to scrape 600-700 feet of the concrete, lay down new rubber, and that would take four to five hours. If everything stayed dry, you’re looking at racing at five o’clock with temperatures dropping. That’s a major concern.”
Track temperature proved to be a critical factor. Cromwell said the NHRA targets around 70 degrees for nitro cars – already on the low end – but Sunday’s ambient temps hovered in the low-50s. “When you’re putting 11,000-12,000 horsepower on a racetrack and it’s cold, that’s dangerous. Extremely dangerous.”
Cromwell also stressed that the NHRA worked closely with the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) and top team representatives before making the decision. “We sat down with PRO this morning – NHRA and PRO along with leaders from Elite, KB, and our Pro Stock Motorcycle teams – and walked through it,” he said. “Every single one of them agreed with this decision. Even Tony Stewart, who still had a shot at the Funny Car championship [with driver Matt Hagan]. We all wanted to finish it on the racetrack, but the track just wasn’t going to be safe.”
Behind the scenes, the series evaluated backup plans starting early in the week, including running into Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, delaying the race to the following weekend, or even shifting to another track. Cromwell said those scenarios ultimately fell apart due to forecast uncertainty, safety concerns, and logistical realities – including broadcast constraints, travel, staffing, and team resources. “A race team is a business,” he emphasized. “They’ve got staff, people, budgets, commitments. How long can you keep teams here with no guarantees?”
Cromwell was candid about fan frustration and criticism, acknowledging that communication could have been better in real time. But he remained unwavering on the core reason for the cancellation. “Ultimately, it comes back to safety. That’s number one. Our fans come out to see cars go 340 miles per hour, but we have to keep our drivers safe. That’s the most important thing you can do in motorsports.”
He added that the NHRA considered all ticket holders and confirmed that 2025 Finals tickets retain full value for either the 2026 Winternationals or 2026 NHRA Finals. “Anyone who had a ticket this past weekend can use that ticket next year. That ticket is cash.”
Cromwell didn’t shy away from the reality that the season ended in a way no one wanted – competitors, fans, sponsors or staff. “We get no joy out of this decision,” he said. “It’s a tough day for everybody. I’m happy for our champions, but this is hard.”
He closed by shifting focus to the future. The NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026, and Cromwell revealed the organization is already deep into planning a major year-long celebration of John Force set for 2027. “We’ve been working on it prior to his announcement,” he said. “We can’t share details yet, but it’s big.”
Despite the disappointment in Pomona, Cromwell remained confident in the decision and the road ahead. “We’re going to pick up, move on, and look forward to 2026 – and then some exciting stuff even after that in 2027.”
This story was originally published on November 17, 2025. 
The post NHRA’s Glen Cromwell Opens Up on Decision to Cancel NHRA Finals in Pomona first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
