A points lead that has changed hands five times in the past six races signals just how tight the racing has been in Top Fuel during the end of the regular season and the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs.<\/p>\n
Steve Torrence went back into the lead in Las Vegas and heading into this weekend\u2019s 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals \u2013 the final race of the season in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season \u2013 at legendary In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, he hopes to stay there for just one more race.<\/p>\n
Torrence has been impressively consistent all season in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors\/Toyota dragster, never straying far from the lead. He\u2019s never been lower than third in points this season, but Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett are close behind. Kalitta trails by just 15 points and Pruett is 34 points back, as an epic final weekend awaits. Looking for his fifth world championship \u2013 and fifth in six years \u2013 the talented Texan is fired up for what could be an incredible finish in Pomona.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis car is probably the best race car that I\u2019ve ever driven,\u201d Torrence said. \u201cI think we\u2019ve finally gotten to the point where it\u2019s the best mouse trap we\u2019ve ever had. It\u2019s the fastest, it\u2019s the most consistent, it\u2019s by far the quickest race car I\u2019ve ever driven. (In Las Vegas), we had the best race car, not the best driver. It\u2019s a lot as a driver, not so much given the scenario of trying to win a champion but just going up there and getting in your own head. I\u2019m more excited right now than I was at any point this whole season. I\u2019m looking forward to going to Pomona. We\u2019ve got two great competitors biting at our heels, but I have experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Austin Prock (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year\u2019s event, while Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed world championships. The race will be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday as the season closes in style. Since 1984, the NHRA Finals has been where champions are crowned and this closes out the 21-race season and six-event playoffs.<\/p>\n
A Pomona victory would ensure a championship for Torrence and his team and, remarkably, if that happens it would be just the second win this season for the veteran. It\u2019s another nod to his consistency, as Torrence has advanced to the semifinals or better 13 times in 2023 and been to the finals six times.<\/p>\n
But Torrence knows his work is cut out for him trying to keep Kalitta and Pruett \u2013 both seeking their first world title \u2013 at bay. Mike Salinas and Justin Ashley also remain in contention in the loaded field, which means the eventual champion may have to be close to perfect on championship Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going right down to the wire,\u201d Torrence said. \u201cBut it\u2019s all about who executes the best this week. It doesn\u2019t matter what\u2019s happened the rest of the year. It\u2019s about who can get it done in this one race.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it. I\u2019m just having fun and it\u2019s pretty cool to be in this position again with the competition and the level of competition that we\u2019ve seen this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a remarkably tight field in Funny Car, with Matt Hagan leading Bob Tasca III by 15 points and Robert Hight by only 17 points heading into the must-see finale that could come down to the final pass of the season.<\/p>\n
In Pro Stock, Enders is closing in on a sixth world title and her fourth in five years. She holds a 114-point lead over Greg Anderson and could clinch a championship with a strong qualifying performance in Pomona.<\/p>\n
Pro Stock Motorcycle\u2019s Gaige Herrera has enjoyed a historic season will have a chance to earn his first world championship in qualifying to start the weekend.<\/p>\n
It all adds up to a historic weekend that no fan should miss. If that isn\u2019t enough, champions will also be crowned in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as action in the Jr. Dragster Shootout, the \u201cWalking Tall\u201d P.T. Cruiser Wheelstander driven by \u201cNitroMike\u201d and autograph sessions, including one with legend Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme and Capps.<\/p>\n
Race fans at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the SealMaster Track Walk. The final can\u2019t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner\u2019s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners and 2023 world champs.<\/p>\n
Fans are also invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, as the entertainment hub hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, influencer interviews and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet and can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more.<\/p>\n
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12 and 3 p.m. PT on Friday, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday at 12 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 4 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n
To purchase tickets to the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, fans can visit\u00a0www.NHRA.com\/tickets<\/a>. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. Fans can get closer to the action with a\u00a0Top Eliminator Club<\/a>\u00a0experience, offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, as well as a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverage, driver appearances, a premium view and more.<\/p>\n The post Top Fuel Points Leader Steve Torrence Gears Up for Incredible Finish at In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated | Drag Racing News, Opinion, Interviews, Photos, Videos and More<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A points lead that has changed hands five times in the past six races signals just how tight the racing has been in Top Fuel during the end of the regular season and the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Steve Torrence went back into the lead in Las Vegas and heading into this weekend\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,78117,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drag-racing","category-race-pages","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90276"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91251,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90276\/revisions\/91251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}