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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals/Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Saturday preview

The final day of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals will not only set the fields for Sunday’s final eliminations but also will be highlighted by the second running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge during the day’s two qualifying sessions.
01 Apr 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals

The final day of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals will not only set the fields for Sunday’s final eliminations but also will be highlighted by the second running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge during the day’s two qualifying sessions.

The Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge pits the semifinalists from the previous event in a series of rematches for cash and bonus points with all runs also counting towards qualifying. The winners of those two semifinal rematches will face off in the final qualifying session for the largest share of the spoils.

In Top Fuel, Arizona Nationals champ Justin Ashley, who won last year's Winternationals, will match up against Steve Torrence, who is appearing in his second straight Challenge, while Phoenix runner-up Shawn Langdon will rematch with Leah Pruett, who also is taking part in the Challenge for the second straight event after back-to-back semifinal finishes to start her season.

Ashley had the second-best run of Friday's lone qualifying session with a 3.729 but Torrence wasn't far behind with a 3.737. Langdon charted a solid 3.764 while Pruett didn't make it down the track Friday.

Brittany Force, who is not in the Challenge, enters the day as the No. 1 qualifier with her pass of 3.712.

The Funny Car portion of the Challenge will rematch Ariuzona Nats winner Robert Hight, appearing in his first Challenge of the year, against  Chad Green, who also was in the inaugural Challenge last weekend in Phoenix; Defending world champ Ron Capps, runner-up last weekend in Phoenix will face off against the Alexis DeJoria, who won the Mission Challenge in Phoenix and will get the chance to double up in Pomona,

DeJoria is currently qualified No. 2 in the Winternationals field after a fine 3.883 Friday, second only to cuz Pedregon's 3.865; Capps, meanwhile, didn't make it down the track under power Friday. Hight qualified just a tick behind DeJoria, in the No, 3 spot, with a 3.892 while steady Green ran 3.99.

Arizona Nationals winner Camrie Caruso is also taking part in her first Mission Challenge and she enters the special event flying high after having Friday's best run, a 6.519, in her Powerbuilt tools Camaro, She'll rematch with Matt Hartford, who had Friday's second-best run, a 6.524, setting up what should be a tight race. Arizona nationals runner-up Bob Butner, meanwhile, will face off with Kyle Koretsky. Butner clocked a 6.533 on Friday while Koretsky charted a 6.553.

2022 WINTERNATIONALS WINNERS

Justin Ashley, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock

MOST EVENT VICTORIES

Don Garlits, 6, TF; John Force, 7, FC; Bob Glidden, 7, PS.

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.628 seconds by Clay Millican, Feb. '18; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov., ‘22
Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Matt Hagan, Feb. '17; 337.33 mph by Ron Capps, Nov. '22
Pro Stock - 6.480 seconds by Erica Enders, Nov. '14; 213.84 mph by Drew Skillman, Nov. '15

EVENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, April 1
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
Top Alcohol qualifying at 10:45 a.m. and eliminations at 1:30 p.m. and 4:35 p.m.
Camping World Series Pro Stock qualifying at noon and 3 p.m.
Camping World Series Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, April 2
Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
Camping World Series eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, April 1, FS1 will televise one and half hour of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, April 2, FS1 will televise one and half hour of qualifying highlights at 12:30 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, April 2, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 7 p.m. (ET)

Or watch all day on NHRA.tv