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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Sunday preview

The second raceday of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will kick off with an early 10 a.m. start at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip as we work towards the crowning of event champs at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.
24 Mar 2024
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Sunday preview

The second raceday of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will kick off with an early 10 a.m. start at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, a hedge against the possibility of weather that dogged Saturday’s qualifying.

Top Fuel low qualifier Brittany Force will begin her pursuit of victory with a bye run as the No. 1 qualifier in the 15-car field and then will face off with the winner of the Antron Brown-Clay Millican pairing, an interesting pairing as Brown is looking to score his milestone 75th career win.

Tony Schumacher, enjoying one of his best qualifying efforts since his No. 1 spot in St. Louis in 2020 as the former world champ ranks second and will take on privateer Terry Totten in round one.

Funny Car low qualifier Matt Hagan, who locked up his fourth NHRA world championship in November in Pomona is feeling good vibes about the legendary California racetrack as he sits in the No. 1 qualifying spot and he begins his quest for career win No. 50.

Hagan will have a tough draw in round one in Buddy Hull, making his first Pomona Funny Car start, while No. 2 Ron Capps will square off with Gatornationals runner-up Austin Prock.

Like Hagan in Funny Car, Erica Enders is also gunning for a milestone 50th win, but the six-time Pro Stock world champ will make her run from the No. 2 spot after defending Winternationals champ Dallas Glenn eked his way past her on the qualifying sheets Saturday night.

Glenn will face off against rookie Sienna Wildgust while Enders will take on Fernando Cuadra Jr.

2023 WINTERNATIONALS WINNERS
Justin Ashley, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock

MOST EVENT VICTORIES
Don Garlits, 6, TF; Doug Kalitta, 4, TF (active driver); John Force, 7, FC; Bob Glidden, 7, PS; Greg Anderson, 6, PS (active driver).

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.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona, Calif.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, Mar. ’22, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.

SCHEDULE
Sunday, March 24

Pre-race ceremonies, 9 a.m.
Final eliminations begin at 10 a.m.

TELEVISION
Sunday, March 24: FS1 will televise one and half hour of qualifying highlights at 12:30 p.m. (ET)
Sunday, March 24: FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 7 p.m. (ET)