NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Following the rained-out In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will return to its ancestral homeland in Pomona, Calif., for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. This week, the PlayNHRA Favorites include Shawn Langdon and Matt Hagan in Top Fuel and Funny Car, while Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson share top billing in Pro Stock.

Langdon, Hagan, and Glenn/Anderson are the favorites in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock, respectively, as the event will be part of the PlayNHRA initiative, where drag racing fans will once again have the opportunity to engage in fantasy games, gaming, and betting for this event. Betting markets feature Professional classes, where fans can wager on event winners, low elapsed time of the event, head-to-head matchups, and season champions.

Below are the opening odds as provided by Alt Sports Data.

(Note: In American sports betting, odds are typically expressed with a plus (+) or minus (–) symbol followed by a number. For example, +200 signifies the amount a bettor could win if wagering $100. If the bet works out, the player will receive a total payout of $300; $200 profit + $100 initial stake.)

TOP FUEL

Shawn Langdon beat the heat in Phoenix to collect his first win of the season and reinforce his status as the favorite in Top Fuel. The Kalitta Air driver opens at the same price as the last event, +550, meaning a $10 wager would return $65.00. Landgon has won four times in Pomona as a Pro, but it has been a while as his most recent victory came in 2015, when he swept both events.

Gainesville winner Josh Hart (+650) is also among the pre-race favorites, along with two-time and reigning champ Doug Kalitta (+700) and Justin Ashley, who has gotten off to a slow start this season but is more than capable of a victory.

The drivers at +800 include Antron Brown and rookie Maddi Gordon, who has begun her Top Fuel career with back-to-back semifinals in her Carlyle Tools entry. Leah Pruett, who was a runner-up the last time she raced in Pomona and a runner-up more recently in Phoenix, represents a value pick at +1000.

Two other notables are Shawn Reed at +1400 and eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher at +1600. Both have won races recently and remain more than capable of doing so despite their status as long shots.

FUNNY CAR

Following the trend of the first two events, the Funny Car field is stacked with competitive entries, and the old adage, “Anyone who qualifies can win,” certainly applies, given the unpredictable nature of nitro racing and the long history of upsets in Pomona.

Matt Hagan comes in as the favorite at +500, but he has got plenty of company at the top of the chart, including 2012 world champ Jack Beckman at +650 and two-time and reigning world champion Austin Prock at +700. Prock remains an interesting choice as he’s struggled in his first two events with the Tasca team but figures to have massive potential going forward.

Prock’s replacement at John Force Racing, Jordan Vandergriff, is also ranked near the top at +800, along with Phoenix winner Ron Capps, while J.R. Todd is also in the mix at +850.

Heading the list of likely first-time winners is Spencer Hyde at +1000, a price he shares with Gainesville winner Chad Green, while Daniel Wilkerson and Blake Alexander have opened at +1100.

There are 18 Funny Cars on the pre-entry list, meaning there will be a battle on Friday and Saturday just to make the field for Sunday’s final eliminations.

PRO STOCK

It has been a long time since someone other than Dallas Glenn or Greg Anderson was a favorite in Pro Stock, and after Glenn won in Phoenix, that did not change this week. The KB Titan teammates, who have combined for seven world titles, are co-favorites at +300 for the Pomona event.

Beyond the two favorites, Gainesville winner Matt Hartford comes in third at +800, while Aaron Stanfield and Erica Enders of Team Elite are ranked at +1100, a serious value for two of the most consistent winners in the Pro Stock category.

There are a lot of drivers at mid-pack who would seem to have the ability to score a victory, including Greg Stanfield, Jef Coughlin Jr., Deric Kramer, Mason McGaha, and Troy Coughlin Jr., who are all priced between +1200 and +1800.

If you’re looking for a big long shot, there is rookie Cody Anderson at +2000, and further down the list is Chris Vang, who looked solid in Phoenix but carries a long shot price of +5000 should he claim his first 500-cid Pro Stock victory.

 Opening odds provided by Alt Sports Data (Odds are subject to change). 

Scan the code below using your smartphone camera or click this link to visit the PlayNHRA portal with links to gaming in your state.