Amato Can Win Two Titles in Top Fuel at Pomona Today

The 27th annual Winston Finals, delayed a week by rain, will resume today at the National Hot Rod Assn. drag strip on the Pomona Fairplex grounds.

Featured will be the Budweiser Top Fuel Classic, an eight-car elimination among the leading point winners of the year. Joe Amato has won five of the six runnings, the last four in a row.

The Budweiser winner will receive $50,000.

Amato also can clinch his fourth Winston championship today if Kenny Bernstein, his only remaining challenger, fails to make the No. 1 position for Sunday’s 16-driver field. Bernstein is not qualified after two rounds and two more are scheduled today, starting at 11 a.m. Sportsman time trials will begin at 8 a.m.

The $960,000 Winston Finals are the season finale for the 18-race, $18-million NHRA drag racing series that began with the Winternationals last February at the Pomona Fairplex.

Amato is still shy a few points of winning the $150,000 bonus as top-fuel champion, but John Force of Yorba Linda clinched his second consecutive funny-car championship last week when he qualified his Olds Cutlass for the finals.

Darrell Alderman, pro stock champion from Lexington, Ky., clinched his second title last month in the Chief Nationals in Ennis, Tex.

Individual championships in all NHRA pro and sportsman classes will be determined in final eliminations Sunday. Prerace activities will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the first elimination at 11 a.m.