DRAG RACING / NHRA FINALS AT POMONA : Rain Puts More Pressure on the Drivers

Steady rain Friday washed out the second round of qualifying for Sunday’s National Hot Rod Assn. $1,064,150 Winston Finals at the Pomona Fairplex drag strip.

Qualifying will resume today, weather permitting, along with the Budweiser Top Fuel Classic, which will match the season’s eight top point winners in a one-day shootout for a $50,000 first prize.

Eddie Hill, who ran an NHRA-record 4.779-second elapsed time Thursday, will be trying to run 4.826 or better to make his national record official. NHRA rules call for a second run within 1% of the record performance at any time during a four-day event.

Friday’s washout will put added pressure on drivers battling for Winston series championships, giving them one round fewer to dial in their cars for the finals, and it will change track conditions.

“As far as racing conditions, the rain won’t hurt,” defending four-time top-fuel champion Joe Amato said. “It could help, in fact, because it will wash away the grit and grime. Nobody wants it to rain (today), though.”

Amato, who holds a 54-point lead over Kenny Bernstein for the $150,000 champion’s bonus, had an uncharacteristic run Thursday when his 5.106 time was good for only 12th place. Bernstein is third at 4.846.

Runs in the first two rounds of the Budweiser Classic will also count for qualifying.

“It’s going to make it tough on Amato and myself,” Bernstein said. “The main objective is the championship, so you can’t go all-out for the Budweiser money and maybe hurt your car. To win them both would call for seven perfect runs, three (today) and four Sunday, and that’s extremely difficult.

“There’ll be a lot of head-scratching going on by the crews if we happen to meet in the final round.”

Bernstein defeated Don Prudhomme in the Budweiser final last year, then lost the next day to Pat Austin in the Winston Finals.

Today’s first-round lineup: Bernstein vs. Doug Herbert; Cory McClenathan, who ran a track-record 299.60 m.p.h. Thursday, vs. Michael Brotherton; Hill vs. Austin, and Amato vs. Ed McCulloch, who has won the last two national events.