Pomona May Be Dry This Weekend

Rained out three days last week, the National Hot Rod Assn. will try again today to resume its K&N; Filters Winternationals, the opening event of the $50-million Powerade drag racing series, at Pomona Raceway.

What was to have been a rare weekend off for the drag racers has turned into another three days of checking the skies for rain as well as checking the time slips for qualifying times.

Times from the first round Feb. 19 will remain on the record. Tony Schumacher, in the Army top-fuel car; rookie Eric Medlen, John Force’s new protege in funny cars; and defending champion Greg Anderson in pro stock are the pro category leaders.

Pro qualifying will begin today at 2:30 p.m., with more rounds Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. to set the 16-car field for Sunday’s 11 a.m. final eliminations.

Force, winner of 10 consecutive funny car championships before being unseated by teammate Tony Pedregon last year, is not yet qualified after running no better than 17th in the first round.

Faced with a week of inactivity, some teams chose to stay close to Pomona and relax, some went home and some tested elsewhere.

“There wasn’t much the [Snap-on Racing top fuel] team could’ve done in Pomona except sit here and look at the car for another three days, so we gave them some time off,” said Ron Douglas, crew chief for Doug Herbert’s team.

“They worked hard through testing, so they needed a few days to rest.”

Herbert returned home to Cherryville, N.C., to tend to his performance parts business.

The crew traveled to Phoenix, where the NHRA will hold its second event at Firebird International Raceway from March 5-7.