Funny Car Finals Are a Serious Matter

Another drag racing season is drawing to a close, and, with the top-fuel and pro-stock division races already decided, the focus has shifted to funny cars.

Not that there’s anything funny about what’s at stake going into the Automobile Club of Southern California National Hot Rod Assn. Finals, which begin today and end Sunday. The winner of the Powerade series championship will earn $400,000.

All that’s known at this point is that he’ll be from California, he’ll be at least 40 years old and, OK, he’ll be a pretty funny guy.

But there is a seriousness to these four days that is warranted. The points race entering the last of 23 events is the closest in NHRA funny car history; the stage is set for one of the most exciting season finales in all of motorsports.

Only 28 points separate the three drivers vying for the title. Former top-fuel champion Gary Scelzi, 45, holds a two-point lead over Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps, and a 28-point lead over 13-time and defending champion John Force, who may need to set a national record and win the event to lock up a championship he has won the last 12 years.

Pressure?

“Every time I think about it, it makes my hair stand up,” said Capps, 40, of Carlsbad. “I’m going to just roll in there as if I’m a deer with headlights staring at me and do what I’ve done all year long.”

Fear?

“Fear,” said Force, 56, of Yorba Linda, “is when you’re young and you’re poor and you’re sitting at the breakfast table, and you look across the table, and your brother Louie is across the table and he wants that last piece of sausage. That’s nervous. You reach for it, he’ll put a fork in you.”

Force is the all-time NHRA leader with 119 victories. Although still dominant at times -- he has gone to the final round seven times this season and has five wins, two more than Scelzi and Capps -- he has not been consistent. He has endured a personal-worst 10 first-round losses, most recently during the last event two weeks ago at Las Vegas, enabling Capps, the winner, to move from third to second, and runner-up Scelzi to regain the overall lead.

Force remained in Las Vegas for testing and produced a quarter-mile pass of 4.728 seconds, quicker than Scelzi’s track-record 4.746 seconds.

Beginning today at Pomona, Force will be trying to improve on the national record of 4.665 seconds, which he set in 2004 at Joliet, Ill. Without the record and 20 points that come with it, he will have to survive two rounds beyond Scelzi and Capps to come out on top.

“We can’t count on them to make a mistake,” Force said of his rivals. “One car might make a mistake and be out, but not two of them. They’re too good.”

Scelzi is trying to become only the second driver in NHRA history, along with Kenny Bernstein, to win series titles in the top-fuel and funny car divisions. Scelzi won top-fuel titles in 1997-98 and 2000.

“I’ve got to laugh when they mention my name with Bernstein or Force or [Joe] Amato, because I just don’t consider myself as one of those guys,” Scelzi said. “Those guys are legends. I just don’t think I’m in that league.”

Force in his Mustang and Scelzi in his Dodge Stratus have been the faster of the three, but Capps, who also drives a Dodge Stratus, has been more consistent and has earned more second-half points.

In his first season with Don Schumacher Racing, after eight with Don Prudhomme, Capps posted his best-ever numbers at Joliet: 4.732 seconds and 329.02 mph.

He has appeared in seven finals and has three wins this season, and is 4-3 in head-to-head competition against Force but 1-2 against Scelzi. Force is 2-0 against Scelzi.

Scelzi, of Fresno, said holding off his teammate is a priority but said that Force cannot be discounted, despite the substantial points deficit.

“He’s John Force.... It raises the level of everything, because it’s a big deal.”

*

Tony Schumacher, in his U.S. Army-sponsored dragster, clinched the top-fuel title at Las Vegas, capping a season in which he set a national elapsed-time record (4.437 seconds at Joliet), a national speed record (336.15 mph at Columbus, Ohio) and moved to fifth place on the all-time division victory list with 29.

Greg Anderson, in his Summit Racing GTO, clinched his third consecutive pro-stock division championship title in Las Vegas.

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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

NHRA Finals

* What: Automobile Club of Southern California National Hot Rod Assn. Finals.

* When: Today-Sunday. Pit and spectator gates open at 7 a.m. (9 a.m. Sunday). Pro-stock qualifying begins at 2 p.m. today and Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. Top-fuel and funny car qualifying begins at 3 p.m. today and Friday, noon Saturday. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m).

* Where: Pomona Raceway.

* 2004 winners: John Force (funny car), Ashley Force (top alcohol), Tony Schumacher (top fuel), Greg Anderson (pro stock) and Angelle Savoie (pro stock bike).

* Tickets: Available by calling (800) 884-6472 or at ticketmaster.com. Adult admission is $20 today, $27 on Friday, $47 on Saturday and $50 on Sunday. Junior admission (ages 6 to 12) is $10 today through Saturday and $12 on Sunday. Reserved seating is available at higher prices.