It’s been proven no competitor can win a championship on the first day of any season, but a poor start can create a situation that can put a competitor far enough behind that it’s nearly impossible to catch up.
That’s what Pro Stock racers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series face today with the start of the Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona’s Fairplex. While the other two pro classes will compete in 24 national events, Pro Stock drivers have been reduced to an 18-race season. Futhermore, defending class champion Tanner Gray has decided to move on, looking for another racing series.
Pro Stock, Top Fuel and Funny Car entries have two qualifying sessions Friday (noon and 3 p.m.) and another pair on Saturday before Sunday’s finals. The season-opening eliminations will start at 11 a.m.
“I think it’s more important than ever,” former world champion Greg Anderson said. “There isn’t a lot of room for a bad race or a mistake, and you can’t start off in the hole. You can’t win the championship in the first race, but if you get off to a bad start it can have a pretty big impact on you later.”
Anderson and KB Racing/Summit Racing Equipment teammates Jason Line and Bo Butner have won eight straight Winternationals, and nine of the last 10
“There’s no pressure, but if you want to win them all, you have to win the first one,” said Line, who has five wins in the last 10 years in the opener. “Every race is important, and you’d like to start off well, so it matters for sure. I’m looking forward to being better.
“We see the opportunities to do things differently in the shop as a positive for us. We’re going to get better as the year goes, for sure, but this first race still matters.”
Despite Gray’s absence, there will be plenty of competition in the class. Elite Motorsports teammates Jeg Coughlin and Erica Enders have seven titles between them, five by Coughlin who finished second in 2018.
“I feel as though we’re the best prepared we have been for the start of a season,” Coughlin said. “Testing went really well. We had a top-running car at end of last season and basically the team made some enhancements on what we were doing then and now it’s time to see where we stack up.
“I’m excited for season and anxious to see if we can capitalize on the huge momentum we built in last year’s Countdown (to the Championship).”
NASCAR opener
Race fans will get a peek of next week’s season-opening Cup opener, the Daytona 500, on Sunday with the 75-lap Advance Auto Parts Clash. It’s considered a preview of the opener but only six times has a driven won both. The last to accomplish the feat was Denny Hamlin in 2016, and the only active driver with that distinction.
Joining Hamlin in the field are defending Cup champion Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez and Aric Almirola. Also in the field will be Clint Bowyer, brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch, defending Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon, the sport’s Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr.
The sanctioning body made a change earlier in the week: cars will be subject to disqualification for post-race inspection failures. Furthermore, NASCAR will declare the official winner of races in its top three national series before leaving the track on race day.
“We’re changing the culture,” NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell said. “Going forward, post-race inspection will take place at the track. If the first-place car has any penalties, that car will be disqualified. Second place will receive all the benefits of winning that race.
Pit stops
— Hallie Deegan, the 17-year-old from Temecula, will drive for Bill McAnally Racing once again in the NASCAR K&N West series in the No. 19 Monster Energy/NAPA Toyota Camry, as well as select East races. Deegan finished fifth in the West championship standings last season, earning one win, two poles, five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 14 starts.
Deegan and Brittany Zamora are the first female teammates to run full-time in the K&N Pro Series. Zamora makes her rookie debut in NASCAR Pro Series competition, while Deegan and teammate Derek Kraus return for their second and third full-time seasons, respectively. The trio will participate in K&N Pro Series East opener at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida on Sunday.
— Auto Club Speedway and Big Al’s (4120 E 4th Street) in Ontario will host a Daytona 500 viewing party on Feb. 17. The race starts at 11:30 a.m., but the doors will open at 10. There will be a raffle for driver memorabilia, tickets for the Auto Club 400, fun cards for Lefty’s Kids Club and free play on the NASCAR arcade game.— After a 35-year run with Toyota as its sponsor, the Long Beach Grand Prix has signed Acura as its replacement. The U.S. headquarters for Acura and its American Honda parent is in Torrance.
“This is a true ‘home’ event for the Acura brand,” said Jon Ikeda, Acura vice president and general manager. “The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of North America’s premier motorsports events, and an institution in Southern California. Acura is delighted and proud to be associated with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership.”
— MAVTV will air 12 ARCA races live this season. The broadcast schedule begins Mach 9 with ARCA’s return to the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., the opening race of the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge.
— — Rain has washed out the PASSCAR and IMCA events scheduled Saturday at Perris Auto Speedway. The events have been rescheduled March 9 and will be a doubleheader, two complete shows. The first show will start at 5 p.m. and one pit pass will be good for both shows.
Louis Brewster ca be reached at [email protected]
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