Pomona Winternationals 2025

[T.Smith]

Don't the tracks have to be a 1° or less downhill grade? There are a couple on the tour that are right at the number.

I bet Reinhart would know.

Not when you only have so many tracks to race on.

 

[T.Smith]

I’ll dig into this a little. Let’s say that a top fuel car weighs 2400 pounds.

A 1% slope over 1000 feet would be 10 feet of a drop. This would be 0.56°, which would add another 17 ish mph. Obviously, this doesn’t count for friction or wind, resistance or anything else, so…. maybe.

A 1° slope over 1000 feet would be about 17 feet. This would be about 23 mph over that distance, in agreement with the above that the Vegas finish line is about 13 feet lower than the start.

However, a 12” drop at the finish line versus the starting line would be about 0.056° which would be about 5.5 mph. Again, not weird.

If the specification is 1°, that’s quite a drop in altitude at the finish. Very interesting. This is if my math is right. Feel free to verify. .

Las Vegas is uphill, not downhill. As is Sonoma and Denver. Also, some fastest and quickest runs in nitro racing have been run at these tracks.

 

[M Jones]

Las Vegas is uphill, not downhill. As is Sonoma and Denver. Also, some fastest and quickest runs in nitro racing have been run at these tracks.

Tony, do you think that going uphill that gravity helps plant the tires for less slippage allowing for more top end traction and speed

 

[T.Smith]

Tony, do you think that going uphill that gravity helps plant the tires for less slippage allowing for more top end traction and speed

Yes, I do. We as a team have run personal bests at Somona and Las Vegas. Ironically, we always ran like **** at Pomona.

 

[M Jones]

Are any of the top alky F/C’s on nitro this weekend

 

[T.Smith]

Are any of the top alky F/C’s on nitro this weekend

No.

 

[yoda]

Tony, do you think that going uphill that gravity helps plant the tires for less slippage allowing for more top end traction and speed

Makes sense; when traction is key to speed and overall acceleration, driving into a surface that is coming to you (rising) works better than driving on a surface that is constantly falling away from you (descending).

 

[twostep]

However, a 12” drop at the finish line versus the starting line would be about 0.056° which would be about 5.5 mph. Again, not weird.

I can't verify the math but my gut tells me there's no way in the world a mere 12-inch drop in altitude at the finish line compared to the starting line would add 5.5mph to the trap speed of a Top Fuel dragster. More like .055mph, if that.

 

[twostep]

Las Vegas is uphill, not downhill. As is Sonoma and Denver. Also, some fastest and quickest runs in nitro racing have been run at these tracks.

You would know and indeed the uphill runoff area at some tracks can create an optical illusion that adds to the downhill look. But ever since "The Strip" has been in existence I've listened to people talk about it's 13-foot drop. If you read around on the internet most concur; some say level/illusion but none say uphill. Just what I've heard and read. Your mileage may vary.

Big speeds in Denver have a lot more to do with the decrease in aerodynamic drag than the miniscule difference in start/finish elevation, which I'm sure you'd agree. A close friend and I were in attendance when Brittany Force laid down Bandimere's speed record, 337, 2 summers ago. Rather impressive to say the least.

 

[T.Smith]

You would know and indeed the uphill runoff area at some tracks can create an optical illusion that adds to the downhill look. But ever since "The Strip" has been in existence I've listened to people talk about it's 13-foot drop. If you read around on the internet most concur; some say level/illusion but none say uphill. Just what I've heard and read. Your mileage may vary.

Big speeds in Denver have a lot more to do with the decrease in aerodynamic drag than the miniscule difference in start/finish elevation, which I'm sure you'd agree. A close friend and I were in attendance when Brittany Force laid down Bandimere's speed record, 337, 2 summers ago. Rather impressive to say the least.

Well, don't believe everything you read on the internet without researching it yourself.

Try Google Earth. It tracks elevation.

Denver, Sonoma, Bristol and Las Vegas are uphill. Pomona and Charlotte are downhill.

At Denver, Sonoma and Las Vegas you are already pointing uphill at the starting line. Bristol's starting line is relatively flat, but downtrack starts going uphill. Charlotte's starting line is also relatively flat, but by the 60 ft clocks it has already dropped 1 ft. The starting line at Charlotte is built on a crown.

I'm not denying thinner air may have had some effects on Force's track record run. But it still needed the grip and acceleration to do it.

So the question would be, knowing what we know, does an uphill track hurt a nitro car or help It? Or maybe it's all BS and don't make a difference?

 

[J]

Well.....Blake Alexander sure as hell didn't like Angelle's question at the top end of round two.

CAn you lost a clip of it? Doubt it will be shown on fs1

 

[DanTheFan]

Is Pomona smoother than most making it more predictable fostering more aggressive tuneup?

 

[mick]

how about TAD thru Q2 ...... SG running rite now. alcohol classes Q3 up shortly
air density altitude right now in pomona is 1580'.
1 2422 TA/D Jamie Noonan, Spartansburg SC, CNE-NOON 5.167 277.32 277.32
2 10 TA/D Madison Payne, Claremont CA, Copeland-C 5.179 279.32 279.32
3 1 TA/D Shawn Cowie, Langley BC, Hadman-HEMI 5.183 277.94 277.94

 

[LoPony]

Las Vegas is uphill, not downhill. As is Sonoma and Denver. Also, some fastest and quickest runs in nitro racing have been run at these tracks.

Maybe the spec is that the slope should not vary more than 1° from horizontal, which would make good sense.

 

[mick]

top 3 in TAFC in Q3 slowed from +.006 to +.012. only maddy g. in 4th improves by -.001
top 3 in TAD in Q3......cowie improves -.02.....payne loses traction......noonan slows +.015

 

[robinjackson]

Did anyone notice Brittany Force's ET/TS beating Tony Stewart in Round 2 of the Right Trailers Call-Out on Friday afternoon?

3.641 / 337.16.

Seems this elimination round was held as an addition to the program, stuck in between Q1 and Q2, without registering on the qualifying order.

POMONA 1 - Top Fuel All-Star Callout Round 2 Eliminations

Drag racing results, news photos and highlights from NHRA and IHRA series events

www.dragracecentral.com

I'd love to know what Brittany's incrementals were on this pass. I can't find them anywhere. The eighth-mile on her Q1 low qualifier was 301.67mph, credited as the fastest yet in competition. So what was her eighth-mile on this Right Trailers Round 2 pass?

 

[twostep]

So the question would be, knowing what we know, does an uphill track hurt a nitro car or help It? Or maybe it's all BS and don't make a difference?

I suppose if someone really wanted to do some research they'd take Zizz's car and weigh the rear on a known level surface and then weigh it again with the same amount of fuel onboard on the starting line of the track in question. How to compute available grip from there is what crew chiefs are for.

 

[twostep]

Did anyone notice Brittany Force's ET/TS beating Tony Stewart in Round 2 of the Right Trailers Call-Out on Friday afternoon?

3.641 / 337.16.

Seems this elimination round was held as an addition to the program, stuck in between Q1 and Q2, without registering on the qualifying order.

POMONA 1 - Top Fuel All-Star Callout Round 2 Eliminations

Drag racing results, news photos and highlights from NHRA and IHRA series events

www.dragracecentral.com

I'd love to know what Brittany's incrementals were on this pass. I can't find them anywhere. The eighth-mile on her Q1 low qualifier was 301.67mph, credited as the fastest yet in competition. So what was her eighth-mile on this Right Trailers Round 2 pass?

068

.827

2.083

2.930

300.20

--

3.641

337.16

 

[Just Paul]

The first 3 second funny car field **should** happen in Q4. We are at 14 right now with Bob Tasca and Dan Wilkerson yet to hit the mark. Jason Rupert and Blake Alexander also have good potential.

 

[mick]

nhra live timing/results is reporting a 301.67 1/8 mph for britt in Q1. is that number correct? this was also E1 for trailer race?