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Pomona (5 Viewers)

So this whole banquet thing. It would seem the risk is always there for rain at the finals or obviously anywhere for that matter. Why have the banquet the following day of the final race of the season? I'm on the east coast so not familiar with CA weather. Is it unusual to have rain for three straight days?

So back to the question, why have the banquet literally the day after eliminations? not being critical because it's not my place to be. Is it because everyone has already traveled that far (central and east coast guys etc)?
 
I'd say have the Banquet at Indy the following weekend. Since most teams are based in Indy, have a week to get back.
SUCKS for the West Coast teams, but do the numbers how many will it effect.
 
So this whole banquet thing. It would seem the risk is always there for rain at the finals or obviously anywhere for that matter. Why have the banquet the following day of the final race of the season? I'm on the east coast so not familiar with CA weather. Is it unusual to have rain for three straight days?

So back to the question, why have the banquet literally the day after eliminations? not being critical because it's not my place to be. Is it because everyone has already traveled that far (central and east coast guys etc)?
They want it to be attended so they schedule it like they do. If they delayed it any longer a lot of folks would not stay around. Even if they have to race Monday they can still have it. I think they had to finish on a Monday a few years ago.
 
So this whole banquet thing. It would seem the risk is always there for rain at the finals or obviously anywhere for that matter. Why have the banquet the following day of the final race of the season? I'm on the east coast so not familiar with CA weather. Is it unusual to have rain for three straight days?

So back to the question, why have the banquet literally the day after eliminations? not being critical because it's not my place to be. Is it because everyone has already traveled that far (central and east coast guys etc)?
I agree, I think most if not all of the drivers would care way more about completing the finals then a banquet. Even though I live in the midwest I know people in S. Cal. and what is happening this weekend is not normal. Almost the whole state is being impacted in some way.
 
I agree, I think most if not all of the drivers would care way more about completing the finals then a banquet. Even though I live in the midwest I know people in S. Cal. and what is happening this weekend is not normal. Almost the whole state is being impacted in some way.
I agree that rain in Nov in So CA is not the norm at all. It does happen once in a blue moon though. Way back in I think 1969, the fabled Manufactures Funny Car Championships at OCIR was rained out for several days in November due to unusually heavy rain. There as a lot of flooding from that storm. Am I remembering this correctly? That was one of the first big races I attended as a wee young lad. I think Gas Rhonda in his poppy red mustang won the '69 race.
 
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Hi Jon, yes, the '69 OCIR Mfrs. Meet was rained out....TWICE! It rained on 2 consecutive Saturday nights so the actual race day ended up being on Sunday afternoon. This was the final where Gas Ronda stunned the crowd by defeating the much ballyhooed Chi-Town Hustler that was all the rage of SoCal's fall season!

This unintended race schedule was a near duplicate of the '68 Mfrs. Meet. That year the first night was canceled by...if you can believe it...too much fog! They got 9 races in before the announcement was made. We were told to come back the following Saturday night. But an unrelenting drizzle canceled that attempt too. So the race concluded on Sunday afternoon. The final was "Big John" Mazmanian vs. Don Schumacher's "Stardust" (Don's first trip to CA) w/ Siroonian winning the race. Till this day I can't believe we underage teens got the elders (anyone's dad or uncle) to drive us to OCIR—a 1 hr. trip—SIX TIMES to take in all of the fantastic FC racing!
 
Hi Jon, yes, the '69 OCIR Mfrs. Meet was rained out....TWICE! It rained on 2 consecutive Saturday nights so the actual race day ended up being on Sunday afternoon. This was the final where Gas Ronda stunned the crowd by defeating the much ballyhooed Chi-Town Hustler that was all the rage of SoCal's fall season!

This unintended race schedule was a near duplicate of the '68 Mfrs. Meet. That year the first night was canceled by...if you can believe it...too much fog! They got 9 races in before the announcement was made. We were told to come back the following Saturday night. But an unrelenting drizzle canceled that attempt too. So the race concluded on Sunday afternoon. The final was "Big John" Mazmanian vs. Don Schumacher's "Stardust" (Don's first trip to CA) w/ Siroonian winning the race. Till this day I can't believe we underage teens got the elders (anyone's dad or uncle) to drive us to OCIR—a 1 hr. trip—SIX TIMES to take in all of the fantastic FC racing!
Hi James:
Great to hear from you. Good to know you still lurk here once in a while. I always enjoy your expert recollections of 1960's and 1970's So Cal drag racing.
 
They did it at Ennis one year. Dont remember year.
It was 2000. Force was running the Frankenstein car.
Myself, my son and brother in law were there. There may have been just a few hundred people in attendance.
We sat, by ourselves, in the top end stands.
 
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I'm new here at this site but think that going off of points and trying to get any kind of racing in is the correct solution, if they can do any racing on Sunday. I totally agree with what they did for the sportsman classes. They let them race it out. Champions were crowned. Other than TA/D I think 🤔. Sportsman is different, they don't go to every national event, so glad NHRA did one day race for sportsman.

On a side note, if you flooded the lanes and outfitted the car/bike with a propeller or jet propulsion, would that work or be feasible?

😎

Ps: If they don't run any races, I'm glad for Richard Gadson. His Uncle is a bad ass on any motorcycle and must be gleaming with pride! Ricky was at Atco many of times
 
WEATHER FORECAST.

As of NOW, 10 PM PT, there is a 30% Chance of rain tomorrow in the early AM, followed by cloudy, intermittent showers and high 50s (!!!) through the afternoon. It’s going to be touch and go? A lot of the storm has moved North, but there is more to come, depending on whether the gap in the precipitation can be favorable. FYI.

I’m hoping the ghost of Wally good luck prevails here.

Edit, 2 AM PT, not looking good. Worse than above. This changes almost every hour. Touch and go.
 
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I am surprised to see, based on the Pomona Finals Funny Car "qualifying" order, that the Kalitta Funny Car with JR Todd is not in the top 10. They are #11. I didn't think they had that poor of a season. Will they be making some changes to the team for 2026 based on that result? I guess we will find out eventually.
 
Also Chad Green is driving for Del Worsham. Del has some health issues this week and had tabbed Green to drive for him prior to the start of the event. Green is 16th in points so he gets the final spot. Alexander is driving the second CGR car and is in the 15th spot.
 

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