What do you think were hi-lites of the Finals?

[MidnightbluS10]

I'm not so sure about highlights. I know one thing. Can't wait to see Aaron Stanfield race next season. That young man is a badass! And a local whose family I know. I've known his Aunt Michelle and Uncle Mike for 30+ years. My mom is/was best friends with Michelle and her "sisters", Kim & Suzanne. They still talk quite often.

Congrats on a great season, Aaron!

 

[J. S.]

One thing that has not been noted yet is that there were NO oil downs all day from the fuel classes. This is a great achievement, as we all know how many hours we have had to sit over the years waiting for the Safety Safari to clean up the mess from an engine explosion. There were some burned pistons, but no big boomers during the race on Sunday. Good job!

Regarding the condition of the shutdown area and the parking lot: I can't remember if the NHRA owns the track at Pomona, or if it is on a long-term lease. But I agree that with the NHRA barely getting by financially during the last few years, it is very unlikely that the shutdown area will be re-paved. And the parking lot and pit area probably hasn't been repaved in 40 years, if that recently. Very unlikely as well that those areas would be re-paved, regardless of who owns that portion of the Fairplex.

 

[Cliff]

I think NHRA leases it from LA County Fairgrounds. Pomona has so much tradition to it - first started running the drags there in 1951. Would hate to see it go, but there is some merit in using Vegas for Winternats & Finals. Did I just say that? arghhhh

 

[Nunz]

I think NHRA leases it from LA County Fairgrounds. Pomona has so much tradition to it - first started running the drags there in 1951. Would hate to see it go, but there is some merit in using Vegas for Winternats & Finals. Did I just say that? arghhhh

Well Cliff, at least use Vegas for the Finals, and continue to start the year at Pomona, maybe that'll also boost the Winters attendance if there's only one race there each season.

 

[mick]

been proponent of vegas finals for a long time, but in tight economy, i just don't see nhra giving up even 1 pomona race, when they don't have to split money with track owner,
unless their fairground's lease is up, or is becoming too costly. either upgrade these old facilities properly, or move on to better venues in cities that have shown good attendance recently,
and venues that have spent the money to keep their facilities current.

 

[TSK]

Since Pomona is leased, who is responsible for its upkeep and/or any upgrades? Is it NHRA or the city of Pomona?

 

[Reese]

I'm not so sure about highlights. I know one thing. Can't wait to see Aaron Stanfield race next season. That young man is a badass! And a local whose family I know. I've known his Aunt Michelle and Uncle Mike for 30+ years. My mom is/was best friends with Michelle and her "sisters", Kim & Suzanne. They still talk quite often.

Congrats on a great season, Aaron!

Also congrats to his dad, the 2021 Superstock champion.

 

[Randy]

Since Pomona is leased, who is responsible for its upkeep and/or any upgrades? Is it NHRA or the city of Pomona?

Since it's the Los Angeles County Fairplex my guess would be Los Angeles County. The pit areas are actually the parking lot for the fairgrounds.

 

[Topfuel386]

If you go back and dig up press releases from when they sold Atlanta. You would find in those press releases that they said they were going to use that money to upgrade Gainesville drainage, the Indianapolis facility, and Pomona‘s track surface.

 

[Jack]

One thing that has not been noted yet is that there were NO oil downs all day from the fuel classes. This is a great achievement, as we all know how many hours we have had to sit over the years waiting for the Safety Safari to clean up the mess from an engine explosion. There were some burned pistons, but no big boomers during the race on Sunday. Good job!

Regarding the condition of the shutdown area and the parking lot: I can't remember if the NHRA owns the track at Pomona, or if it is on a long-term lease. But I agree that with the NHRA barely getting by financially during the last few years, it is very unlikely that the shutdown area will be re-paved. And the parking lot and pit area probably hasn't been repaved in 40 years, if that recently. Very unlikely as well that those areas would be re-paved, regardless of who owns that portion of the Fairplex.

Maybe California will take a very small percentage of the many billions of dollars they are getting from the government infrastructure bill to do the repave? Probably not......

 

[Ramjet]

If you go back and dig up press releases from when they sold Atlanta. You would find in those press releases that they said they were going to use that money to upgrade Gainesville drainage, the Indianapolis facility, and Pomona‘s track surface.

The Problem with that is that's the exact reason that NHRA is in the position they are in. Being nostalgic about Pomona being THE track can't change the fact that every track has to be able to support it's own self. This is a business and the maintainance as well as upgrades are very much a part of what is needed for the bottom line. When you start selling off some of your assets to keep the rest afloat it is not a real good business model. The guy I built the Red - White & Blue Nostalgia car for that was parked by the starting line during Qualifying said he has never seen so few people there and he came in on Wednesday and left after dark on Sunday. P.S. I started running at Pomona in the early '60's and hate to see what is happening, but we have to face reality.

 

[J. S.]

"Maybe California will take a very small percentage of the many billions of dollars they are getting from the government infrastructure bill to do the repave? Probably not......"


If the State of CA does anything in regards to drag racing, it will be to shut it down completely. "It's bad for the environment" don'tcha know. And don't think the current people in charge of CA won't try to do it.

 

[J. S.]

As I recall, the track and the Fairplex is actually in the city of La Verne, not Pomona. But I think it is still considered an LA County facility.

 

[Topfuel386]

The Problem with that is that's the exact reason that NHRA is in the position they are in. Being nostalgic about Pomona being THE track can't change the fact that every track has to be able to support it's own self. This is a business and the maintainance as well as upgrades are very much a part of what is needed for the bottom line. When you start selling off some of your assets to keep the rest afloat it is not a real good business model. The guy I built the Red - White & Blue Nostalgia car for that was parked by the starting line during Qualifying said he has never seen so few people there and he came in on Wednesday and left after dark on Sunday. P.S. I started running at Pomona in the early '60's and hate to see what is happening, but we have to face reality.

I didn’t say it was a good decision or a bad decision. I personally would have a hard time paying to upgrade something I didn’t own.

 

[Huge]

It was awesome seeing Dallas Glenn win the 2021 ROTY. He definitely won it hands down.

 

[mgty3whlr]

It was awesome seeing Dallas Glenn win the 2021 ROTY. He definitely won it hands down.

He is definitely lightening fast on the tree. Look out 2022!

 

[sammi]

All of us chumps who regularly pay usury parking fees at the Fairplex are dismayed that no substantive paving improvements have been made in over 20 years. If the mafia isn't involved in Fairplex parking, they should be.

 

[Tom Slick]

As I recall, the track and the Fairplex is actually in the city of La Verne, not Pomona. But I think it is still considered an LA County facility.

The city line literally runs right across the backdoor of the starting line tower suites. The Fairplex property is within Pomona city lines including the race track and pits. From the Fairplex website: Fairplex is a nonprofit, 501(c)5 organization that leads a 487-acre campus proudly located in the City of Pomona. Fairplex exists in a public-private partnership with the County of Los Angeles and is home of the LA County Fair and more than 500 year-round events.

 

[ZWeinstein]

I did not get a chance to watch much except for Sunday but moments that stood out was McPhillips' 5.10 which was probably the run of the weekend and to back it up with a .13 in the final was stout as well. Watching one of my favorite racers Bill O'Connor in his Slo-Roller Horizon cut a .020 light and run dead on 1 in his first round race was awesome and to top it off he cut a .001 light in his second round but he said he hurt the engine in the first round so it could not run near the number in round 2. Salinas bout tipping over that dragster on Sunday was pretty scary to watch, I dont think you can get more crossed up than he did without crashing. Cam Ferre making the semis was pretty cool, he and the Paton team have been running well for the last few races and its good to see the results follow. I was really bummed for Steve Johnson, of all the championship contenders in all of the classes he was the one I was rooting for the hardest.

 

[Cliff]

I love that Slo Roller. Hard to be consistent in a FWD car, but he does well with it. I think he is usually the slowest car in Stock. I almost bought one of those cars way back when, acutally kinda liked the styling. heh