Drag racing traditionalists (geezers) out there will probably remember the beginning of the old ABC Wide World of Sports coverage of the Pomona Winternationals when the cameraman zoomed back from the snow covered peaks of nearby Mt. Baldy down to the hot action on the starting line. The weather will be picture-perfect this weekend for the opening of the 2008 NHRA POWERade season.  (Darr Hawthorne photo)

Words by Darr Hawthorne and Jeff Burk
Photos by Darr Hawthorne and James Drew
2/7/2008

Despite what may be characterized in the national media as an impending recession, you wouldn’t know it by the attendance of sportsman and professional racers for the season opening 48th Annual NHRA Winternationals at the famed Pomona quarter mile.  

It’s still an exciting time for the traditional Southern California sendoff of the national tour and with the return of single car owners like Dexter Tuttle’s Top Fuel Dragster who found Vis Viva Living Force Energy drink to replace his Torco Race Fuels sponsorship and mega-team owner Don Schumacher’s fielding four floppers, two dragsters and a Pro Stock bike.  

Among the early arrivals to Pomona are the Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters for display and to make exhibition passes at around 1:00 PM Saturday and after the Semi-finals on Sunday. Canadian Ron Hodgeson’s “Bubble-up” Firebird pokes the spoiler out of their transporter on the Wednesday roll in as crewman Troy Cagle (background) heads for supplies.  (Darr Hawthorne photo)

Then there’s the old switcheroo with Pro Stock biker Antron Brown filling the Matco Tools dragster seat for David Powers, the ride recently vacated by Whit Bazemore.

John Force returns to action after his horrific Dallas crash and Mike Neff joins JFR driving in his rookie season behind the wheel of an Old Spice-sponsored Mustang tuned by John Medlen.  

Sports drink Vegas Fuels, which has backed Jon Capps in the past, will have their livery on Max Naylor’s Mopar, at least for the Winternationals.

In Pro Stock Greg Anderson debuts his new RJ Racecars-built Pontiac GXP looking to regain his form and the #1 on his car after Jeg Coughlin’s 2007 Countdown victory. Will hard charging Dave Connolly return with a second Cagnazzi Racing Cobalt after Evan Knoll’s abrupt sponsorship departure? Will this be a MOPAR year for Allen Johnson and Larry Morgan?

And this year it’ll be fun for all of us to try to understand the “new and improved” 2008 NHRA professional qualifying format where ‘provisional’ qualifiers are set during Friday’s sessions. Provisionals? Gentlemen in Glendora, this is drag racing.

Here are some photos from the Wednesday start of the Big Go West.

Mike Neff’s new Old Spice-sponsored car looks sharp and smells nice too. We wonder if, like Ron Capps did last year with their fragrance sponsor, the Force camp will add a little Old Spice to the nitro.  (James Drew photo)