“It was a great to be the number one,” Schumacher said. “That was a phenomenal run. That’s a consistent racecar doing some great stuff. The conditions aren’t going to change at Pomona. We are running really good and assume the other cars are going to run good too. Great cars make you rise to the occasion and do a great job. Fans pay big money to see a good race.”

Brazilian Top Fuel rookie Sidnei Frigo, who drove a Lucas Oil Series TAD the past few years, rounded out the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history with a respectable 3.858 ET at 306.60 mph. World Finals winner Brandon Bernstein took the second spot in his Protect the Harvest/MAVTV dragster with a 3.761 ET at 325.22 mph, while defending Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown qualified fourth with a 3.768 ET at 328.14 mph in his Matco Tools dragster.

In Funny Car Courtney Force raced to her first No. 1 qualifying position of the brand new season with a 4.036 elapsed time at 318.24 mph. In her Traxxas Ford Mustang Courtney grabbed the No. 1 spot for her first at Pomona and third of her career from Friday’s leader Jack Beckman. She’d race Phil Burkart driving Steve Plueger’s Chevy Monte Carlo in the first round of eliminations.

“I’m really excited because it’s my home track,” Force said. “I’m pretty excited that we got the No. 1 spot, but I’ve still got to focus and not get distracted by anything.”