NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car Championship comes down to final race
It’s not often people can say they had two really good weekends in Las Vegas, whether at the gaming tables or on the race track. But Doug Gordon had two really good weekends – winning the NHRA Nevada Nationals and the Lucas Oil Series Regional race just a week later.
These successive wins give him a 20 point lead in the NHRA Championship going in to the NHRA Finals at Pomona this week.
Gordon has been locked in a Championship battle with Shane Westerfield for most of the back half of the season. Westerfield has owned the points lead almost exclusively from the first race of the season when he won the opener in Pomona and continued to dominate through the middle of the season.
At the start of the Las Vegas National Event there were 4 teams buying for the championship lead. Westerfield, Gordon, Bellemeur, and DJ Cox all had pathways to the championship if the win lights kept coming on.
For Bellemeur and Cox their chances of a championship season came to an end when both drivers left the line too soon, turning on red-lights in the second round of competition. Westerfield turned on a red-light himself in the first round costing him a chance to move on in eliminations, but still remained solidly in contention for the championship.
The Gordon team used solid and consistent runs to make their way to the final round. They defeated Annie Whitely in the final frame with another solid 5.479 sec @ 265.38 mph run to her 5.518 @ 265.27 mph effort.
With Gordon winning the Las Vegas Nevada Nationals, the championship fight was going to Pomona. The only question was – who was taking the lead into Pomona and by how much?
At the Lucas Oil Series event the pressure was on
This particular race has the reputation of being the toughest Lucas Oil Regional Event to qualify for, and win, in all of Drag Racing.
Both teams would make the tough field – Gordon qualifying in the number 1 position and Westerfield would occupy the #7 spot on the ladder. In the first round Gordon defeated Matt Gill while Westerfield would leave too early and hand the win to Chris Marshall.
Gordon would go on to defeat Ulf Leanders in the Semi-Finals setting up a final round match-up with Chris Marshall.
In the final Both drivers would get away clean with Gordon holding a slight reaction time advantage. Gordon was straight down the track to turn on the win light running 5.493 @ 266.95 mph to Marshall’s 5.525 @ 266.11 mph.
The victory gives Gordon a 20 point advantage headed into Pomona. Both Gordon and Westerfield have had great success in Pomona.
The Championship scenario boils down to this at the Finals in Pomona
Westerfield can replace a 53 point race from Indy and Gordon can replace a 42 point race earned at Dallas.
With the 20 point Gordon advantage right now, Westerfield has to win the race and Gordon can’t get by the Semi-Finals for Shane Westerfield to win the Championship.
If Gordon advances to the final round, or Westerfield does not win the race, Doug Gordon is the 2022 Champion.
Both these teams are championship caliber teams and both know how to win with the pressure on. Both teams have won “big pressure” races in the past – this is nothing new to either team. The Championship chase this year has been great and has come down to the wire the way TAFC fans hoped it would. This is going to be great for everyone to watch and enjoy.
Best of luck to both teams.
Las Vegas and Pomona Side Notes:
Chris Marshall – ran great in Las Vegas at both the National Event and the Lucas Oil Regional Event. He could have won either, or both races. He is back running scary fast early numbers, and has a very quick and fast car. Look for him to possibly play spoiler at Pomona.
Brian Hough – driving his Jonnie Lindberg tuned car showed that they are back in a big way. They ran consistent and fast mid 5.40 second times at the Las Vegas race. If they get that performance to translate over to Pomona conditions look for them to be around late on Sunday which could spell trouble for either of the championship contenders.
Ulf Leanders – struggled at times in Las Vegas but seemed to find some performance at the Las Vegas Regional. In the past under good conditions they have run in the 5.30’s at Pomona. They are always a threat to beat anyone at any time.
Sean Bellemeur – will be the first to tell you that the Killer B’s Team is not happy with their Las Vegas results and are eager to right the ship at Pomona. A Steve Boggs tuned machine with Bellemeur driving with nothing to lose and looking to ruin someone’s day is a scary scenario for anyone in the other lane at Pomona.
Kris Hool – ran well at both the Las Vegas races. The smaller budget team qualified well and ran strong at both races and amazingly ran the whole year on the same block & crank combo that was in the car. The same engine they ran at the Las Vegas 4-wide in April is the same engine they ran the last 2 weeks in Las Vegas. The car ran as quick as 5.51 at over 265 mph. Kevin Hool commented that if he could have gotten the hesitation and weakness out of the car between .5 seconds and 1 second the car could have run in the 5.48 to 5.49 range at Las Vegas. The Hool Brothers will not be in Pomona for the finals.
Matt Gill – is headed to Pomona for the first time. The surface and weather conditions may be headed right into their wheel-house. The east coast standout has one of the most powerful cars on the planet that was plagued by small problems in Las Vegas. Paul Gill is one of the most experienced tuners in racing and if they are at full strength they can run with and beat anyone.
Annie Whitley – has been running strong and consistent of late. Absent early in the year on the NHRA Tour, this is a professional caliber team that goes to the track to win. Their recent success is no accident. Annie is driving very well and the Mike and Jeff Strasburg power is never in question.
Nick Januik – A team to keep an eye on. A strong team that has struggled at times on the Goodyear Tire. Rumors have them mounting up a fresh set of Hoosiers for Pomona. When Nick is running well that is mid 5.40 second car. Tires that work well with a car that makes good power could be a prescription for late rounds for the Januik team and a headache for anyone across from him.
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