Leah Pritchett, in the piping-hot Papa John’s Pizza Dragster, served up delicious defiance Sunday at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif.
In earning her second career victory from the No. 1 starting position, Pritchett, 28, who began her drag- racing journey at this racetrack at age 8 in a Jr. Dragster, proved that perseverance pays off.
She was abandoned last April by her former team owner who abruptly shut down his operation – right after she claimed her first victory, at Phoenix.
But Pritchett slogged through the initial jolt, as well as the mood swings that come with cold-calling and networking alike in searching for marketing partners to keep going. She cobbled together a full slate last season, landed a deal with Don Schumacher Racing and a Countdown berth, finished seventh, and secured funding from Papa John’s for this year.
And Sunday she savored the taste of triumph, running away from Doug Kalitta, who immediately lost traction in his Mac Tools Dragster (7.630, 103.85).
Her winning 3.711 elapsed time at 324.98 mph on the 1,000-foot course helped her make history. She became the 40th Winternationals winner but only the fifth female (following Shirley Muldowney, Shelly Anderson, Lori Johns, and Melanie Troxel). She headlined a trio of top qualifiers who all wound up in the winner’s circle, marking the first time since the July 2015 event at Sonoma, Calif., that has happened.
“This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me professionally. The last 10 days make up for the first part of last year,” Pritchett said.
Leah Pritchett ran a 3.711 elapsed time at 324.98 mph in her final run Sunday.
She also hadn’t forgotten that she fouled out at this race last year, and she said, “I have waited all last year to redeem myself.
“We have the perfect group of people and a car that is reacting. Sometimes you tell a car what to do . . . and it wants to be a stubborn child. Not this thing. This thing is a straight-A, ‘perfect-kid in school’ kind of [car] and we’re taking full advantage of it.,” Pritchett said.
If this weekend - in which No. 1 Funny Car qualifier Matt Hagan ran nearly six miles an hour faster than the Top Fuel’s fastest racer (335.57 to Doug Kalitta’s 331.85) – is any harbinger, the season already has promised plenty of drama.
Hagan ratcheted up the suspense in the Funny Car final round, scrambling to the starting line at literally the last minute before he would be declared a no-show against Courtney Force. But he fired up the car, then fired off a 3.875-second, 330.07-mph pass in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger to trump her 3.901, 326.95.
He said he had “much respect for Courtney that she waited for us. That was very sportsmanlike of them.”
New strapping-in routines caused his delay, but the two-time champion more than atoned for it to notch his second Winternationals victory and fifth at this venue.
Jason Line put down a 6.568-second run at 211.10 mph in the final.
It was a poignant 23rd victory for Hagan, of Christiansburg, Va., who lost his 33-year-old younger brother Kyle early last month to a brain aneurysm and his grandfather about a month before that.
“It was an emotional offseason,” he said. “It was tough to keep it together, talking about my brother. I feel like I’m a big ol’ tough country boy and I don’t break down and cry. That’s just real life, man, and something I’m going to have to deal with the rest of my life. This was a special race.”
In Pro Stock, 17-year-old rookie Tanner Gray won his first elimination round, Erica Enders signaled with a semifinal appearance that she is back in championship-contention form, and angst about electronic fuel injection has dissipated. But one truth still resonates: The KB / Summit Racing Camaro tandem of Jason Line and Greg Anderson is dominant.
Line earned his 46th overall victory in his fourth straight final-round appearance at the Winternationals. He used a 6.568-second run at 211.10 mph for the wire-to-wire triumph, while Anderson clocked 6.579, 211.56.
Next up is the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Motorsports Park in Chandler Ariz., Feb. 24-26.
Final Results Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
POMONA, Calif. --Final finish order (1-16) at the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the first of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Leah Pritchett; 2. Doug Kalitta; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Tony Schumacher; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 6. Steve Torrence; 7. Terry McMillen; 8. Brittany Force; 9. Shawn Reed; 10. Scott Palmer; 11. Clay Millican; 12. Steve Faria; 13. Terry Haddock; 14. Troy Buff; 15. Steven Chrisman.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Matt Hagan; 2. Courtney Force; 3. John Force; 4. Ron Capps; 5. Jack Beckman; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Tommy Johnson Jr.; 8. Del Worsham; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Robert Hight; 11. Tim Wilkerson; 12. Bob Bode; 13. Phil Burkart; 14. Jeff Diehl; 15. Cruz Pedregon; 16. Jim Campbell.
PRO STOCK:
1. Jason Line; 2. Greg Anderson; 3. Bo Butner; 4. Erica Enders; 5. Shane Gray; 6. Jeg Coughlin; 7. Tanner Gray; 8. Vincent Nobile; 9. Drew Skillman; 10. Chris McGaha; 11. Matt Hartford; 12. Alan Prusiensky; 13. Kenny Delco; 14. Deric Kramer; 15. Allen Johnson; 16. Val Smeland.
Sunday's final results from the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The race is the first of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Leah Pritchett, 3.711 seconds, 324.98 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 7.630 seconds, 103.85 mph.
Funny Car -- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.875, 330.07 def. Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.901, 326.95.
Pro Stock -- Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.568, 211.10 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.579, 211.56.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Joey Severance, 5.214, 275.51 def. Garrett Bateman, 5.486, 263.10.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Shane Westerfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.652, 127.19 def. Jonnie Lindberg, Camaro, Foul - Red Light.
Competition Eliminator -- Doug Lambeck, Pontiac Sunfire, 8.351, 156.97 def. Clint Neff, Bantam Roadster, 7.655, 156.48.
Super Stock -- Justin Lamb, Chevy Cobalt, 8.638, 153.23 def. Timothy Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.375, 120.43.
Stock Eliminator -- Jerry Emmons, Chevy Camaro, 10.170, 119.87 def. Justin Jerome, Plymouth Duster, 10.985, 119.38.
Super Comp -- Steve Williams, Dragster, 8.903, 185.38 def. Dave Alves, Dragster, 8.891, 184.77.
Super Gas -- Ed Olpin, Chevy Corvette, 9.886, 168.98 def. Robert Naber, Corvette, 9.882, 163.06.
Top Dragster presented by RacingRVs.com -- Mike Coughlin, Dragster, 6.093, 212.73 def. Andy Spiegel, Dragster, 6.662, 199.85.
Top Sportsman presented by RacingRVs.com -- Ed Olpin, Chevy Camaro, 6.978, 198.26 def. Jeff Gillette, Pontiac GTO, 6.939, 193.24.
Top Fuel Harley -- Jay Turner, Dixie, 6.276, 218.23 def. Rickey House, VTS, Foul - Red Light.
Final round-by-round results from the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the first of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Terry McMillen, 3.750, 324.51 def. Clay Millican, 4.037, 238.43; Steve Torrence, 3.751, 328.06 def. Troy Buff, 7.357, 85.92; Leah Pritchett, 3.707, 325.14 was unopposed; Doug Kalitta, 3.696, 329.91 def. Steve Faria, 4.246, 230.92; Antron Brown, 3.742, 321.35 def. Steven Chrisman, 16.117, 30.54; Brittany Force, 3.726, 322.19 def. Terry Haddock, 4.619, 169.55; Tony Schumacher, 3.709, 326.08 def. Scott Palmer, 3.896, 287.96; Troy Coughlin Jr., 3.728, 328.46 def. Shawn Reed, 3.854, 316.60; QUARTERFINALS -- Brown, 3.733, 325.69 def. Coughlin Jr., 3.727, 327.35; Schumacher, 3.697, 325.53 def. Force, 9.544, 75.26; Pritchett, 3.707, 324.44 def. Torrence, 3.755, 328.22; Kalitta, 3.687, 330.55 def. McMillen, 4.335, 170.86; SEMIFINALS -- Pritchett, 3.687, 327.43 def. Schumacher, 3.750, 322.11; Kalitta, 3.698, 331.85 def. Brown, 3.731, 324.90;
FINAL -- Pritchett, 3.711, 324.98 def. Kalitta, 7.630, 103.85.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 3.880, 329.10 def. Bob Bode, Charger, 9.544, 67.95; Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 6.610, 105.68 def. Jim Campbell, Charger, 19.483, 108.10; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.885, 331.77 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, Foul - Red Light; John Force, Camaro, 3.897, 328.38 def. Phil Burkart, Charger, 10.607, 73.10; Del Worsham, Toyota Camry, 4.008, 313.15 def. Robert Hight, Camaro, 4.313, 213.94; J.R. Todd, Camry, 3.902, 330.72 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 6.970, 112.50; Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.938, 323.89 def. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.148, 229.24; Jack Beckman, Charger, 3.867, 330.63 def. Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 13.004, 67.39; QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 3.898, 325.22 def. Worsham, 6.455, 117.75; J. Force, 3.884, 329.67 def. Johnson Jr., 3.939, 324.36; Hagan, 3.882, 329.18 def. Beckman, 3.893, 328.30; C. Force, 3.892, 326.08 def. Todd, 3.930, 329.02; SEMIFINALS -- C. Force, 3.872, 326.24 def. J. Force, 3.886, 328.54; Hagan, 4.290, 207.50 def. Capps, Foul - Red Light;
FINAL -- Hagan, 3.875, 330.07 def. C. Force, 3.901, 326.95.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Tanner Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.588, 210.73 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.603, 209.88; Jeg Coughlin, Chevrolet Camaro, 6.574, 210.24 def. Deric Kramer, Dodge Dart, 6.638, 205.41; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.564, 210.77 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, Foul - Red Light; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.550, 211.43 def. Drew Skillman, Camaro, 6.579, 210.87; Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.575, 211.16 def. Allen Johnson, Dart, 8.845, 101.72; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.549, 211.49 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.632, 208.94; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.533, 211.69 def. Val Smeland, Camaro, 11.376, 79.29; Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.556, 211.53 def. Alan Prusiensky, Dart, 6.624, 208.94; QUARTERFINALS -- Enders, 6.582, 210.41 def. Nobile, 18.900, 45.22; Butner, 6.574, 211.06 def. S. Gray, 6.581, 210.64; Anderson, 6.567, 210.93 def. Coughlin, 6.585, 209.85; Line, 6.558, 210.97 def. T. Gray, 6.604, 210.18; SEMIFINALS -- Anderson, 6.574, 211.10 def. Enders, 6.599, 210.18; Line, 6.559, 210.97 def. Butner, 6.567, 210.90;
FINAL -- Line, 6.568, 211.10 def. Anderson, 6.579, 211.56.
NHRA Point Standings
POMONA, Calif. --Point standings (top 10) following the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, the first of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Leah Pritchett, 122; 2. Doug Kalitta, 105; 3. Antron Brown, 79; 4. Tony Schumacher, 70; 5. Brittany Force, 57; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 54; 7. Steve Torrence, 53; 8. Terry McMillen, 48; 9. (tie) Scott Palmer, 32; Shawn Reed, 32.
Funny Car
1. Matt Hagan, 119; 2. Courtney Force, 99; 3. John Force, 80; 4. Ron Capps, 77; 5. Jack Beckman, 53; 6. (tie) Tommy Johnson Jr., 52; J.R. Todd, 52; Del Worsham, 52; 9. Robert Hight, 36; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 35.
Pro Stock
1. Jason Line, 126; 2. Greg Anderson, 103; 3. Bo Butner, 77; 4. Erica Enders, 75; 5. Vincent Nobile, 58; 6. (tie) Jeg Coughlin, 56; Shane Gray, 56; 8. Tanner Gray, 52; 9. Chris McGaha, 33; 10. (tie) Matt Hartford, 32; Deric Kramer, 32; Drew Skillman, 32.
Susan Wade has lived in the Seattle area for 40 years, but motorsports is in the Indianapolis native’s DNA. She has emerged as one of the leading drag-racing writers with nearly 30 seasons at the racetrack, focusing on the human-interest angle. She was the first non-NASCAR recipient of the prestigious Russ Catlin Award and has covered the sport for the Chicago Tribune, Newark Star-Ledger, and Seattle Times. She has contributed to Autoweek as a freelance writer since 2016.
