AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS PREVIEW

TOP FUEL SOAP OPERA TAKES CENTER STAGE ON NHRA’S CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY

All four pro classes will crown their champions at the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona

POMONA, Calif. — Nine months ago, the biggest storyline entering the 2009 season revolved around Larry Dixon and Tony Schumacher, who had combined to win the last seven Top Fuel titles and nine of the last 10.

In what was as compelling an offseason as the NHRA had seen in some time, decorated crew chief Alan Johnson parted ways with the U.S. Army team to create his own team with the backing of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Johnson brought most of the U.S. Army crew with him and he hired Dixon, who’d won back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003 with NHRA icon Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, to take the seat.

The questions swirled as to how this would affect the balance of power in Top Fuel: Would Schumacher and the new U.S. Army team with crew chief Mike Green continue to dominate or would Alan Johnson and Dixon assume the Alpha position in Top Fuel?

With one race left in the 24-race NHRA Full Throttle Series season – the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals Nov. 12-15 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona – it’s as close to a toss-up as you can get: Schumacher and the Army team have 2,485 points as they seek to win a sixth straight title; Dixon and the Al-Anabi team have 2,484 as they seek to unseat The Sarge.

And by no means out of the mix — lurking 48 points back — is the David against those two Goliaths, FRAM Tough Guard dragster driver Cory McClenathan, whose 31 career wins make him the second winningest driver in NHRA history to have not yet won a championship.

Schumacher and then-crew chief Alan Johnson delivered arguably the greatest single performance in NHRA history at the Auto Club Finals in 2006 to win what was at the time their third straight championship.

Schumacher never led the points during the entire 2006 season and he still trailed rival Doug Kalitta by 26 points as he staged against Melanie Troxel in the final round of the final race of the season. Drivers earn 20 points per round win so the only way he could get past Kalitta was to win the race and set the national record (and earn the 20-point bonus).

Known simply as “The Run,” Schumacher delivered a stunning 4.428-second pass as dusk fell at Auto Club Raceway to win the race (earning 20 points) and set the national record (earning a 20-point bonus) to win the championship.

Now Johnson and Schumacher are on opposite sides of the starting line and it would seem only fitting that the two rivals should begin the race on opposite sides of the ladder and meet in a winner-take-all final for the ages as dusk falls on Auto Club Raceway on Nov. 15, 2009.

In Funny Car, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team have all but wrapped up their first championship. Hight leads teammate Ashley Force Hood by 105 points and if he maintains at least a 101-point lead through qualifying he would be the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car champion.

In Pro Stock, Mike Edwards and the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac team have, for all intents and purposes, an insurmountable 139-point lead over three-time champ Greg Anderson. Edwards, who leads all drivers with 15 No. 1 qualifiers this season, just needs to qualify to clinch his first championship.

And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, it’s a two-man race between Hector Arana and defending champion Eddie Krawiec, who trails Arana by 54 points.

SCHEDULE: Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 12-13 and at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 14. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.

TICKETS: Tickets are available for the Auto Club NHRA Finals. Call NHRA at (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or visit nhra.com or ticketmaster.com.

· ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Nov. 14. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 15. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage beginning at 7 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 15.

· LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Auto Club NHRA Finals also will feature competition in six categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series earn their racing stripes. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:15 a.m. on Nov. 12. Lucas Oil Series eliminations begin at 8:15 a.m. on Nov. 13.

ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com.

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS FACT SHEET

WHAT: 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, the final of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the final of six races in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s championship playoffs. The top 10 drivers in four categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - earn points leading to 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.

WHERE: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif. Track is located off I-10 at Fairplex Drive. Go north on Fairplex drive to the Fairplex.

WHEN: Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 12-15

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY, Nov. 12 – Sportsman qualifying begins at 8:15 a.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, Nov. 13 – Sportsman eliminations begin at 8:15 a.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 1:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Nov. 14 – Sportsman eliminations begin at 8:15 a.m.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Nov. 15 – Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10 a.m.

FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:

Saturday, Nov. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET).

Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).

Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).

SATELLITE (Analog feed):

Friday, Nov. 13, 7 - 7:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 16 / Transponder 14K (11980 MHz, horizontal)

Saturday, Nov. 14, 9:30 – 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 16 / Transponder 14K (11980 MHz, horizontal)

Sunday, Nov. 15, 10:30 - 11 p.m. (ET), AMC 16 / Transponder 14K (11980 MHz, horizontal)

Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.

2008 EVENT WINNERS: Larry Dixon, Top Fuel; Cruz Pedregon, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock; Chris Rivas, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS:

Top Fuel - 3.778 seconds by Antron Brown, Feb. ’09; 317.42 mph by Tony Schumacher, Nov. ’08.

Funny Car - 4.037 seconds by Robert Hight, Feb. ’09; and 310.41 mph by Del Worsham, Feb. ’09.

Pro Stock - 6.528 seconds by Greg Anderson, Feb. ’09; and 211.63 mph by Jason Line, Feb. ’09.

Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.929 seconds by Chris Rivas, Nov. ’08; 194.66 mph by GT Tonglet, Nov. ’04.

(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)

NATIONAL RECORDS:

Top Fuel - 3.771 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08, Richmond, Va.; 319.60 mph by Antron Brown, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.

Funny Car - 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09, Chandler, Ariz.; 312.13 mph by Ashley Force Hood, April ’09, Atlanta

Pro Stock - 6.509 sec. by Mike Edwards, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.; 212.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.

PS Motorcycle- 6.851 sec. by Hector Arana, Sept. ’09, Memphis, Tenn.; 197.45 mph by Andrew Hines, March ’05, Gainesville, Fla.

(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)

TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 884-NHRA (6472). Tickets also available online at ticketmaster.com or at nhra.com.

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) – Thursday: Adult, $25; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Friday: Adult, $30; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Saturday: Adult, $53; Junior (6-12 years), $10. Sunday: Adult, $55; Junior (6-12 years) $12. Children (5 years & under), admitted free in general admission and pit access areas each day.

RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) – Friday: Adult, $40; Junior (6-12 years), $20; Child (5 years & under), $10. Saturday: Adult, $63; Junior (6-12 years), $24; Child (5 years & under), $14. Sunday: Adult, $65; Junior (6-12 years), $24; Child (5 years & under), $14.

NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS

GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 23rd of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel

1. Tony Schumacher, 2,485; 2. Larry Dixon, 2,484; 3. Cory McClenathan, 2,437; 4. Antron Brown, 2,405; 5. Brandon Bernstein, 2,383; 6. Spencer Massey, 2,337; 7. Morgan Lucas, 2,300; 8. Shawn Langdon, 2,289; 9. Doug Kalitta, 2,270; 10. Clay Millican, 2,093.

Funny Car

1. Robert Hight, 2,485; 2. Ashley Force Hood, 2,380; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2,372; 4. Jack Beckman, 2,371; 5. Ron Capps, 2,358; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2,353; 7. Del Worsham, 2,299; 8. Bob Tasca III, 2,294; 9. John Force, 2,268; 10. Mike Neff, 2,235.

Pro Stock

1. Mike Edwards, 2,594; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,455; 3. Jason Line, 2,406; 4. Greg Stanfield, 2,348; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2,344; 6. Ron Krisher, 2,303; 7. Allen Johnson, 2,278; 8. Johnny Gray, 2,267; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2,215; 10. Rickie Jones, 2,111.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Hector Arana, 2,525; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,471; 3. Andrew Hines, 2,372; 4. Matt Smith, 2,334; 5. Michael Phillips, 2,288; 6. Douglas Horne, 2,262; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2,213; 8. Shawn Gann, 2,209; 9. Craig Treble, 2,168; 10. Matt Guidera, 2,020.