Professional motorsports series are winding down for 2024. IndyCar and NASCAR have already crowned their champions. What is a fan of motorsports supposed to do?
This past weekend was the final NHRA race meet of 2024: the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona Dragstrip. I went on Sunday, checked out most of what auto racing fans might want to see, and shot thousands of photos. Some of the class titles had already been decided but that did not take away from the intense competition in all racing classes.
Under an absolutely beautiful, clear blue sky, fans filled the parking lots. Once inside, there was much to choose from. Enthusiasts or the simply curious could watch inside the open-ended big tents as crews prepared their cars — and motorcycles — for battle. There was an amazing car show.
On the NHRA stage, drivers were introduced. Fans were invited to participate in the traditional morning track walk — this time led by a marching band and the Budweiser stallions. The track surface, which was coated in melted tire rubber, was very sticky — so much so that it tried to pull off your shoes as you walked on it.
I made my way trackside, where I took my first photos of the racing action: one race, two races and then, suddenly, the racing stopped. I could see no reason why. The cars, drivers, teams and broadcast television crews were ready to continue with the racing. What had just happened?
Soon we got our answer. A small plane had just crashed near the end of the dragstrip, in a parking lot.
The racing was ultimately delayed for about two hours as emergency personnel rushed to the scene and dealt with what had just happened. Later in the day, news reports filled in the details.
Four people on board the airplane were injured in the crash — two seriously. Fortunately, plenty of help arrived at the scene almost immediately. In addition to local emergency services personnel, the NHRA was also well prepared to handle emergencies. They spread kitty litter over the spilled fuel. The injured were taken to hospital. Fortunately, no one else was hurt, but several vehicles in the parking lot were damaged.
During the break I walked over to the grandstand nearest to the end of the track, closest to the crash scene, to the race fans who were gathered along the grandstand’s railing to try to see what had happened. However, between my heavy professional camera gear which also put me off-balance, my sprained knee and the lack of a handrail to hold on to on the staircase, I feared I might fall while climbing up. Thankfully a kind race fan recognized my plight and helped me climb to the top row of the grandstand. I got there just in time to take a few quick photos of the accident scene before track personnel arrived to completely clear out the grandstand — press included. I had seen a badly flattened truck, but the plane itself was mostly hidden behind a motorhome. Later, someone shared a photo with me that included the plane. The shot was taken from high above by a drone.
When the racing finally resumed there were no more interruptions. As a huge bonus, the two-hour delay meant that it would be dark for the final few races. It was cool seeing spectacular flames erupt from the exhaust pipes. Then, as I was leaving, I spotted (and photographed) drag racing legend John Force, who’d returned to visit at the track after his serious injury earlier this year had sidelined his racing career.
History was made as Funny Car world champ Austin Prock (Funny Car) made the fastest run in NHRA history: 341.68 mph! An extremely emotional and grateful Antron Brown secured his fourth Mission Foods NHRA Top Fuel world championship. Competing against much younger drivers, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) became a six-time world champion. Subbing for the injured John Force, championship runner-up Jack Beckman got a Funny Car race win.
To see official NHRA race reports, results and more about the 2024 In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, visit https://www.nhra.com/ and then select NEWS, RESULTS and STANDINGS.
To explore a wide variety of content dating back to 2002, with the most photos and the latest text, visit “AutoMatters & More” at https://automatters.net . Search by title or topic in the Search Bar in the middle of the Home Page, or click on the blue ‘years’ boxes and browse.
Copyright © 2024 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #861
