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POMONA, Calif. - Chad Green powered to his first career NHRA Funny Car win on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating Tim Wilkerson in the final round of the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals to close out his 2023 season in style. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 21st race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the last of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Kalitta's victory also handed him the championship for the first time in his career.
To add to the moment, Green's son, Hunter, also earned the win on Sunday in Top Alcohol Dragster in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. "It's just been an amazing weekend," Green said. "First off, it's been an amazing season. This has been a dream season for us. I couldn't be more proud of my guys. They've really come a long way in the last few years and they've stuck with me. We've been trying all year to get this Wally. We've been close a few times, but it's just been an amazing season. I can't think of a better way that you could top off a season, ending it like this. "But I just can't say enough about our season. It's been so amazing. You could have never drawn it up like this. This season has been a great season, we surprised a lot of people, and to cap it off with a win is awesome."
On a pressure-packed Sunday, Kalitta knocked off Dan Mercier, Josh Hart and Justin Ashley to set up an incredible final round with Pruett. Kalitta led wire-to-wire, setting off a raucous celebration on the starting line as the veteran had finally achieved the ultimate goal in the sport. "It's incredible the way the points thing worked out to come down to that last run," said Kalitta, who won for the third time this season and 52nd time in his career. "I just stay focused. It was obviously a big round for us and it played out just perfectly."
"We've struggled this year, we've been waiting for that win to come so to get it here at the last race is just awesome and given everything else that's going on in my life, it's perfect timing," Stanfield said. "Matt and I, we definitely go at each other. He's a great competitor and a good friend. It's cool to race against them and it's always a god time beating Matt. It's not very fun when he beats you. I'm personally, my team and myself, we are as focused as ever. We're here to compete for championships at Elite Motorsports. We're going to come out swinging in Gainesville. We're looking forward to it already."
"This is very surreal. The whole championship thing, I have to give it up to the whole team, it's not only my championship, it's theirs - especially Andrew (Hines, crew chief)," Herrera said. "He works his butt off day and night to make sure my bike, Ed's bike, all the Vance & Hines bikes are fast. He texted me during the week and he's like, 'I'm ready to go to Pomona and just get this thing done. We had an incredible season, and I'm very excited.' Just to have someone like Andrew Hines text me and say it was one of his best seasons ever, even though he's not riding the bike, it's very cool to get that text message from someone like him. "I can't put this season into words. I don't think it's set in, what's been accomplished this year, and I think it's only the beginning. This season, I can't even put it into words. I didn't expect it to end like this this weekend." The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-10 with the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Sunday's final results from the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. The race is the final of 21 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series- Top Fuel -- Doug Kalitta, 3.673 seconds, 334.98 mph def. Leah Pruett, 3.720 seconds, 326.16 mph. Funny Car -- Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.916, 328.54 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.900, 327.59. Pro Stock -- Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.534, 208.91 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.519, 210.14. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.721, 201.46 def. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.796, 199.52. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Hunter Green, 5.193, 279.85 def. Kim Parker, 5.440, 261.88. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.454, 265.22 def. Shane Westerfield, Camaro, 8.997, 103.18. Competition Eliminator -- Ralph Van Paepeghem, Roadster, 7.369, 169.81 def. Brandon Huhtala, Pontiac GPX, 10.450, 89.46. Super Stock -- Wyatt Wagner, Chevy Camaro, 9.698, 117.92 def. Kyle Rizzoli, Chevy Cobalt, No Time Recorded. Stock Eliminator -- Leo Glasbrenner, Chevy Camaro, 9.581, 119.63 def. Clifton Hanson, Camaro, 10.856, 108.47. Super Comp -- John Labbous Jr., Dragster, 8.907, 163.95 def. Cooper Chun, Dragster, 8.899, 159.31. Super Gas -- Steve Williams, Chevy Corvette, 9.909, 167.59 def. Greg Ventura, Chevy Chevy II, 9.915, 151.85. Top Sportsman -- Bryan Warr, Chevy Camaro, 6.779, 203.52 def. Richard Okerman, Chevy Beretta, 7.054, 194.63. Top Dragster -- Grant Durie, Dragster, 6.543, 212.03 def. Alan Kenny, Dragster, 6.235, 201.13. Junior Dragster Shootout -- Kashen Frye, Halfscale, 7.923, 82.61 def. Katelyn Torres, Halfscale, 7.907, 78.87.
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