Hight is 21 - 7 against Tasca III in prior events.

Robert Hight won here in 2007 and was runner-up last year. He has to win the race today to repeat as Funny Car Champion. If he wins the round, he could race current points leader, J.R. Todd, in the second round and have control of his own fate. Entering race day, Hight is 74 points behind Todd and needs to go three rounds further than him to successfully defend his title.

Tasca is making his 335th round of racing with an overall 42% win record. He is 47% in round one win.

Well, the best laid plans literally go up in smoke right at the green. Hight is way loose early and can't get the Camaro to recover.

Tasca was going to be hard to beat, as he runs close to his qualifying times to take the easy win and end Hight's run for a repeat as Champion.

Say "Hello" to your new Funny Car Champion! He has already won two races in the Countdown and is looking for the third.

Todd is away first and makes a clean and safe pass right on down the track to round two. He will race Tasca with lane choice.

Campbell's Mooneyes Charger is up in smoke early. He does some pedal slaps, but the car won't recover.

This is the 22nd time that Ron Capps has qualified #1. He is 19 -2 in round one when starting from the top spot. The #1 FC qualifier has not lost in the first round at this event since 1998. He has a 61% round win record overall and almost 63% in round one parings.

Ray Martin is making his 1st start in the Funny Car class. He is the 385th driver to qualify in the class and he is the 86th different driver to face Ron in eliminations.

Capps will get the free pass to round two, as Martin's crew can't get the engine to start.

Capps runs straight and clean right to the finish line. Another great ninety pass.

Beckman and Johnson had identical ET's in qualifying and he took the #2 spot with a higher speed.

Tommy Johnson has won this race in each of the last two years and was runner-up in 2015. In the history of this event no Funny Car driver has ever won it three years in a row. Tommy starts the day with 400 round wins and he is just the 26th pro driver to win 400 or more rounds.

Cruz Pedregon won here in 2008 & 2012 and was runner-up in 1994 & 1995. He starts the day with 558 round wins and that is 14th most overall. He has a 53% overall round win record and 57% in round one.

Johnson gets a small starting line advantage, but Pedregon is just 0.008 behind at 60 feet. The Make-A-Wish Charger starts a steady pull ahead from there on for a decisive win.

Pedregon makes his best run of the weekend, but is no match today for Johnson.

Courtney Force was runner-up at this race in 2012. This will be her 352nd round of eliminations with an overall 56% win record. She is 60% in round one matchups.

This is the 95th start for Bob Bode who is 1 - 17 in his career against members of the Force family.

Force gets a small starting line advantage and pulls ahead all the way to the finish line on a strong pass for the win. She gives up lane choice to Johnson in round two.

Bode's Mustang started to move out of the groove , towards the wall, early, and kicks the tires loose around the 330 lights.

Tim Wilkerson starts the day with 396 round wins and that is 7th best in the Funny Car class. He has not yet won in Pomona but has one runner-up there (1998). Regardless of the outcome of the event, Wilkerson is guaranteed a top 10 finish for the 14th time in his career. The 22-year nitro veteran is in the hunt for his 21st Funny Car trophy and competing in the 493rd professional NHRA event. He has been a top 10 driver in each of the most recent 10 years.

Sixteen time Funny Car Champion, John Force, has 8 wins at this race but his last win was in 2010. He has also been the runner-up 7 times. He is 27 - 8 in round 1 at this race.

Wilkerson looked to be on his way to a win, with a starting line advantage, but the Mustang make a hard move to the right early and gets the slicks loose. He tries to pedal to no avail.

Force just drives on by and pulls away for the easy win. He will have lane choice over Beckman in the next round.\

Shawn Langdon won Top Fuel here in 2013 & 2015 and was runner-up in TF last year. He has a fifteen to twenty-three round win-loss record coming into the event. He has won almost 63% of his first round races.

Matt Hagan won here in 2001, 2013 & 2014. Since 1970 the overall record between the number 8 & 9 Funny Car qualifiers (48 races) at this event is 25 - 23 with the #8 qualifier having the slight advantage. He has a 62% overall round win advantage and has almost a 70% advantage in the first round.

Hagan gets off the line first and leads Langdon to right near the 330 lights. Hagan'e engine gets unhappy about the 660 lights and he slows.

Langdon makes his best run of the weekend to take the decisive win. He will give up lane choice to Capps in the next round.

Shawn Langdon's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.001), 330 ft(0.004), 660ft(0.051). MOV: 0.1919 seconds (approximately 72 feet).

Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.252, 660ft-3.172/281.07 mph.
Matt Hagan's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.262, 660ft-3.229/251.86 mph.