Goodyear Racing Pomona II final report

GOODYEAR WINS FIVE TIMES IN NHRA RACE AT POMONA

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2008) -- Cruz Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin clinched NHRA championships during a drama-filled Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Auto Club Speedway in the final event of the 2009 NHRA season, leading five Goodyear-equipped drivers to victory.

Goodyear's five wins topped all tiremakers at Pomona. The Goodyear-shod winners included Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Pedregon (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), Jim Whiteley (Top Alcohol Dragster) and David Coapstick (Super Gas).

Pedregon won the second Funny Car championship of his career and Coughlin won his fourth Pro Stock title.

The Funny Car championship was decided in dramatic style, largely because the qualifying results put four of the five contenders on the same side of the elimination ladder. Only Jack Beckman could have raced to the final round without meeting another title chaser. By the end of the first round, Pedregon was the champion.

"I'm emotionless," Pedregon said later. "I'm worn out. The pressure from the championship, I'm done."

Coughlin clinched the Pro Stock championship, his second straight, when he qualified for the 16-car field on Saturday.

"To win back-to-back championships is extremely tough," Coughlin said. "For (us) to do it is exciting. We look to make it a three-peat."

Tony Schumacher locked up his fifth straight Top Fuel title one race earlier at Las Vegas. Schumacher tied the all-time NHRA professional record when he won his 75th round of the season in the first round at Pomona. Schumacher's season, probably the best in Top Fuel history, ended in the second round when Rod Fuller beat him."

Dixon said, "When you look at a guy like Tony Schumacher and the 15 races that he won, that leaves nine for the rest of us. We won two and that's monumental."

-credit: goodyear racing