Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force powered to the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday, making the quickest run of the day to kick off the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.712-seconds at 328.86 mph in her 11,00-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster to vault to the top at her home track, putting the two-time champion in line for her second No. 1 qualifier this season and 44th in her career. Force, who made the fastest run in Top Fuel history at Pomona last year (338.94), is also after her first win of the season.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel like a great run to me,” Force said. “It was exciting to go No. 1, but we know we have a little more in it. That’s a good, solid run. Our team made some big, big changes this off-season, but I think in the long run it’s going to be good for us. We’re ready for that first win of the season and I hope it comes sooner than later. We’re aware it might take a couple races, but I feel like we’re getting our footing and I’m confident we’ll have this car figured out soon.”

Justin Ashley, last week’s winner in Phoenix, drove to second thanks to his 3.729 at 329.99, while Antron Brown went to 3.730 at 329.34 to put him third.

The last time Cruz Pedregon was at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, the two-time Funny Car champ made a series of career-best runs and drove to the win. Months later, Pedregon is once again performing at a high level in Pomona, going 3.865 at 302.28 in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT to take the provisional No. 1 spot. It would be the veteran’s 63rd career No. 1 qualifier if it holds up as Pedregon looks to keep on rolling in Pomona and possibly pick up his second straight win at the legendary facility.

“I’ve been trying really hard to keep the car in the groove,” Pedregon said. “That was my focus and it was a great run. It wasn’t the start we wanted in Gainesville or Phoenix, but I just think we’re notoriously slow starters. I think we’ll have a really great car for this year and I think we’ll be good the rest of the year. I think we got all the bugs worked out and some of the things we learned at the first two races we were able to apply here. It was just a team effort and it showed with our performance today.”

Robert Hight, who won last weekend in Phoenix, went to the second spot with his 3.892 at 329.99, and Alexis DeJoria is third after going 3.883 at 333.49.

Coming off her first career Pro Stock victory, Caruso continued to roll on Friday in Pomona, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro with a run of 6.518 at 211.79. If it holds, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year would pick up her second career No. 1 qualifier and the first of the season. It was another impressive performance from Caruso, who has enjoyed a quick start with the new KB Titan Racing team and is looking to keep the momentum going this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“That was just awesome,” Caruso said. “Pomona has always been good to us, but to go No. 1 right after we won in Phoenix was super special. We weren’t part of the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Phoenix, but now we are and it’s a special incentive for us. It’s just really cool and I’m thankful they’ve put together something like this. It’s been really awesome starting off the season like this, especially coming into a team that’s been so successful. I didn’t want to hold them back, so it was a relief getting that first win.”

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

***************
TOP FUEL
***************

Psn---Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type---------------Qual-ET--Qual-Spd-Top Spd


  1    1 Brittany Force, Yorba Linda CA, Force-JFR       3.712  328.86  328.86
  2    4 Justin Ashley, Farmingdale NY, DSR-AJPE         3.729  329.99  329.99
  3    2 Antron Brown, Pittsboro IN, DSR-DSM             3.730  329.34  329.34
  4 7211 Mike Salinas, San Jose CA, MLR-TFX              3.731  334.40  334.40
  5    6 Steve Torrence, Kilgore TX, MLR-TFX             3.737  331.36  331.36
  6  356 Tony Schumacher, Lakeway TX, DSR-DSM            3.762  323.27  323.27
  7    9 Shawn Langdon, Danville IN, Kalitta-AJPE        3.764  328.54  328.54
  8    7 Josh Hart, Ocala FL, MLR-AJPE                   3.769  330.07  330.07
  9   51 Clay Millican, Drummonds TN, DSR-AJPE           4.113  207.98  207.98
 10    3 Austin Prock, Pittsboro IN, Force-JFR           4.273  189.76  189.76
 11  777 Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City AZ, DSR-DSM       4.722  156.57  156.57
 12  725 Krista Baldwin, Pittsboro IN, DSR-TFX           6.088  107.32  107.32
 13   10 Doug Kalitta, Saline MI, Kalitta-AJPE           7.181  108.47  108.47


***************
FUNNY CAR
***************


  1    6 Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg IN, '22 Charger       3.865  302.28  302.28
  2    7 Alexis DeJoria, Austin TX, '22 Supra            3.883  333.49  333.49
  3    2 Robert Hight, Yorba Linda CA, '23 Camaro        3.892  329.99  329.99
  4    9 Tim Wilkerson, Springfield IL, '18 Mustang      3.938  324.51  324.51
  5  116 Paul Lee, Anaheim CA, '20 Charger               3.957  314.02  314.02
  6   14 Matt Hagan, Christiansburg VA, '23 Charger      3.962  302.96  302.96
  7  473 Chad Green, Midland TX, '19 Mustang             3.990  284.39  284.39
  8   40 Alex Laughlin, Bluff Dale TX, '22 Charger       3.993  302.82  302.82
  9    5 John Force, Yorba Linda CA, '22 Camaro          4.162  230.61  230.61
 10  121 Terry Haddock, Temple TX, '18 Mustang           4.178  243.85  243.85
 11  700 Steven Densham, Oceanside CA, '18 Mustang       4.330  243.28  243.28
 12  717 Jeff Diehl, Salinas CA, '20 Camry               4.340  209.39  209.39
 13  256 Blake Alexander, Charlotte NC, '19 Mustang      4.456  193.40  193.40
 14    4 Bob Tasca III, Cranston RI, '23 Mustang         4.730  167.16  167.16
 15    1 Ron Capps, Carlsbad CA, '22 Supra               5.035  150.77  150.77
 16  373 J.R. Todd, Jupiter FL, '22 Supra                9.290   88.18   88.18

       ------------ Not Qualified ------------

 17  766 Jason Rupert, Anaheim Hills CA, '17 Mustang    16.549   76.38   76.38


**********************
PRO STOCK 
**********************

  1   14 Camrie Caruso, Denver NC, '13 Camaro            6.518  211.79  211.79
  2    6 Matt Hartford, Phoenix AZ, '16 Camaro           6.524  211.13  211.13
  3    7 Dallas Glenn, Mooresville NC, '22 Camaro        6.528  211.33  211.33
  4    3 Aaron Stanfield, Bossier LA, '22 Camaro         6.530  210.14  210.14
  5    9 Bo Butner, Floyd Knobs IN, '22 Camaro           6.533  209.72  209.72
  6    2 Greg Anderson, Mooresville NC, '22 Camaro       6.534  211.03  211.03
  7    8 Cristian Cuadra, McAllen TX, '23 Mustang        6.534  210.64  210.64
  8    4 Troy Coughlin Jr., Delaware OH, '22 Camaro      6.539  210.47  210.47
  9    5 Kyle Koretsky, Fairless Hill PA, '22 Camaro     6.553  210.44  210.44
 10    1 Erica Enders, Houston TX, '21 Camaro            6.558  209.95  209.95
 11 4264 Chris McGaha, Odessa TX, '22 Camaro             6.569  210.18  210.18
 12  400 Mason McGaha, Odessa TX, '21 Camaro             6.571  210.41  210.41
 13  494 Jerry Tucker, Lindsay OK, '20 Camaro            6.573  209.43  209.43
 14   52 Deric Kramer, Sterling CO, '21 Camaro           6.586  209.39  209.39
 15   12 Shane Tucker, Statesville NC, '22 Camaro        6.657  206.45  206.45
 16  799 Steve Graham, S. San Francisco CA, '16 Camaro   8.054  121.30  121.30

       ------------ Not Qualified ------------

 17  106 Alan Prusiensky, Rockaway NJ, '16 Dart         14.278   61.19   61.19
 18 406M Fernando Cuadra Jr., Leon MX, '21 Mustang      16.731   50.03   50.03
 19 410M Fernando Cuadra, McAllen TX, '21 Mustang         NT   

w/ NHRA Communications