Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Pomona races to be completed at LV Speedway

Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002 | 9:33 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Local drag-racing fans will benefit from the ill-fated NHRA Division 7 sportsman event held earlier this month at Pomona Raceway.

The Pomona Division 7 event was postponed Aug. 11 before eliminations could be completed in eight of the 10 classes because the event was running as much as nine hours behind schedule, according to sources. There still were 106 vehicles left in competition when a 6 p.m. noise curfew took effect and forced the postponement.

NHRA officials this week announced the Pomona event would be completed Oct. 31 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a prelude to the regularly scheduled Division 7 season finale.

"While we are disappointed that the incredible Pomona event wasn't completed due to curfew restrictions, we are happy that NHRA officials made the choice to complete the race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," said Chris Blair, LVMS director of drag-racing operations.

"There are only a couple of facilities in the NHRA family that can accommodate the enormous task of hosting fields in excess of 800 or 900 cars. We've proven that repeatedly with past NHRA National, Divisional and E.T. Finals events. We are hoping that this unique opportunity will open the door for the scheduling of additional special events with the NHRA in the very near future."

According to Blair, the conclusion of the Pomona event will be run in conjunction with the previously scheduled "Test 'n' Tune" session on Thursday, Oct. 31. The remaining 106 cars from Pomona will take to the track at 7:30 a.m. and will conduct elimination runs during the test session. The Pomona race and the LVMS test session are scheduled to conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Unlike Pomona, racing at The Strip at LVMS is not restricted by a curfew.

Blair said the completion of the Pomona event would not effect the number of "Test 'n' Tune" runs.

At the time of the Pomona curfew, only the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes had completed eliminations. Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Super Eliminator and the Kerker Motorcycle series will finish eliminations at The Strip.

The LVMS Division 7 event, which will be held Nov. 1-3, is expected to attract more than 900 cars and bikes.

Bernstein trailed Larry Dixon by 259 points in June but has won two of the past five national events (while Dixon has been shut out) and closed to within 80 points of Dixon heading into next weekend's U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

"We've had some momentum going for us since St. Louis," Bernstein said. "Larry is a good driver; he's been doing a wonderful job for the past two years and you have to be on your game when you come up against him.

"When we were 259 points down, our goal was to get it down to 100 points by Indy and then we might have a chance at the championship. It's a good feeling going into Indy to know that you're on target and might have a chance to continue to make it a battle to the end."

Tony Pedregon led the Funny Car category with a run of 4.836 at 310.34 and Ron Krisher turned in the best performance in Pro Stock with a pass of 6.862 at 200.53, quicker than the existing track record.

The most recent edition of Midnight Mayhem drew a record 431 cars and bikes on Aug. 9, leading LVMS officials to add additional dates to the schedule. Following Friday night's event, The Strip will host Midnight Mayhem on Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 6.