Rain washes out final day of In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals

POMONA — Rain was victorious at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip Sunday.

For one of the extremely rare times in NHRA history, an entire pro racing schedule was wiped out because of the weather and unsafe track conditions. Rain prevented cars from taking to the track Friday or Saturday. Workers tried drying the track for four hours early Sunday, but when a brief band of rain showers hit the Fairplex facility 90 minutes after its scheduled 10 a.m. start, racing was done for the day, even though the sun did peek out briefly in the afternoon. With rain also expected for most of this week, an official said there were “too many moving parts” to reschedule the event, making it the first time the 60th annual Finals were not run.

“While we explored every possible option to complete the event this weekend, the safety of our competitors, teams and fans remains the highest priority, which led to this difficult decision to cancel the event,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said in a statement. “We thank the incredible NHRA community – and especially the fans for braving the elements – for their unwavering support throughout this challenging weekend and during an unforgettable 2025 season.”

The last time a NHRA national event was canceled was in 2020 because of COVID-19.

Doug Kalitta, Austin Prock, Dallas Glenn and Richard Gadson all won championships without starting their dragsters. Kalitta was declared the Top Fuel champion Saturday because he had enough of a lead when qualifying was determined by point standings. Prock earned his second consecutive Funny Car crown, Glenn took his first Pro Stock title and Gadson his first Pro Stock Motorcycle title. Prock and Glenn had only needed early round wins Sunday to claim titles.

With rain also forecast for today, it would have been unlikely racing could have been held. One hurdle had been that the NHRA’s annual awards banquet is scheduled for tonight at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula.

“It’s more than just (getting the track) dry,” Glenn said of the cancellation. “Rain showers put the hurt on their progress.”

He said water seeps up when old rubber comes off the surface and the track needs to be smooth, That, he said, could lead to disastrous results.

“It makes it extremely, extremely loose (down track) and then very unpredictable at the starting line,” he said.

The washout also completed a notable four days for the John Force family. The hall of fame patriarch officially announced his retirement as a driver at his Yorba Linda race shop Thursday. Daughter

Brittany, a two-time Top Fuel series champion, has said that the Finals were going to be her last time in the car for a bit because she wants to start a family. One bright spot for Brittany was that she won her final race two weeks ago in Las Vegas.

But John Force did get a victory Sunday when his driver, Prock, claimed the Funny Car title.

“It’s surreal,” he said. “We had a dominant race car all year long. We definitely were coming in here to race it out. Our odds were good; we just had to go one round.

It’s a shame we could not put on show for the fans, but I respect the NHRA’s decision.”

Prock said he was signing autographs when it was announced Sunday’s races were canceled.

“I screamed we’re a two-time world champs,” he said. “People just looked at us. But it feels odd we couldn’t fire up the car this weekend, but we’re still world champs.”

Glenn said defeating second-place Greg Anderson in the Las Vegas semifinals was a big points help in securing his first title.

“Some days, you just have to show up!” he said of taking the crown. “It was strange the way to get it. You do not have the adrenaline like you do when you’re in the car. I was telling the guys in the pits, I don’t do anything normal.”

Gadson had entered the race 21 points ahead of teammate Gaige Herrera and the title could have been decided on the championship race.

“The mentality was kill or be killed,” he said. “We talked, me and him, about meeting in the finals. But it was every round against everybody. It was going to be a war.

“I had way too much time to think about it this week. Unfortunately, we race in a sport where Mother Nature dictates. My mind said if we race or not, I’ll take it anyway, either way it goes.”