NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Mike Coughlin scored his first Top Alcohol Dragster victory and Shane Westerfield his first in Top Alcohol Funny Car in two seasons to highlight the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series winners at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

Coughlin added to the incredible legacy of the Ohio racing family by scoring in his fifth different eliminator when he drove the McPhillips family’s A/Fuel Dragster to a final-round conquest of four-time Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Joey Severance. Coughlin, who also owns wins in Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Comp, and Pro Stock Truck, qualified No. 1 and captured his second NHRA Winternationals crown after Severance had to abort his pass. [video]

After a two-season dry spell while team owner Rick Jackson worked through some health issues, 2017 world champ Westerfield returned to the Top Alcohol Funny Car winner’s circle and collected his 14th career win. Westerfield, the No. 2 qualifier whose last victory came in Pomona at the 2019 Auto Club NHRA Finals, defeated Nick Januik, who was gunning for his second career win.  [video]

Cody Lane captured his second NHRA Winternationals crown and his eighth overall NHRA national event Wally when he defeated perennial Pomona Comp winner Doug Lambeck in the final. Lane, whose first Winternationals win came in Super Stock in 2015, ran (-.50) 8.41 to defeat Lambeck, who has claimed seven of his 16 wins in Pomona, including three at the Winternationals. [video]

Ken Etter claimed his first national event victory since the 2001 NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals in Pomona when he stopped five-time Super Stpck world champ Jimmy DeFrank in the final. Etter left first in his unique Dodge Shadow and won with a 10.178 on his 10.14 dial. DeFrank has now appeared in 22 Pomona finals and has won 10 of them. [video]

Leo Glasbrenner ran his record in national event final rounds to an impressive 8-3 by beating Jeff Lane in the Pomona Stock final. Glasbrenner gave up a slight lead at the start in the all-COPO Camaro battle but won with a 9.470 on his 9.42 dial. Lane was able to celebrate in the Pomona winner’s circle after his son, Cody, won the Comp title. [video]

Eleven years after his breakthrough first win at the 2011 NHRA Winternationals, James Glenn was back in the Pomona winner’s circle after besting Wade Archer in the Super Comp final round. Archer, who was a semifinal finisher in Super Gas, got the better of two lights with a clutch .004 reaction, but Glenn drove around him on the top end with an 8.907 to Archer’s off-target 8.939. [video]

Ed Olpin Sr. drove the family’s newly purchased ’68 Camaro, driven recently by his son, Ed Jr., to his seventh career victory and his first since he doubled up in Super Gas and Top Sportsman at the 2017 NHRA Winternationals. In the final round, Olpin defeated class veteran Pete Bothe, who broke out with a 9.893 in his Porsche after a perfect 9.900 pass in the semi’s. In addition to his three Super Gas wins, Olpin also has four wins in Top Sportsman. [video]

After a pair of runner-up finishes, Top Dragster winner Moe Trujillo broke through for his first NHRA national event win following a final-round victory over Phil Dion. Trujillo ran a 7.066 on his 7.05 dial but didn’t need it as Dion fouled by .002-second. Dion previously won the Super Comp title at the 2013 NHRA Winternationals. [video]

Don Meziere won his second Pomona title in the last three years when he drove his ’09 Cobalt past Jeff Gillette in the final of Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers. Meziere was solid on both ends with a .009 light and a 6.776 on his 6.72 dial to seal the win. Gillette won his first national event in Pomona when he bagged the Comp title at the 1992 NHRA Winternationals. [video]