Worsham, Hines Win Titles in NHRA Finale at Pomona

Del Worsham hoists his first NHRA Funny Car title

Del Worsham collected his first-career NHRA Mellow Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car title on Sunday with a victory in the AutoClub NHRA Finals at AutoClub Raceway at Pomona in the final event in the 2015 Countdown to the Championship.

Andrew Hines won his second consecutive title in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division while Eddie Krawiec took home the winner's trophy for the event. Shawn Langdon won the Top Final finale while Allen Johnson scored the victory in the Pro Stock final.

Worsham defeated his closest championship rival Jack Beckman in the semi-finals to clinch the title before going on to beat Tommy Johnson, Jr. in the finals for his fourth victory of the season.

Beckman didn't make things easy for Worsham coming into their head-to-head matchup, after Beckman and his teammate Ron Capps kept resetting the low ET record before Beckman set the national record for the fourth time this season, running 3.884 seconds in the second round to add 20-bonus points to his tally, but fell to Worsham in the next round.

Worsham, who previously won the 2011 Top Fuel World Championship, becomes just the third driver in NHRA history to win titles in both Nitro divisions, joining Kenny Bernstein and Gary Scelzi.

"When I put this trophy next to my other one at home it will be real," said Worsham, who picked up early round wins over Tony Pedregon and Robert Hight. "Every time I looked up there was a Schumacher car sitting there in my face. I was nervous about it. I was counting points. I am not going to tell you it was like any other race, because it wasn't. I know the points are the same as the first round at Charlotte, but the circumstances here were much greater."

"The cars were running so fast here this weekend that the (national) record just became part of the equation. (Beckman) was making up points before we even started racing by setting the record. Today it came down to being head to head and I am grateful for the way it worked out."

Worsham advanced to the final round against Johnson and led right from the start, then pulled away after Johnson started to drift toward the center line, posting a winning time of 3.900 at 328.14 mph over Johnson, who ran 4.023 at 305.42.

Worsham's victory was the 38^th of his NHRA career and 30^th in Funny Car competition.

"It was an amazing day," said Worsham. "To come out here and to run near record runs all day long in our DHL Toyota Camry with so much on the line was really something. It's an amazing feeling. I felt the same feeling when we raced for the Top Fuel title in 2011. I've been here before, but not that it helped anyway. I felt like it was 25 years ago and I was about to run my first race again.

Andrew Hines won his second-straight Pro Stock Motorcycle championship

Andrew Hines won his fifth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title over Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie after Savoie fell in the second round to Hines' teammate, Eddie Krawiec, clinching the title for Hines.

After clinching the title, Hines lost the next round to Krawiec, who then went onto defeat Matt Smith in the final round.

"My outstanding Harley-Davidson team did a great job of keeping me focused and keeping the pressure off of me," said Hines. "It was awesome that my wife [Tanya] got to give me a kiss right before I ran, and thanks to my teammate for helping to get the job done. I guess we put the fear of Harley into them. Five championships is pretty awesome."

Krawiec picked up his fourth victory of the season in the final round win over Smith, coming from behind after Smith got the jump at the start. Krawiec powered past at the 100-foot mark and never looked back, posting a 6.846 at 192.58 to Smith's 6.888 at 194.21 for his 31^st-career victory.

In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon picked up his second win of the season with a victory over his Don Schumacher Racing teammate and newly-crowned World Champion Antron Brown in the final round.

Shawn Langdon swept both Pomona races in 2015

Langdon bested Larry Dixon, Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta on his way to the finals, where he faced off against Brown for the sixth time his career.

In the final, Brown was off the line first and led for the first 800 feet before Langdon chased him down to win by a little over three feet at the line.

It was the 11^th-career victory for Langdon, who won the season-opening race at Pomona back in February driving for Alan Johnson. Sunday's win was his first since coming over to DSR after Johnson folded his operation in September.

"I love this track," said Langdon. "It has always had a special place in my heart. I grew up right around the corner (Mira Loma, Calif.). I was always out here watching my heroes race. I have so many great memories out at this track. Luckily I've had a good career here. It makes it sweet to share these special memories with your family and friends."

Allen Johnson

Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson won his second event of the season with a holeshot victory over Vincent Nobile in the final round.

Johnson picked up victories over brothers Jonathan and Shane Gray in the earlier rounds before beat out two-time Pro Stock World Champion Erica Ender to move onto his fifth final-round matchup against Nobile.

At the start, Johnson hit a .011 light to get the jump on Nobile and it would prove to be enough as he held off Nobile running 6.541 at 210.18 over Nobile's quicker, but losing, 6.541 at 211.93.

"We had struggled during the entire Countdown, never winning more than two rounds a race and losing twice in the first round," Johnson said. "We also struggled during qualifying and in eliminations. But right before the final, we discovered that a torsion bar was bent. We fixed that, and the car went straight down the track."