1,000TH FUNNY CAR RACE COMING TO 2026 NHRA WINTERNATIONALS

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 17, 2026) – In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will again make history this spring during NHRA’s milestone 75th season, as the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals will play host to the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history on April 9-12 on the hallowed grounds at Pomona.

Funny Car made its first-ever appearance at the 1966 World Finals in Tulsa, with Eddie Schartman picking up the victory. NHRA’s milestone year in 2026 will begin with the 998th Funny Car race at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, with the historic moment coming two races later in Pomona.

The 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph Funny Cars have made history for 60 years, but only one driver will lay claim to being the winner of the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history. Last year, Shawn Langdon took the honors at the 1,000th Top Fuel race, while a host of standouts will have their shot in Pomona to etch their own place in history.

To get here, this list showcases the first and then every 100th Funny Car winner heading into the historic Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona:

• 1. Eddie Schartman, 1966 Tulsa, World Finals
• 100. Tripp Shumake, 1981 Atlanta
• 200. Bruce Larson, 1989 Winternationals
• 300. John Force, 1994 Topeka
• 400. Tim Wilkerson, 1999 Chicago
• 500. Wilkerson, 2003 U.S. Nationals in Indy
• 600. Jack Beckman, 2008 Phoenix
• 700. Johnny Gray, 2012 Englishtown
• 800. Force, 2016 Denver
• 900. Cruz Pedregon, 2021 Norwalk

So who will win the 75th anniversary Diamond Wally at the 1,000th race in Funny Car history? Will it be back-to-back world champion Austin Prock, who has dominated the past two seasons? Others, including John Force Racing standouts Beckman, who won the Winternationals last year, and his new teammate, Jordan Vandergriff, while Top 75 drivers like Ron Capps, Matt Hagan and Pedregon would love to win the magical 1,000th race. One thing is for certain: it will be one of the highlights of NHRA’s milestone 2026 campaign.

NHRA legend Kenny Bernstein will also be on hand in Pomona to help celebrate this monumental moment and NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. His historic run at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in 1994 – becoming the first to break the 310-mph barrier – will be the commemorative ticket and moment for the weekend, with the first 4,000 fans in attendance on Friday set to receive a special NHRA 75th anniversary Winternationals event poster.

In 2025, Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Beckman (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) claimed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals wins. This year’s race will be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage on Sunday April 12 beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Millican, a Top Fuel fan-favorite, claimed his eighth career win last season – and first in Pomona – when he took out motorsports legend Tony Stewart in the final round. Millican advanced to two more finals in 2025, while Stewart won NHRA’s first regular season title. However, it was Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta who claimed his second world title at Pomona at the conclusion of the season. Others to look for will be multi-time Pomona winners Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown and Justin Ashley.

Greg Anderson, the winningest active NHRA driver, won his 16th race at the famed facility over KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. The duo battled all season for the championship, but it was Glenn who earned his first title. Anderson, Glenn and the rest of KB Titan Racing will again be up against their longtime rivals at Elite Motorsports, led by six-time world champ Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Aaron Stanfield.

Along with racing in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, fans will also be treated to action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The Nitro Alley Stage is a huge attraction all weekend and is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, Total Seal Tech Talk, the NHRA Insider Live, meet and greets, and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun.

Race fans at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

To purchase tickets to the 2026 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. Fans can get closer to the action with a Top Eliminator Club experience, offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, as well as a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverage, driver appearances, a premium view and more. For more information about the NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.