NHRA’s highly anticipated 2005 POWERade season kicks off at fabled Pomona Raceway. Rain clobbers the facility on Friday curtailing some of the scheduled action however it’s clear sailing come Saturday & Sunday. The Top Fuel racing program is a monster. Despite losing one qualifier drivers converge to produce he quickest 16-car field in drag racing history. The bump dips to an unheard of 4.597 secs the first sub 4.6 secs field ever.

Scott Kalitta, driving the new look Jesse James/Mac Tools Dragster has a career weekend with his crew chief Jim Oberhofer guiding him to no less then 7 straight laps in the 4.4 secs zone to clip the record setting field. Scott runs a super consistent 4.487 secs at 328.46 mph to turn back the strong event showing of Doug Herbert and the Snap-On Tools dragster in the final round. Kalitta's win was his first at Pomona – he had three r/up finishes their previously.

Defending World Champion Tony Schumacher paces the field running both low ET (4.447 secs) and top speed (334.65 mph). Schumacher’s top end speed is a new NHRA national mph record – however he suffers a 2nd round loss at the hands of the resurgent Doug Herbert.

Top Fuel round one features a scary incident when Brady Kalivoda makes heavy impact with the top end guardwall at very high speed. Kalivoda, driving for car owner Bill Miller, has something fall of the car, which cuts down both the rear slick and wing sending him on the wild ride. Kalivoda is knocked out but soon regains consciousness and is otherwise OK.

FC racing features a satisfying win for Tommy Johnson Jr and his team owner Don Prudhomme. Johnson wheeled his Skoal-sponsored machine to a win over Phil Burkart Jr in an all Chevy Monte Carlo final round. Johnson Jr did receive a huge break in round one when he fell well behind Frank Pedregon who appeared to be headed for certain victory. Pedregon however, driving his new Dodge Stratus crossed the centerline near the top end and was disqualified. From that point on Johnson Jr ran three straight low 4.7 secs elapsed times to win the event. The win was Tommy’s first victory on the NHRA tour since winning at Las Vegas in 2001.

Tony Pedregon records the 2nd quickest elapsed time in FC racing history to pace the field following a truly dramatic 4.681 secs blast during Saturday’s final session. Due to a parachute failure however Pedregon is unable to get the slick looking Quaker State-sponsored ‘05 Chevy Monte Carlo stopped in time and goes for a rather spectacular dip in the rain soaked top end sand trap. In a vision that had probably never been seen before -- Pedregon’s mud coated machine was hosted out of the bog by a crane. Pedregon’s team works feverously overnight to get things cleaned up and install a new body. They win Sunday’s opening round before bowing out in a truly dramatic wire-to-wire match against Whit Bazemore – 4.780 mph 321.19 mph to 4.785 secs 321.04 mph.

FC top speed is set by Gary Scelzi who goes for the quickest ride of his FC career in round one at 4.717 secs at 331.53 mph. Unfortunately for Scelzi however he is late on the tree and that spectacular performance is turned back by eventual runner-up Burkart Jr. who cards a winning 4.769 secs at 315.56 mph.

Round one of FC racing is also a humiliating one for John Force as despite all three of his cars qualifying in order 2-3-4 right behind Tony Pedregon they all lose in round one. Force himself is beaten back by Jim Head in his all new Dodge Stratus.

Pro Stock racing saw David Connolly make the first move of the season when he drove the Bullet Motorsports Chevy Cavalier to victory. Connolly was able to outperform legendary Warren Johnson in the final round with a winning 6.711 secs at 204.98 mph. Johnson’s strong runner-up finish came in what was the first race of his final “Schools Out” season tour.

Pro Stock racing includes a surprise pole sitter with Jim Yates running a career quick 6.699 secs driving his all new ’05 Pontiac Grand-Am. Kurt Johnson was however able to wrestle away low ET of the meet from Yates when he hit a quicker 6.692 secs while winning in round one. Johnson’s ACDelco Chevy Cavalier also set top speed of the meet at 206.35 mph. Johnson lost out to his father Warren in an exciting semi-final round pairing which saw the senior Johnson carve out a stout .008 RT to win at 6.734 secs 204.39 mph over Kurt’s 6.706 secs at 205.04 mph.

Pro Stock racing at Pomona included some good brand parity with no less then six Hemi-powered Dodge Stratus cars making the program. Larry Morgan was the quickest qualifying third at 6.718 secs. The highly anticipated Don Schumacher team Pro Stock cars made their debut with drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr and Richie Stevens Jr both making the program before bowing out in round one.

Steve Federlin and Frank Manzo won the event’s Top Alcohol racing titles. Federlin drove the Jack O’Bannon supercharged car to a final round win over outstanding female racer Hillary Hill in the TAD championship final round. Manzo’s win came in a very rare West Coast appearance for the New Jersey-based multi-time champion. Manzo’s all new Lucas Oil sponsored Pontiac Firebird turned back Oregon’s Brian Hough in the final round.

TAFC qualifying included a rather bizarre incident for class racing veteran Mert Littlefield. On his final qualifier on Saturday his parachutes also failed and his Pontiac Firebird entered the mud soaked top end sand trap at high speed. Littlefield was taken to local hospital as a precaution however the incident was most notable for the fact that the ejected Firebird body in fact flew out of the confines of Pomona Raceway and landed on an adjacent street.

Sportsman class racing was highlighted by a big win in Super Stock eliminator by reputed engine builder Don Little, from Northern California. Driving his SS/DA Dodge Challenger the former NHRA World Champion in Stock eliminator (1999) made history by becoming the first Stock eliminator car to win in Super Stock at the national event level. Little normally runs his Hemi-powered machine as an A/SA.