Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, funded by Terry Chandler, won the final race of the 2016 season – defeating the quickest field of Funny Cars in NHRA history.

(With his final round win – Tommy Johnson Jr finished a career high 2nd in final World Championship points)

Johnson and the crew led by crew chief John Collins and assistant Rip Reynolds entered race day for the 52nd annual NHRA Finals as the No. 3 qualified team.

Johnson won round one against Dave Richards in a pedalfest to the finish line as Johnson coasted to a 4.373-second pass at 235.23 mph. He advanced to round two where he took out Robert Hight with a 3.897 lap at 325.31 mph.

He then faced Courtney Force in the semifinals. Johnson won on a holeshot victory with his 3.929 topping Force’s quicker 3.916.

Finally, Johnson lined up against John Force for the last final round of 2016. Johnson left the starting line first and got his second holeshot win of the day with a 3.918.

(Tommy Johnson Jr won a super exciting fuel FC final over John Force which saw both drivers record identical elasped times)

“You have six races where you really can’t make any mistakes,” Johnson said of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. “We had a bad race or two toward the middle of the Countdown and it was a little frustrating coming in here third in points. We knew we were better than that and wanted to come here and win.

“Winning on a holeshot is always great but to do it twice during the Finals, that was really the cherry on top of everything this team has accomplished,” Johnson said.

With their performance Sunday, the Make-A-Wish team moved up to No. 2 in the NHRA points standings.

“You’re disappointed you didn’t win the championship, and you know I let Ron (Capps) win this one so I can have the next one,” Johnson joked about his teammate who locked up the 2016 Funny Car Championship on Saturday night. “His team did a great job this season.

“We had fallen to third and wanted to get back to second. We knew we could get that. You want to finish strong and show that you’re there to contend. The guys just did a great job.”

This second-place finish is Johnson and the Make-A-Wish team’s career best.

“Everybody works well together. That’s the key to it. Yes, we have a lot of resources. Don (Schumacher) and Terry provide everything that we need to go out there and do our jobs.

“Everybody at DSR does a great job. Everybody is focused on winning.”

The event also featured a title clinching World Championship performance for DSR team racer – Ron Capps.

Ron Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car team led by crew chief Rahn Tobler delivered the 16th NHRA world championship and $500,000 bonus to Don Schumacher Racing at the end of qualifying Saturday evening in the NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif.

It is Capps’ first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship after being runner-up a record four times.

“I really haven’t slept well since the Countdown started after Labor Day,” said Capps, who lost a lead of 202 points when he won the regular season title after 18 races and points were reset to start the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff when points were reset for the 10 championship contenders.

(Ron Capps mathematically clinched the 2016 Mello Yello FC title following the completion of qualifying on Saturday)

“It really came together, but man, what a fight. My stomach has been in a knot since Indy. I’m not sure I’ll sleep tonight. It hasn’t sunk in. I have to tell you that the trophy should be broken into a trillion pieces and given to all our fans. We have the best fans.

“I’ve been afraid to do anything all week. I was like bubble wrapped – I didn’t want to hurt myself. I didn’t want to start a speech. I was afraid to jinx anything.

For Tobler, it is his fourth world championship as crew chief and first with DSR; he won two with Shirley Muldowney in Top Fuel and one with Cruz Pedregon in Funny Car.

“I can’t even tell you how focused Rahn Tobler has been this year,” said Capps, who was the series runner-up in 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2012. “I almost gave up trying so hard and wishing so hard, and just focused on winning races. With everything we got this year – my 50th career win, passing some people I really looked up to in the sport with wins – that’s mind-boggling for me.

“This was the toughest Funny Car class ever and the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car, which was awesome. What a great, great season.”

Capps’ championship comes two weeks after teammate Antron Brown and the Matco Tools/U.S. Army team clinched its second straight and third Top Fuel championship in five years.

This is the fourth time since 2005 that DSR has won both nitro world championships: Brown and Capps this year, Tony Schumacher and Matt Hagan in 2014, Brown and Jack Beckman in 2012 and Schumacher and Gary Scelzi in 2005.

“This is epic,” Capps said after receiving the Mello Yello champion’s jacket and dinner-plate sized gold medal that he called “My Mr. T starter kit.”

(DSR team racer Jack Beckman set both low ET and top speed at the season-finale NHRA event)

Event Essentials:   NHRA AAA Auto Club Finals (Nov. 10-13th 2016) 

(Canadian native Jeff Arend subbed for Alexis Dejoria in the Paton Toyota at the Pomona Finals and recorded his career quick ET at 3.930 secs)

Posted with files by Jeff Wolf & Bruce Biegler
Photos by Bob Johnson, Gary Nastase & courtesy of NHRA