NHRA’s season ending In-N-Out Burger produces a first career victory for a rising FC class racer.

Chad Green (Midland TX) powered to his first career NHRA Funny Car win on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating Tim Wilkerson in the final round of the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals to close out his 2023 season in style.
 
Green knocked off Wilkerson in his Bond Coat, Inc. Ford Mustang, going 3.916-seconds at 328.54 mph in the championship round. It’s been a true breakout season for Green, who advanced to seven semifinals and two final rounds heading into Pomona. He knocked off Robert Hight in the second round, handing the world championship to Matt Hagan in the process, and then J.R. Todd to reach the final before a great .033 reaction time helped Green to a memorable holeshot victory.

To add to the moment, Green’s son, Hunter, also earned a win on Sunday racing his injected nitro car in Top Alcohol Dragster in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
 
“It’s just been an amazing weekend,” Green said. “First off, it’s been an amazing season. This has been a dream season for us. I couldn’t be more proud of my guys. They’ve really come a long way in the last few years and they’ve stuck with me. We’ve been trying all year to get this Wally. We’ve been close a few times, but it’s just been an amazing season. I can’t think of a better way that you could top off a season, ending it like this.

“But I just can’t say enough about our season. It’s been so amazing. You could have never drawn it up like this. This season has been a great season, we surprised a lot of people, and to cap it off with a win is awesome.”

NHRA’s 2023 World Championship title was decided in a very consequential, dramatic and upset ridden 2nd round of competition – which saw all three remaining points contenders fail to advance.

And with that it was Matt Hagan who clinched his fourth world championship in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat during that wild second frame. Hagan, Robert Hight and Bob Tasca III were separated by just 17 points entering raceday and all three had won the opening round — but each lost during the quarterfinals. Tasca fell first, then Hagan and it came down to Hight’s matchup with Chad Green. But Hight also smoked the tires, handing the championship to Hagan.
 
It’s the fourth world title for Hagan, joining John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme as the only drivers to win four or more Funny Car world championships in NHRA history.

FC Class Racing Summary

WIN: Chad Green – 3.916 secs 328.54 mph (Career win #1)
R/UP: Tim Wilkerson – 3.900 secs 327.59 mph
Low ET: Robert Hight – 3.844 secs
Top MPH: Bob Tasca III – 336.99 mph
Bump: 4.025 secs
Entries – 19 cars

Posted with files by NHRA Communications & Bruce Biegler
Photos by Dave DeAngelis

To view more FC racing photos from this event link to LMLCMedia photo gallery: HERE