The Goodguys, 9th Pomona Nitro Nationals was everything the ill-fated March Meet wasn't. Mother Nature gave three days of ideal racing temps and Brett Harris and the Nitro Thunder team took full advantage of it. The track would take everything you could throw at it and Harris and Co. threw a lot. Harris qualified # 1 with a 5.828 (low ET of the event) at 260.26 (new national record).

Photos and full story below.

Brett Harris and the Utah Posse celebrate the 5th straight Pomona win for the Nitro Thunder team. The previous four wins came with Jack Harris in the seat.

 

The Nitro Thunder Traveling Road Show

Early Friday afternoon the Pomona Fairplex was filled with the sound of 3000 HP Top Fuel Dragsters. Brett Harris in the potent Jack Harris Racing "Nitro Thunder" car from Kaysville, Utah paired with Rick Rogers in his Tuttle built "Full Throttle News" entry.

Harris and Rogers back up after their burnouts.

Harris left hard and marched right down the middle of the track to a nice baseline 5.899 at 254.09.

Even though he's "retired" from the drivers set of the Nitro Thunder dragster (he will be driving the teams new Funny Car) Jack Harris has more fun in a car than outside one. Thus he has been driving the twin engine, fuel burning flathead dragster on exhibition runs for its owner, "Flathead Jack".

 

On this run Friday afternoon Harris made the fastest pass ever by a flathead powered drag car, a stellar 175.

Rick McGee and Jack Harris before the second session.

 

At 4:45 p.m. the second session began with Brett Harris paired with Rick McGee in the Tedford & McGee "Overtime Special".

Steve Tyrell guides Harris back from the burnout to make sure he stays in his "tracks".

Steve Watson sets the data computer just before Harris stages.

Both Harris and McGee had stronger leaves than the 1st session.

Big Red never missed a beat and Harris became the second driver to top 260 mph in a front engined Top Fueler. Of course the first to do it was his dad, Jack. With a 5.828 @ 260.26 (low ET and Top Speed of the event) Harris stayed #1 and McGee improved two spots with a stellar 5.982 @ 246.48.

The Utah Posse was ecstatic.

Back in the pits, Brett Harris receives his 260 MPH Club had from father Jack. Co-Crew Chiefs Steve Watson and Rayce Muchmore join in.

The final car for the final session was poll sitter Brett Harris who got the track all to himself.

Harris hit the throttle and was off on ANOTHER stout pass.

Never missing a beat Big Red tripped the lights with a 5.839 at 259.61 which easily backed up Friday's 260.26 which established a new Goodguys/VRA record. Brett’s father Jack set the old speed record of 259mph way back in November of 2004.

Here's a visual of some of the action that regularly takes place in the Nitro Thunder pit between runs. After any given run the car is towed to the scales then back to the pits. This first photo was taken 14 minutes after the car rolled under the canopy. The top end of the engine, oil pan and pistons have been removed and the new pistons are going in.

The left cylinder head is going back on.

The rods are being torqued.

Heads bolted down and blower manifold back on.

There is always lots of parts cleaning that must be done.

28 minutes from the time the car got back to the pits the engine is ready to fire up.

Jack still packs the parachutes on the car.

Jack with his My cousin Thayne Jensen and his son and grandchildren.

Drag racing being a sport of hurry up and wait, the crew had time to rest before the first round of eliminations later that afternoon.

 

Sunday Eliminations