The 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip put two Speedmaster-liveried dragsters on the same strip across two classes. Josh Hart's Top Fuel Dragster ran the full primary Speedmaster livery with John Force Racing. Melanie Johnson's Top Alcohol Dragster ran new Speedmaster colours with McPhillips Racing at her home race. The third race of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season — and the West Coast opener — landed in the middle of NHRA's 75th anniversary year.

The Stage

Pomona has stood at the centre of the sport since 1961. The Winternationals has opened more NHRA seasons than any other event on the calendar, and the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip remains the venue most teams measure a season against. Three races into the 20-race regular season, this was the West Coast round that set the tone.

Hart's Top Fueler — Full Primary Livery

Days before the green flag, Speedmaster moved from co-primary to full primary on Josh Hart's John Force Racing Top Fuel Dragster. Pomona was the first start under the full primary configuration.

Hart qualified the Speedmaster Top Fueler in the No. 2 position with a 3.733 at 336.15 mph. In Round 1, Cameron Ferre shut off after the burnout, and Hart made a single pass — running 3.698 at 336.91 mph. That was low ET of the Top Fuel field for the meet.

The quarterfinals brought Tony Stewart in the next pairing. Hart cut a .065 light to Stewart's .058 and the cars ran nearly side by side to half-track before a mechanical issue slowed the Speedmaster dragster to a 3.968 at 236.46 mph. Stewart ran 3.715 at 337.92 — and went on to win the event.

"That one stings. We were swinging for the fences with great conditions for record-breaking runs in the Speedmaster dragster. The fans kept the house vibes up even in the rain and all the down time, so I am grateful to everyone who came out, and especially for those who stayed to the end." — Josh HartHart leaves Pomona third in the Top Fuel points standings with 235 points, behind Doug Kalitta (256) and Shawn Langdon (252). Seventeen races remain in the regular season.

Melanie Johnson — Top Alcohol Debut at Home

For Melanie Johnson, Pomona was the start of her 2026 Top Alcohol Dragster campaign with Speedmaster as primary partner — and her home race. The McPhillips Racing dragster ran the new livery on track for the first time in front of her local crowd.

Round 1 paired Johnson against teammate Anthony Troyer. Johnson left first on the tree, but Troyer chased her down for the round win. The Top Alcohol Dragster trophy went to Garrett Bateman, who claimed his first national event win since 2017.

The on-track result wasn't the headline. The livery debut was the start of a season-long program structured around both the race seat and the brand work — Johnson, with a background in digital marketing, contributes to Speedmaster's brand activity alongside her driving. The partnership was announced earlier in the month, with Pomona as the on-track introduction.

Where the Program Goes From Here

Three races down. Seventeen to go. The Speedmaster motorsport footprint at Pomona spanned two classes, two teams, and the post-race NHRA Insider podcast — the start of a season the brand will run alongside John Force Racing and McPhillips Racing through to the finals in November.