1,000th Funny Car Trophy Up for Grabs at Pomona Winternationals

NHRA drivers have variety of personal incentives to win milestone race

Apr. 10, 2026 at 10:04pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic motion and energy of a Funny Car race, with overlapping planes of bright red, yellow, and blue hues.The historic 1,000th Funny Car race at Pomona Dragstrip will feature a diverse field of drivers vying to etch their names in NHRA lore.Corona Today

The NHRA will award the 1,000th Funny Car trophy this weekend at the Lucas Oil Winternationals at Pomona Dragstrip. Several drivers have special reasons to win the historic race, including Cruz Pedregon, Jack Beckman, and Daniel Wilkerson.

Why it matters

The 1,000th Funny Car race is a significant milestone for the NHRA, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary season. Winning this race would be a career-defining achievement for many drivers, cementing their place in the sport's history.

The details

Drag racer 'Fast Eddie' Schartman won the first Funny Car 'Wally' trophy in 1966, and the NHRA has handed out 998 more since then. Cruz Pedregon, who won the NHRA's 1,000th race in 2021, as well as the 900th Funny Car race, is eager to add the 1,000th Funny Car trophy to his collection. Jack Beckman, a 2012 Funny Car champion, is also competing at his home track and has won four of the last five races at Pomona. Daniel Wilkerson's father, Tim Wilkerson, is one of only two drivers to capture two milestone NHRA victories, so Daniel hopes to become the third.

  • The 1,000th Funny Car race will take place this weekend at the Lucas Oil Winternationals at Pomona Dragstrip.
  • Fast Eddie Schartman won the first Funny Car 'Wally' trophy in 1966.

The players

Cruz Pedregon

A two-time Funny Car series champion who won the NHRA's 1,000th race in 2021 and the 900th Funny Car race in 2021.

Jack Beckman

A 2012 Funny Car champion who has won four of the last five races at Pomona Dragstrip, his home track.

Daniel Wilkerson

His father, Tim Wilkerson, is one of only two drivers to capture two milestone NHRA victories (Nos. 400 and 500).

Tim Wilkerson

A veteran Funny Car driver who has won the 400th and 500th NHRA races.

John Force

The other driver to capture two milestone NHRA victories (Nos. 300 and 800).

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What they’re saying

“The 900th was special, no doubt, but winning the 1,000th at Pomona, my home track, would be on another level. It would mean a lot to me, my family, and our fans.”

— Cruz Pedregon

“Not only am I a drag-racing historian, I am also part of the history. The milestone winners... numbers 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, are all alive. I'm number 600 [2008 Phoenix]. I had forgotten the fact that I'm part of the fabric of the milestone race wins that got us to 1,000.”

— Jack Beckman, 2012 Funny Car champion

“Getting my first win in the NHRA's 1,000th Funny Car race, at my hometown track, would be amazing. I think you couldn't write a script any better than that, and Hollywood's not too far away. It just would be unbelievable for it to happen, and we're [operating] with the idea that it's going to happen.”

— Jordan Vandergriff, Funny Car class rookie

“We've talked about celebrating 75 years of NHRA in 2026 for quite some time now, and I can't think of a track with more legacy or that better signifies the history of our sport than Pomona, the birthplace of NHRA drag racing. And, how cool that it lines up where this weekend is the 1,000th Funny Car race.”

— Ron Capps

“We're all going to be part of history this weekend.”

— Alexis DeJoria, John Force Racing teammate

What’s next

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The takeaway

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