While the Eastern U.S. is shoveling out of the record blizzards and snowfall, NHRA is readying for the 50th annual Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Wednesday of the “Big Go West”, as it has been called for decades, has the race teams settling in for the weekend with a great weather forecast, the nearby San Gabriel mountains covered with snow, and new paint on the sleek, aerodynamic funny car bodies.

As of the late afternoon Wednesday there were already 18 Top Fuelers at the Pomona Fairplex, just enough for a drag race. The tech lines were filled to capacity including all three of the Al-Anabi team’s Toyota funny car bodies that cloak the Fuel Coupe driven by Del Worsham that were being checked by the NHRA’s body templates.