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The late-season drama that historically surrounds the crowning of the Lucas Oil Series national champions was confined to Stock in Pomona, where Jeff Strickland and Brad Burton entered the event in a heated battle for the top spot. Strickland, already a champion in the Top Dragster presented by Racing RVs class, was the leader, but he needed to hold off Burton, who could win his third championship by reaching the semifinals.

A favorable ladder pitted the championship contenders against each other in the third round, and Strickland prevailed to clinch his second Lucas Oil Series title of the season. Strickland went on to drive his GMPartsNow.com COPO Camaro to the final round, where he was ambushed by first-time national event winner Bob Gullett. Strickland was competitive in the final with a .033 reaction time and a 9.470 on his 9.45 dial, but Gullett was nearly unbeatable with a perfect .000 light and a 10.869 on his 10.86 dial in his manually shifted F/S ’68 Chevy II.
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