NHRA WINTERNATIONALS: VALLEY NATIVE RACES INTO HISTORY DIXON IS FIRST TO REPEAT AT WINTERNATIONALS.

Byline: Steve Ramirez Staff Writer

POMONA - The winner's list of the Winternationals is a virtual who's who of National Hot Rod Association drag racing.

Past champions include many of the sport's pioneers, such as ``Big Daddy'' Don Garlits, Don ``The Snake'' Prudhomme and Shirley ``Cha-Cha'' Muldowney. But until Sunday, no Top Fuel competitor had ever won the historic event in consecutive seasons.

Larry Dixon changed that.

The San Fernando Valley native became the event's first repeat winner in Top Fuel when he defeated Cory McClenathan in the final round before a near-capacity crowd at Fairplex. Other winners included Tony Pedregon in Funny Car and Warren Johnson in Pro Stock.

``I think it's a big deal,'' said Dixon, who pocketed $200,000 after winning both the 43rd Winternationals and the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout on Saturday. ``I call it one of the majors, like golf. Pomona, (Indianapolis), Columbus (Ohio), Englishtown (N.J.), those are the oldest, the most established races (on tour). They mean the most to me.

``So to come here and be on the same list as Snake, Garlits and Shirley. ... I dig that kind of history. It means a lot. It really does.''

And lately, Dixon has been making a lot of history.

He won his first NHRA Powerade series championship last season and now starts 2003 by claiming his 26th national event, second to McClenathan among active drivers.

``It's a perfect way to start out a season,'' said Dixon, who defeated Azusa's Robert Reehl, Tony Schumacher and 2002 International Hot Rod Association champ Clay Millican before thundering to a 4.541-second pass at 322.04 mph to beat McClenathan. ``Last year was just a phenomenal year. To have the car run as strong as it did, it makes it great.

``I appreciate so much having a race car to drive like that. It's so nice. I've driven enough nags; it seems like when you get a car like that, you love it.''

Dixon was consistent all day. He blitzed Reehl with a 4.535 in the first round before putting Schumacher and Millican on the trailer with runs of 4.533 and 4.514, respectively.

McClenathan, who defeated Brandon Bernstein, David Grubnic and Melanie Troxel en route to the final, made a solid 4.597 pass in the final, but Dixon's 4.547 was just a little bit better.