t's a better-than-50/50 bet that Aretha Franklin never has been to a National Hot Rod Association race. But it might be time to haul in the Queen of Soul to beg for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The 39th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway did pay tribute to 2003 champions Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), who clinched at Dallas, Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), who clinched at Las Vegas, and Geno Scali (Pro Stock Motorcycle), who won earlier in the weekend. And, after sticking Shirley Muldowney with a crummy pit area beside a concrete light stanchion at Englishtown and giving her only minimal attention on her six-race "Last Pass" tour, NHRA finally acknowledged the retiring three-time Top Fuel champion in pre-race ceremonies.

One look says it all. Shirley Muldowney is greeted by husband Rahn Tobler after her final run. (Ron Lewis photo)

John Force exited in Round 2, but the outgoing and 12-time Funny Car champion got a ton of respect after he gave a gutty effort with two tender and bandaged hands. "I made a statement I shouldn't have made when I first cut my hands that I wasn't going to drive," Force said after extending his qualifying streak to 323 consecutive events. "I was feeling sorry for myself, and I was upset and the doctors were saying it didn't look good. But then I got to feeling better." He was No. 1 qualifier for the first two sessions.

The race winners did receive their measure of respect, although Anderson was the only finalist to win on the quarter-mile dragstrip in an honest side-by-side race.

Although the final round was rather weird, Kenny Bernstein left the way he wanted to last year -- Top Fuel winner. (Ron Lewis photo)