The Countdown to the NHRA Championship is upon us. After the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, all the final spots have been filled in their respective divisions. This weeks event in Charlotte, N.C. will be the first race in a series of six to determine the NHRA Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock champions.
In the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, the field was set for the playoffs that will get underway this weekend. Over 40 Top fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock competitors gave it their best shot. Unfortunately, only a select few advanced to the post-season in their respective classes.
As a result, there was some unexpected upsets that changd the landscape of the six-race Countdown to the NHRA Championship playoffs that begin in Charlotte next week. The U.S. Nationals is the biggest race of the season. The event awards drivers by doling out more points than a usual NHRA drag racing contest.
The showdown awards one and half points a placement and consists of five qualifying sessions instead of four. The races take four full days to complete, with the finals taking place on Monday instead of Sunday. The top ten drivers from each division are in order by their points accumulated throughout the 2016 year.
Tony Schumacher claimed his 10th U.S. Nationals title in his dad’s Don Schumacher Racing’s Army Top Fuel dragster. The savvy veteran used his reaction skills by starting faster out of the gate than Steve Torrence did. They both ran almost identical speeds, but the advantage from the line gave Schumacher the victory in the finals.
Just two days removed, Tony Schumacher captured the Traxxas Top Fuel Shootout. He didn’t manage to claim the top qualifying spot, that went to fellow driver Clay Milican. Even though Milican sped down the track with a faster time, Schumacher still had the number one top speed of 330.3 miles per hour.
Tony Schumacher’s left the hallowed venue with more wins at Indianapolis Speedway than any other driver. The nine-time champion has now gathered in over 82 career victories in his impressive 20 year drag racing career.
As dominate as Tony Schumacher was last weekend, seeding is determined by the drivers body of work throughout the entirety of the year. As a result, Schumacher’s DSR racing partner Antron Brown, will keep his number one seed heading into the NHRA championship rounds.
Other speedsters that earned their way into the playoffs are Doug Kalitta, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force, J.R. Todd, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, Richie Crampton and Leah Pritchett.
Leah Pritchett withstood a tumultuous season that included injuries and team changes. The determined racer stayed the course and left Terry McMillen one point shy of the Race for the NHRA Championship.
Funny Car driver Ron Capps had the number one seed locked in well before the final race of the year even got underway. The dominate racer had to use a spare car when his Dodge Charger R/T rolled in the shut-down area before the U.S. Nationals began. Capp’s parachute deployed late in his qualifying effort in the Traxxas Shoot-out earlier on.
In turn, Del Worsham was defeated by Ron Capp’s teammate Matt Hagan in the finals. Like Tony Schumacher, Hagan used his lightning quick reaction of the line to win a hole-shot victory. When all the smoke had cleared Worsham’s performance over the extended weekend moved him from fourth to third in the standings.
Matt Hagan’s triumph is the only time the scrappy driver has won a Wally trophy for his performance in the U.S. Nationals. Nevertheless, it was his team’s 10th win on the year. Hagan also races for Don Schumacher Racing. The win marked the first time that DSR captured titles in both the Top Fuel category and the Funny Car division at the same event.
Ron Capps will have his work cut out for him this weekend. The ten car field is a who’s who of salty drivers. The field also includes Del Worsham, Courtney Force and her Chevrolet Camaro. Jack Beckman found his way in his souped up Dodge Charger. Robert Hight drove his Camaro into the playoffs along with Tommy Johnson Jr. John Force, Tim Wilkerson and Alexis DeJoria finished out the top ten spots.
Alexis DeJoria’s run to the post-season was also an impressive feat. She battled her way back from a broken pelvis that she suffered at Sonoma Raceway. In the U.S. Nationals, she lost in the first round but retained her tenth place tally when Chad Head lost in the second round on Monday.
KB Summit Racing’s Jason Line glided his way into the Countdown to the NHRA Championship this season. The dominate competitor and his partner in crime Greg Anderson racked up seven wins each in 2016.
Unfortunately, both drivers were eliminated in the Pro stock division before the finals started on Monday. Regardless of their performance in Indianapolis, the two speedsters are the top two drivers heading into the playoffs.
The rest of the Pro stock field that will be chasing after Jason Line and Greg Anderson is full of capable racers. Those drivers include their other teammate Bo Butner, Allen Johnson, and Vincent Nobile. Amazingly, Drew Skillman, Chris McGaha, and Shane Gray also drove their Camaros into the final rounds. Erica Enders and her teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. guided their Dodge Darts into the tournament to complete the field of ten.
