NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Following is look at the drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car who had the best overall qualifying efforts throughout the 2016 season and in the Countdown to the Championship, breaking down qualifying bonus points and average starts.

Most qualifying bonus points: season
TOP FUEL
1.	Steve Torrence	126
2.	Doug Kalitta	84
3.	Antron Brown	77
4.	Tony Schumacher	67
5.	Brittany Force	60

  
With his early season success that included eight No. 1 starts during the regular season, it is no surprise that Steve Torrence is the runaway leader in qualifying bonus points for the 2016 season. Torrence earned the bulk of his points prior to the Countdown, tallying 117 in the regular season vs. nine in the playoffs. Torrence maxed out on the "little points" three times, earning 12 points at the spring Las Vegas event and in Denver and Sonoma

FUNNY CAR
1.	Ron Capps	92
2.	Jack Beckman	73
3.	Courtney Force	72
4.	Del Worsham	63
5.	Robert Hight	59

  
Capps' bonus-points production was spotty during the first part of the season, but, much like his championship campaign, he gained major steam in Epping, where he tallied a season-high 10 points, and he steadily racked up the points from then on.

Most qualifying bonus points: Countdown
TOP FUEL
1.	Antron Brown	23
2.	Doug Kalitta	20
3.	Tony Schumacher	19
4.	Leah Pritchett	18
5.	Richie Crampton	9
	J.R. Todd	9
	Steve Torrence	9

  
With how dominant overall 2016 Top Fuel world champ Brown was through the Countdown, it is not surprising at all to see him atop the bonus points tally for the playoffs. Brown earned "little points" at all but one of the Countdown events (St. Louis), and he had a high of nine in Dallas.

FUNNY CAR
1.	Ron Capps	25
2.	John Force	23
3.	Robert Hight	17
4.	Jack Beckman	14
	Matt Hagan	14

  
As is the case with Antron Brown in Top Fuel, it's really not surprising to see the 2016 Funny Car world champion atop the order here either. Though he certainly had a fair amount of competition throughout the Countdown, Capps steadily and consistently racked up the points, earning at least one at all playoff events except Reading, where qualifying was limited to just one session. Capps' Countdown high was Charlotte, where he tallied seven. No driver earned points at all six events, but Capps, Force, and Beckman got bonus points at five of six.

Best average starting spot: season
TOP FUEL
1.	Steve Torrence	3.3
2.	Doug Kalitta	3.83
3.	Antron Brown	4
4.	Brittany Force	4.79
5.	Tony Schumacher	5.79

  
Eight No. 1 starts plus another eight in positions two through four will give you a very high overall average for the season, and that's how Torrence got atop of this list as well. In the 23 events he entered this season, Torrence was in the top half at every single one. He was the only driver in the class to qualify in the top half of every event in which they competed. The three drivers immediately behind Torrence all got close, qualifying in the top half at 23 of 24

FUNNY CAR
1.	Ron Capps	4.38
2.	Jack Beckman	4.54
3.	Courtney Force	4.63
	Matt Hagan	4.63
5.	Robert Hight	5.21

  
Funny Car is ridiculously competitive, so it's no surprise that the top cars are bunched up. Capps' average was bolstered by four No. 1 starts, including three in a row from Epping to Bristol, and 21 top-half starts. The 21 top-half starts ranks second (Del Worsham also tallied that number) to Courtney Force, who was able to put her Chevrolet in the top half at all 24 events.

Best average starting spot: Countdown
TOP FUEL
1.	Doug Kalitta	3.83
2.	Leah Pritchett	4.33
3.	Tony Schumacher	4.83
4.	Antron Brown	5
	Shawn Langdon	5

  
This ranking has some surprises, but it also shows the progress made by some of the teams as the season began to wind down. Fitting in that category in particular is Leah Pritchett, who, after starting ninth in Charlotte, was a top-half car through the rest of the year. Pritchett's average was assisted primarily by her first No. 1 start in Reading and a pair of No. 2s in Dallas and Las Vegas. Leader Kalitta had one No. 1 (Charlotte), one No. 2, one No. 3, two No. 4 starts, and a No. 9 in the Countdown. Of note, season leader Steve Torrence did not make the top five for the Countdown after averaging a 6.17 start during that period.

FUNNY CAR
1.	Jack Beckman	3.67
2.	Ron Capps	4.17
	Robert Hight	4.17
4.	Tommy Johnson Jr.	4.5
5.	Matt Hagan	4.67

  
Closing the season out with a pair of No. 1 starts certainly helped bolster Beckman to the top spot. Beckman also had a pair of No. 2s during the Countdown as well. Hight, who tied Capps for second, also had a pair of No. 1s during the six playoff events, and Johnson and Hagan had one apiece.