NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The penultimate race of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season before the start of the playoffs offered dramatic on-track battles and unreal performances on the Brainerd Int'l Raceway surface at the annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Cool conditions set the stage for memorable performances, such as Matt Hagan setting the national e.t. record and recording the second-fastest speed in Funny Car history during Saturday qualifying.

The rescheduled final rounds in the nitro categories from the rain-soaked Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil offered its competitors the chance to earn two victories in two days. Antron Brown and Del Worsham reached both finals and won one apiece. Brown defeated Steve Torrence in the Seattle Top Fuel final but lost to Brittany Force in a wild matchup the following day. Del Worsham smoked the tires against Ron Capps in the Seattle Funny Car final but made good on his second opportunity by defeating Hagan for his first win of the season in his 500th race-day start.

The increased parity in the Pro Stock division was evidenced by 2015 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner Drew Skillman getting on the board for the first time in 2016. The all-conquering KB Racing team was represented by Minnesota native Jason Line in the final round, and Skillman added to Line's tales of hometown frustration by scoring the upset in the final.

Andrew Hines continued to find more ways to win events in Pro Stock Motorcycle even when he and Harley-Davidson teammate Eddie Krawiec aren’t outright dominating. Hines was giving up an advantage to Jerry Savoie's Suzuki in the final, and the five-time Mello Yello world champion came through in the clutch with a perfect reaction time to score the holeshot win.

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