NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

While the 2016 season finished well for some — like, oh say, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Jason Line, and Jerry Savoie — others were left scratching their heads after a season that didn’t come close to expectations. Following is a look at five of the teams that will be aiming to put 2016 in the rearview mirror and make a big rebound next season.

Tony Schumacher

Yes, he had two wins in five final rounds and was a top-10 finisher, but this is the eight-time Top Fuel world champion and winningest driver in the history of the class. That means expectations not only by fans but by Schumacher himself and his team are much higher than simply settling for a couple of wins (even if one is Indy) and not really ever being in contention for the championship. Schumacher finished eighth in the final standings, his lowest points finish since he was No. 8 in 2001.

Cruz Pedregon

It seemed as if anything that could go wrong did in 2016 for the two-time Funny Car world champion. Pedregon finished the year with a paltry 6-23 round-win record, one DNQ (Indy), and just one top-half start for the season. As if his year was already not painful enough, Pedregon closed the season with that massive wheelstand in Las Vegas in the fall that caused damage to the chassis and prevented him from continuing in eliminations at that event and a red-light start against longtime rival John Force in the first round in Pomona.

Erica Enders

Two-time, reigning world champion Enders and her team knew there would be some growing pains in transitioning not only to the new EFI Pro Stockers but also to a new manufacturer, but it’s fair to say they didn’t expect it to be as painful as it turned out to be. Enders, along with new teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr., struggled mightily all season. One year after dominating competition, Enders just made the Countdown to the Championship, and she ultimately ended up in the No. 9 spot. Enders ended with a 12-23 win-loss record for the season, and she recorded her first DNQ since the 2010 season, missing the field at the first Countdown event, in Charlotte.

“The Hectors”

For many years, one of the biggest rivals to the powerhouse Harley-Davidson team was the father-son duo of Hector Arana Sr. and Hector Arana Jr., but though there were moments of promise during 2016, most notably each recording a runner-up finish, overall, “the Hectors” were nonfactors for much of the year and ended up with losing records. Hector Sr. had an 11-16 mark for the season, and he finished in the No. 10 spot in points. Hector Jr.’s win-loss record was 12-15, and he was the eighth-place finisher. In addition, Hector Jr. failed to qualify in Charlotte in the spring, just the second DNQ of his career.

Karen Stoffer

After being one of the pleasant surprises of 2015 when she won the opener in Gainesville, added another win in Norwalk, led the points, and finished in the top 10, Stoffer had a forgettable 2016 campaign. Stoffer, whose team was trying to sort out the fuel-injection system on her Suzuki and that of Jimmy Underdahl, missed the field three times, the most DNQs she has recorded in a single season. In addition, Stoffer earned just six round-wins during the 13 races for which she qualified, and she missed the Countdown to the Championship, finishing 11th in the final standings.