NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After a grueling stretch of four races in four weeks, NHRA teams had a week off to refresh and recharge and celebrate the Independence Day holiday. The Fourth of July has passed, but the fireworks are scheduled to continue throughout the summer, beginning with the next stop on the tour, the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals. The Chicago race marks the start of the second half of the season and is the sixth of 16 for racers in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category. Just six events remain before the field of 10 drivers in each Pro class is set for the Countdown to the Championship.

In 2015, Chicago native Tony Schumacher scored his fifth win at his home track when he drove the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster to a final-round win over Larry Dixon. Schumacher was joined in the winner's circle by DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Here’s a look at some of this year’s major storylines:

JEGS Allstars celebrates 32nd season
In addition to the battle being waged by NHRA’s Mello Yello Series Pros, the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals will feature the annual JEGS Allstars competition for drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. A field of 80 of the best Sportsman competitors from all over North America will gather in Chicago to compete for individual and team honors and a total prize pool of more than $120,000. Last year, the team from the Southeast Division scored its seventh overall team title, moving into a tie with the Northeast Division and North Central Division for overall bragging rights. The JEGS Allstars was first held in 1985 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky.

Pritchett gets 'Fast Track' to Chicago
The game of musical chairs that has become Leah Pritchett’s 2016 season takes another turn this week with the popular Top Fuel driver returning to Don Schumacher Racing with backing from Albrecht’s Fast Track Motorcycles. Pritchett’s entry will be tuned by Mike Guger and Joe Barlam, the same crew chiefs who guided her to her first Top Fuel win this season in Phoenix. Pritchett, who has driven for three teams this season, enters the Chicago event clinging to the No. 10 spot in the NHRA Mello Yello standings. While her participation at future events remains to be seen, she is attempting to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship for the first time.

Knowledgeable fans might also remember that Albrecht Fast Track Motorcycles backed Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Craig Treble during his tenure with Schumacher Racing in 2008, and Treble won the Chicago title.

Let the bumping begin
The pre-entry list for this weekend’s event helps to confirm the popularity of NHRA’s annual stop in the Chicago market because there is expected to be full fields for all four Professional categories. The pre-entry list for the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals shows 18 Funny Cars along with 17 entries in Top Fuel and Pro Stock, respectively. The biggest class is Pro Stock Motorcycle, which continues to show strong participation with 22 racers on the pre-entry list. With more than 16 entries in each class, qualifying is no longer a given, and teams that might otherwise sit out a qualifying session will no longer have that option. Already this season, there have been some surprise DNQs, including current Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith, and Karen Stoffer, who won two events last season.

KB watch continues
At some point, someone other than KB Racing teammates Greg Anderson and Jason Line will win a Pro Stock race, but there is no telling when that might be. So far in 2016, the first year of fuel-injected Pro Stock cars, Anderson and Line have run the table, combining to win all 12 events. Anderson, with five wins, has a round-win record of 37-7. The numbers for Line are even more gaudy. With seven wins and a record of 41-5 in elimination rounds, he has already surpassed last year’s numbers. There have been a few times this season when the Summit-backed cars have appeared vulnerable, but no one has been able to take advantage. Other than teammate Bo Butner, the only other Pro Stock drivers to appear in a final round this year are Chris McGaha and Allen Johnson. 

Traxxas Shootout drama
When Tommy Johnson Jr. (pictured) drove the Make-A-Wish Dodge to the Funny Car title at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, he earned the seventh spot in the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout for Funny Car. However, his position is not guaranteed because the points leader after the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd -- 2016 event win or not -- will be the No. 1 seed in the specialty event. 2012 world champ “Fast Jack” Beckman and reigning world champ Del Worsham are third and fourth, respectively, in the current Mello Yello points order and would love to earn that spot, which would come at the expense of Johnson. Those not in the field will then have to rely on the fan vote and subsequent lottery drawing to compete for the $100,000 top prize that will be awarded during the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. In Top Fuel, six spots are filled, which means that the next new winner will be provisionally slotted No. 7 in the exclusive eight-car field. Potential candidates for that spot include five-time Chicago winner Tony Schumacher, J.R. Todd, Richie Crampton, Clay Millican, and Terry McMillen. If that position is not filled before Indy, the highest ranking non-winner in the Mello Yello standings will be the No. 7 seed, assuming the points leader after the Brainerd event is already in the field.

Track records smashed
At this point, it’s only a surprise when track records, particularly those in the Funny Car class, are not broken. So far in 2016, Funny Cars have run deep into the three-second zone at every stop on the tour, so it stands to reason that Cruz Pedregon’s existing e.t. record of 3.966 and Courtney Force’s speed mark of 322.50 are both toast. In Top Fuel, Antron Brown has the elapsed time record with a 3.729, and that’s a strong number that might not be bettered. The same goes for Dave Connolly’s Top Fuel speed mark of 328.78 mph. Given the new rules, the Pro Stock elapsed time record of 6.528 by Drew Skillman would appear to be safe, but Greg Anderson’s 211.83-mph speed record appears to be more vulnerable. The marks to beat in Pro Stock Motorcycle are 6.856 by Chip Ellis and 196.82 by Hector Arana Jr. Every Professional track record, with the exception of Funny Car speed, was set during last year’s event.
 
Track records
Top Fuel
3.729 seconds by Antron Brown, July 2015
328.78 mph by Dave Connolly, July 2015

Funny Car
3.966 seconds by Cruz Pedregon, July 2015
322.50 mph by Courtney Force, July 2014

Pro Stock
6.528 seconds by Drew Skillman, July 2015
211.83 mph by Greg Anderson, July 2015

Pro Stock Motorcycle
6.856 seconds by Chip Ellis, July 2015
196.82 mph by Hector Arana Jr., July 2015

Schedule
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5:15 and 7:45 p.m. Friday, July 8, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, July 9, at 3:15 and 6 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 10.

Tickets
Call 888-629-RACE (7223) or log on to www.route66raceway.com.

Television
Saturday, July 9, FOX Sports 1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. ET
Sunday, July 10, FOX Sports 1 will televise three hours of live finals coverage at 2 p.m. ET