NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After two weeks in the Northeast, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads south for the third of four straight weekends of racing in June, hitting Bristol Dragway for the 16th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Tucked in the Tennessee hillsides, Bristol offers an experience unlike any other stop on the tour, making the Father’s Day weekend event one of the most popular each year. This year’s event is the 11th of 24 on the 2016 Mello Yello Series schedule, and with time ticking away in the regular season, which is more than half over, it can be a crucial stop for drivers vying for a spot in the Countdown to the Championship or, more pressing, the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts.

Last year, Matt Hagan picked up his first win at the facility he considers to be his home track, outlasting Ron Capps for the Funny Car title. Richie Crampton continued his strong sophomore campaign, defeating Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel final to pick up his third win of the season. In Pro Stock, Erica Enders notched win No. 4 of her 2015 campaign when she bested Chris McGaha in that class’ title round.

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

Time ticking for Traxxas berths
Drivers not in the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout have lucked out the last few races when competitors who have already won this season and therefore secured a spot in the bonus events in Indy were back in the winner’s circle, but that trend is bound to end at some point, and that means the pressure remains high for those not yet locked in. That is particularly true in Funny Car, where just one spot remains. Jack Beckman (pictured) and Tommy Johnson Jr. have both come close to nabbing the final spot, advancing to recent finals only to be stopped by teammates. They certainly have to be considered among the favorites for that last spot. Others looking to win and get in and avoid the fan-vote lottery include 16-time world champion and four-time Bristol champ John Force and reigning world champ Del Worsham.

In Top Fuel, two spots remain, but the pressure is just as high because a number of high-profile drivers remain winless on the season. Eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher has yet to make it to the winner’s circle this season, and neither have defending event winner Crampton, Shawn Langdon, and J.R. Todd. And you can’t count out the independent, single-car teams of Clay Millican and Terry McMillen, both of whom have made a final this year.

'The Sarge' on the rise
Top Fuel’s winningest driver is still mired in a winless streak that dates back to the Chicago event last July. We’re 100 percent certain no one is getting more tired of the “When is he going to win?” storyline than Schumacher himself. There is good news for Schumacher, though. For starters, he is clearly on an upward trajectory. After his first semifinal showing of the year in Epping two weeks ago, he advanced to his first final of the season last weekend in Englishtown. Another plus: Schumacher is the winningest driver at Bristol Dragway with five victories. The most recent came in 2012.

Capps in control
Capps (pictured) began the season on fire, winning the opener in Pomona, qualifying No. 1 in Phoenix, and finishing as the runner-up in Gainesville. Then he hit a bit of a slump, beginning with a DNQ in Las Vegas. Capps, the second-winningest driver in the history of Funny Car, and his Rahn Tobler-team have made a steady comeback since that DNQ, and now Capps is the driver to beat in the class. He carries a ton of momentum into this weekend after back-to-back wins in Epping and Englishtown, both from the No. 1 spot. Can Capps make it three in a row? Nothing is certain in Funny Car, but Capps has a lot going for him. He was the runner-up here last year, so his team clearly knows how to go rounds, and Capps’ NAPA Dodge has looked incredible the last two weeks, including posting four 3.8s.

More record runs?
One thing that has been a constant this season is Funny Car track records not just falling but doing so in big ways. The New England Dragway track record was bettered by more than a tenth, and last weekend in Englishtown, Capps set a new mark that was nearly nine-hundredths quicker than the incoming record. If conditions are favorable, chances are that Bristol fans will be treated to several runs quicker than they have ever witnessed at Thunder Valley. The incoming Funny Car e.t. record is 3.978, and the speed mark sits at 323.43 mph.

The rise of the underdogs
One of the big stories in Englishtown was the run to the semifinals by independent campaigners Jeff Diehl in Funny Car and Kenny Delco in Pro Stock. Interestingly, in recent years, Bristol has a record of solid showings by part-time and independent teams. That is especially true in Funny Car, which has had a surprise semifinalist the last three years. Tony Pedregon, who had just one or two round-wins entering the Bristol event the last two years, had back-to-back semifinal finishes in 2014 and 2015. Blake Alexander was the surprise semifinalist in 2013. Also in Funny Car, Chad Head earned his first head-to-head round-win in 2013. In Top Fuel, Chris Karamesines pulled a major upset at the 2014 event, besting No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force in the opening round. Pro Stock has also featured a couple of upsets the last few years. Last season, V. Gaines upset Greg Anderson in the opening round, and the 2013 event featured Rodger Brogdon’s first win, against the heavily favored Enders in the final.

KB Racing dominance continues?
It’s another week, and we are again asking: Can anyone stop KB Racing? Ten wins in 10 events, eight runner-up finishes, and all the No. 1 qualifying spots this season — KB has been utterly dominant. It has to end at some point, right? Could it be this week? As well as KB has been running, the safe bet is still on them to be hoisting a Wally at weekend’s end, but some factors could potentially play in the favor of other teams. One, the performance gap continues to close. In recent weeks, Vincent Nobile’s team has surged. Allen Johnson has been getting stronger and stronger (and you know no one is more motivated to do well here than the local boy), and the Gray Motorsports-powered cars of Shane Gray, Alex Laughlin, and Drew Skillman have shown hints of great potential. Another thing to consider is the fact that neither Anderson (pictured) nor Jason Line has won this event in 10 years. Anderson’s last Bristol title came in 2004, and Line’s only win here was in 2006.

Qualifying counts
Though there have been a few exceptions, most notably Leah Pritchett’s win from the No. 10 spot in Phoenix, if a racer wants to land in the winner’s circle, it’s best that he or she ends up in the top three when qualifying is over. Of the 30 winners in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock this season, 24 have come from the top three qualifying positions. Pritchett’s win was the only one from the bottom half of the field. Tim Wilkerson’s two wins came from the No. 8 starting spot. Others who have won from outside the top three are Brittany Force (fifth, Gainesville), Alexis DeJoria (sixth, Las Vegas), and Anderson (fourth, Epping).

Track records
Top Fuel
3.745 seconds by Tony Schumacher, June 2015
331.04 mph by Larry Dixon, June 2015

Funny Car
3.978 seconds by John Force, June 2015
323.43 mph by Force, June 2015

Pro Stock
6.621 seconds by Shane Gray, June 2014
208.78 mph by Gray, June 2014

Schedule
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, June 18, at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for noon Sunday, June 19.

Tickets
Call Bristol Dragway, 423-989-6900, or log on to www.bristoldragway.com.

Television
Saturday, June 18, FOX Sports 1 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 2 p.m. ET
Sunday, June 19, FOX Sports 1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 4 p.m. ET