NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Results | Team reports

It’s the final day of the world’s biggest drag race, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, but so much more is on the line at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for a number of drivers beyond the glory and fame that goes with winning a Wally trophy at the sport’s most historic and prestigious event.

The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals marks the end of the 18-race NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season and beyond lays the Countdown to the Championship, a six-race sprint to the finish line in Pomona, Calif.

Leaving Indy, only the top 10 points-earning drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be eligible to compete for a season championship, and battles are still raging in all four classes for the final positions in the postseason.

TOP FUEL

Leah Pritchett

There are storylines aplenty in the Top Fuel class today, but most eyes will be focused on Leah Pritchett and Terry McMillen, who are battling for the 10th and final spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The pair entered the even tied, but Pritchett has pulled ahead very slightly due to qualifying points, and she enters today one point ahead of McMillen. Barring oildown penalties, McMillen needs to win one round more than Pritchett today to take the 10th spot. Otherwise, Pritchett will be part of the 10-driver playoffs.

Neither Pritchett nor McMillen have easy first-round matches. Pritchett squares off with teammate Shawn Langdon, whom she defeated in semifinals of the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout on Saturday. McMillen eked in at the last minute during the fifth qualifying session yesterday and will face No. 1 qualifier Clay Millican in the opener.

Millican is one of several drivers in the field seeking firsts. For the likeable driver from Tennessee, not only is he looking for his first Indy win but his first overall in NHRA competition. Several others are seeking their first Big Go wins, including veteran Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force, and Steve Torrence, all of whom have won this season and showed a lot of potential during qualifying.

FUNNY CAR

Alexis DeJoria

The points scenario here is a little less complex than all of the other classes. Alexis DeJoria, who is making her return to competition this weekend after sitting out the last two to heal from injuries suffered in Sonoma, holds a sizeable 87-point edge over Chad Head. With points and a half awarded here, that means each round-win is worth 30 points, and therefore Head needs three round-wins more than DeJoria to overtake her, barring oildown penalties, of course. So, in basic terms, DeJoria must lose in the first or second round while Head advances to the final or wins it. DeJoria has a tough draw in teammate and reigning world champion Del Worsham in the first round, and Head faces 16-time champ John Force.

A lot of attention will be focused on a pair of drivers who had challenging runs in qualifying. Ron Capps, who has already locked up the No. 1 spot for the Countdown, is in a back-up car today after his NAPA Dodge went into the net following a 3.90-second pass in the first round of the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout yesterday. Capps was able to make a shakedown run with the new mount yesterday, and crew chief Rahn Tobler seemed pleased with the early shutoff run of 3.98. Capps is seeking his first Indy win.

Like Capps, Robert Hight is in a back-up flopper today, too. Hight had a massive engine explosion in his Auto Club Chevy Saturday night. Thanks to a final-round appearance in the Traxxas Shootout, the former world champ was able to make three runs in the back-up car yesterday, but none of those runs were perfect — his best time of yesterday was a 4.07 — so there are some questions regarding the performance potential for Hight, a three-time U.S. Nationals winner.

PRO STOCK

Bo Butner

KB Racing teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson swept the first 13 races of the year, but more recently, a level of parity has returned to the Pro Stock class with three additional winners in the last four events. Will that trend continue today? Bo Butner, the third driver in the KB racing line-up, is the top qualifier for the third time this season but the Indiana native is still looking for his first professional win. Butner has a chance to make history today because he is also still alive in Stock eliminator with just four cars remaining.

Another driver who is undoubtedly as hungry as Butner is Vincent Nobile. The Mountain View racing driver, who is starting from the No. 4 spot, has already raced in one final round this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Nobile red-lighted in the final round of the rain-delayed Seattle event, allowing Aaron Strong to take his first professional victory.

The field of 10 drivers for the upcoming Countdown to the Championship will be finalized today and heading into eliminations, there are three drivers fighting for the last three spots. Erica Enders-Stevens and Jeg Coughlin Jr. are currently seeded ninth and tenth, respectively, and the Elite Motorsports teammates will have to fend off a challenge from Alex Laughlin, who needs to win at least two rounds in order to have a chance to make the playoffs.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE 

Angelle Sampey

With just a tenth of a second separating the No. 1 and No. 16 qualifiers, the battle for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle title is wide open. Two-time Indy winner Angelle Sampey would appear to have the upper hand after qualifying No. 1 with a track record 6.812 elapsed time, but her reward for claiming the top spot is a round one match-up against 2009 Mello Yello champion Hector Arana Sr.

Although he got bumped from the top spot, defending Indy winner Jerry Savoie remains a threat to repeat after a strong qualifying effort on his White Alligator Suzuki. Harley-Davidson teammates Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec each have multiple Indy wins to their credit and they remain among the favorites after solid qualifying efforts. Krawiec is the No. 3 qualifier while Hines is seventh.

Heading into eliminations, just five riders have locked up their spots in the Countdown and there are 11 more riders fighting for the final five spots. The most intriguing match of the first round features Steve Johnson and rookie Cory Reed. The winner is likely to secure a berth in the Countdown while the loser will be eliminated from contention.