NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For more than five decades, NHRA National Dragster's famed Tricky Tipster has tested his prognosticating skills prior to each national event, putting odds on the top eight racers he thinks have the best shot at victory in Tricky Tipster. This week, Tricky Tipster handicaps the NHRA Summernationals.

TOP FUEL Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Pro Mod
	Antron Brown • Matco Tools He went from being pushed in a stroller during his first visit to Raceway Park to cradling a Wally after an emotional win last season.	5-2
	Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools He scored 14 consecutive round-wins before his streak ended in the semifinals in Epping. Not one to rest on his laurels, he is ready to get another streak started.	3-1
	Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors The NHRA New England Nationals runner-up has a consistently fast dragster capable of tossing the opposition like a New York pizza.	4-1
	Brittany Force • Monster Energy Being the national e.t. record holder yields her an edge on a historically fast dragstrip.	5-1
	Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army The eight-time Mello Yello world champion broke out of his second-round slump last weekend and by all means should have kept rolling if not for a rare miscue.	7-1
	Shawn Langdon • Sandvik Coromant/Red Fuel It's as though this dragster started this season with a low battery and hooked up to a Red Fuel charger a few races ago to get back to full bars. Don't be surprised to see it in the late rounds.	8-1
	J.R. Todd • SealMaster In German, "nein" means "no." In Top Fuel, "nine" is the qualifying position where running a 3.7 in the first round still puts you on the trailer. If he can get a better spot on the ladder, watch out.	10-1
	Leah Pritchett • FireAde A win might be a lot to ask for out of a team that was just built from the ground up, but Pritchett alone is worth a few hundredths on the Tree if her team finds the car's sweet spot.	12-1
FUNNY CAR
	Matt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane/ Rocky Boots Dodge Has qualified no worse than second and won twice in the last three races. Add in a pair of wins in the last three years here, and we like Hagan’s odds of continuing his strong run of late.	3-1
	Courtney Force • Traxxas Chevy The last few years have not been great for Force at this event, but with how well her car has been performing, we think chances are good she can correct that. She’s still the only driver with no first-round losses this year and continues to lead in three-second runs.	7-2
	Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge Capps looked so ridiculously good in Epping that Tipster felt like an idiot for not ranking him — we’re not making that mistake again. As long as Rahn Tobler continues to give him a car like he had last weekend, Capps could repeat or even better his semifinal here last year.	5-1
	Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge It doesn’t seem to matter what conditions or circumstances are thrown at this team — it performs well no matter what. The point was especially proven in Epping when Beckman clocked a pair of competitive 3.93s on race day after that massive explosion in qualifying.	6-1
	Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge Tipster said there was real potential for a breakout for this team, and, boy, did it deliver last weekend. Johnson and crew are most definitely on the upswing right now with a car that can run with the best of ’em.	7-1
	Del Worsham • DHL Toyota Not only is his car among the leaders in three-second runs this year, but Worsham has a pretty strong history in it at this event. In the three years since he returned to competition, Worsham’s worst finish here is a semifinal.	8-1
	Tim Wilkerson • Levi, Ray & Shoup Ol’ Bessie proved to be quick and fast in Epping, running low e.t. of the first round and setting a new track speed record. We believe Wilk is still just as much a contender now as he was in his new, swoopier entry.	10-1
	Alexis DeJoria • Patrón Toyota This spot was a toss-up between DeJoria and John Force, who had a great car in Epping. DeJoria has been a little better than Force all season, though, and she was the runner-up here last year, so she gets the nod.	12-1
PRO STOCK
	Greg Anderson • Summit Camaro The competition is getting tighter, but the Summit Camaros are still on top. Anderson has the most Pro Stock wins at this track, so he is the likely favorite.	3-2
	Jason Line • Summit Camaro Though his final-round streak may have been broken, he has yet to be defeated by anyone other than his teammate Anderson. The odds are still in his favor.	2-1
	Allen Johnson • Marathon Petroleum Dart He just became the second non-KB driver to make it to a final round this year, and Tipster doesn’t think it will be his last. Watch out, KB team, Johnson is coming to break your winning streak.	3-1
	Bo Butner • Jim Butner Auto Camaro He started the year strong but seems to be in a midseason slump. Butner’s low-qualifying positions prove he has a fast car, but there has been some trouble during eliminations rounds.	4-1
	Chris McGaha • Harlow Sammons Camaro He has had a roller-coaster season so far, and right now it seems he is heading down. The competition is getting tighter, and his inconsistency could pose an issue sooner than later.	6-1
	Shane Gray • Gray Motorsports Camaro After having a shaky start to the season, Gray has finally found something that works and is running with it. He made his second consecutive semifinal appearance and fifth top-half start this season.	8-1
	Vincent Nobile • Mountain View Camaro That No. 3 qualifying spot was the best position he has been in all year. He is beginning to improve … and quickly!	10-1
	Drew Skillman • Ray Skillman Auto Camaro After switching teams last race, Skillman continues to slip and recorded his third consecutive first-round loss. He still holds one of the better records out of the bunch this year.	12-1
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
	Eddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Though he’s not exactly in the same league as Pro Stock racer Jason Line, he has been dominant this season with two wins and a runner-up. This is a home game, so look for that streak to continue.	2-1
	Jerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki He’s the defending event champ, so he knows this track well. He’s also coming off an impressive final-round finish in Atlanta, which provides momentum.	4-1
	Andrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Took a small step backward following his big win at the Charlotte four-wide event, but the reigning champ is pretty much never out of the running. Could use a touch more consistency, though.	6-1
	Angelle Sampey • Star Racing Buell Let’s cut right to the chase here. This is a bike that could have won each of the season’s first three events. No one is more frustrated than the three-time world champ, and it’s now time for her to take it out on the rest of the field.	7-1
	Hector Arana Sr. • Lucas Oil Buell Nearly 30 years into his career, Arana must have found the fountain of youth. For the most part, he has been very solid this season, and a win here should surprise no one.	9-1
	LE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki The 2010 world champ followed his runner-up finish in Gainesville with a pair of disappointing outings, but he’s a real solid bet to reverse that trend this weekend.	11-1
	Matt Smith • Victory Gunner If you look strictly at his testing results, this is the best bike in the class, but his race-day results have been mixed at best. When he’s finally able to put everything together, the results are going to be impressive.	13-1
	Chip Ellis • Pippin Trucking Buell It’s almost a given that he qualifies in the quick half of the field. After that, it’s almost anyone’s guess. He does have the ability to go the distance, though.	15-1