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Tricky Tipster's Norwalk picks

23 Jun 2016
NHRA News
News

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 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

TOP FUEL
Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Top Alcohol Dragster | Top Alcohol Funny Car | Pro Mod
  
Doug KalittaDoug Kalitta • Mac Tools
The “tool wars” intensifies at this race in the backyard of his and Antron Brown’s sponsors. The points leader got the edge in last year’s final.		5-2
  
Antron BrownAntron Brown • Matco Tools
They who claim that LeBron James brought Cleveland its first major championship in a half-century clearly forgot about native son Brian Corradi. We don’t feel cavalier in stating that Brown has a great shot at extending the celebration with a win here.		3-1
  
Shawn LangdonShawn Langdon • Red Fuel/Sandvik
Eleven isn’t a bad place to start whether that’s how many races into the season it takes a Top Fuel contender to start winning races or you’re the sound engineer at a Spinal Tap concert.		4-1
  
  
Tony SchumacherTony Schumacher • U.S. Army
The inaugural winner here in 2007 has been on the brink of victory throughout the "Eastern Swing" and would love to lock up that last spot in the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout.		5-1
  
Brittany ForceBrittany Force • Monster Energy
This team was rightfully confident in Bristol after making five good runs in a row before it slipped through the cracks in the second round. She could make a run at her third Wally of the season here.		6-1
  
J.R. ToddJ.R. Todd • SealMaster
Mastering the Friday night qualifying session is his key to getting in position to seal the victory on Sunday. This team has all the tools in place.		8-1
  
Richie CramptonRichie Crampton • Lucas Oil
Bringing his 7-11 record in eliminations rounds this season back up to .500 with a victory would be a big gulp of fresh air for the third-year driver.		10-1
Clay MillicanClay Millican • Parts Plus/Great Clips
The multiple-time IHRA champion has made as many runs down Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park as anybody. The best way to get out of his recent drought would be to score his first NHRA win.		12-1
 
FUNNY CAR
Ron CappsRon Capps • NAPA Dodge
Isn’t it crazy that a No. 1 start and a semifinal showing could be considered kind of a disappointing finish? That speaks volumes about just how good his car is right now. The competition is closing in on Capps, but we think he’s still the one to beat.		5-2
  
Matt HaganMatt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane/
Rocky Boots Dodge
Didn’t have a perfect outing in Bristol, but, one, neither did anyone else really, and, two, he ran low e.t. of eliminations (again) and made the final. The potential is most definitely still there with this car.		4-1
  
Jack BeckmanJack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge
Not only is he coming off a pretty solid Sunday in Tennessee, but his record at this track is pretty darn good. Beckman is the defending event champ, and he was in the semi’s the two years before that.		5-1
  
Tommy Johnson Jr.Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge
Look out, everyone! Johnson and crew are beginning to surge. A win and a runner-up finish in three races is strong, and he didn’t luck his way into either situation. Johnson’s car has looked great the last few races.		6-1
  
Courtney ForceCourtney Force • Traxxas Chevy
Regained some of the consistency in Bristol that made us really high on this team earlier this year. No one had perfect runs every time downtrack, but last year’s Norwalk runner-up came closest to doing so with the best overall average e.t.		7-1
  
Del WorshamDel Worsham • DHL Toyota
Has looked so good in qualifying, but he just can’t seem to translate that into race-day success. At some point, those great qualifying efforts have to yield a win, right? This team is a win waiting to happen.		8-1
  
Alexis DeJoriaAlexis DeJoria • Patrón Toyota
After a couple of frustrating early losses, DeJoria’s fortunes turned in Bristol, where she was a semifinalist. Though she was a little off the top runners, her car steadily went downtrack, and that type of consistency not only wins rounds but gives her team something off which to build.		10-1
  
John ForceJohn Force • Peak Chevy
This spot came down to teammates Force and Robert Hight, and we think their cars are pretty comparable right now. We’re giving Force the edge because his recent record at this race, which includes a win in 2014, is much stronger.		12-1
 
PRO STOCK
Jason LineJason Line • Summit Camaro
The KB Racing team remains unstoppable. Line was the No. 1 qualifier for the sixth time and picked up his sixth win of the year last weekend. Needless to say, his chances of collecting another Wally are high.		2-1
  
Greg AndersonGreg Anderson • Summit Camaro
He made his way to another final round, his eighth of the year. While the competition is getting closer, Anderson and his KB teammate are still on top.		5-2
  
Allen JohnsonAllen Johnson • Marathon Petroleum Dart
Last weekend might not have been his best performance, but it wasn’t bad, either. Johnson qualified in the top half and still has a consistent and competitive car.		4-1
  
Bo ButnerBo Butner • Jim Butner Auto Camaro
He qualified in the top three for the 10th race this season, in addition to recording low e.t and speed of the meet. Butner has a great car, but another mistake in the first round cost him as he still looks for his first Pro Stock win.		6-1
  
Vincent NobileVincent Nobile • Mountain View Camaro
Nobile and his team are determined to be the ones to upset those Summit Camaros. They continue to progress, but we haven’t seen all this camp has to offer yet.		7-1
  
Drew SkillmanDrew Skillman • Ray Skillman Auto Camaro
He finally improved after experiencing a slump the last four races. Skillman qualified just below the KB cars and made his fourth semifinal appearance this season. The question is can he keep it up in races to come.		8-1
  
Shane GrayShane Gray • Gray Motorsports Camaro
His performance in Bristol wasn’t his worst, but it also wasn’t his best. Despite whatever issues he may experience, Gray is still able to win rounds.		10-1
  
Jeg Coughlin Jr.Jeg Coughlin Jr. • JEGS.com Dart
He made big strides last weekend by advancing to the semifinals for the first time this year. Coughlin’s car got quicker with each run, and his reaction times were great in eliminations. This team’s luck might be turning around.		12-1
 
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
Eddie KrawiecEddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
He has had arguably the best bike at every race this season, but the field is closing the gap rapidly. He could also use a strong outing here to protect the No. 1 spot in the Mello Yello points.		3-1
  
Jerry SavoieJerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki
What we’ve got here is a team that is already overdue for a win, even though we’re only on race No. 5. It’s a pretty safe bet that this group will bag one before the tour heads West next month.		4-1
  
Angelle SampeyAngelle Sampey • Star Racing Buell
Now that Sampey and the Star team have their first win together in eight years, it will be interesting to see where they go from here. Good chance there will be more wins and a possible title run to follow.		6-1
  
Andrew HinesAndrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
The reigning champ hasn’t been himself lately, but he has historically done pretty well in Norwalk, so this is as good a place as any for a “get healthy” weekend.		7-1
  
Hector Arana Jr.Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell
Whatever was ailing him at the start of the season appears to be gone, or at least under control. His 6.79 run in Englishtown was a strong indicator that he has seen his last DNQ for a while.		9-1
  
Matt SmithMatt Smith • Victory Gunner
Normally, anyone with two DNQs in five races wouldn’t rate a spot in the Tipster rankings, but that’s about as misleading as a statistic can be. This is still a bike/rider combo that can and will win some races.		11-1
  
LE TongletLE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki
The Pro Stock Motorcycle fields are so tough right now that any bike that qualifies consistently and wins a round or two on race day merits respect, and this certainly qualifies as one.		14-1
  
Chip EllisChip Ellis • Pippin Trucking Buell
If we made our rankings based strictly on qualifying, he would be much further up the standings, but we also take into account Sunday round-wins, and that’s where the degree of difficulty increases.		16-1
 
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Megan Meyer • Racers Evolved
Not even halfway through her rookie campaign, she has delivered on the preseason hype behind the wheel of father Randy’s A/Fueler. She’s looking to make up ground on points leader Joey Severance.		2-1
  
Mia Tedesco • CARS Protection Plus
She can set low e.t. and top speed just about everywhere she goes. The Hirata team has been in the winner’s circle here before.		3-1
  
Duane Shields • Peak Antifreeze
His dragster has shown itself capable of big numbers, and the 2011 national champ scored two wins near the end of last season.		5-1
  
Brandon Booher • AB Construction/MBE
The carrier of the torque converter flag in Top Alcohol (and as a tuner in Pro Mod) won the North Central Region event here in May.		6-1
  
Rich McPhillips • McPhillips Racing
The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals winner also scored at his most recent East Region outing at Maple Grove Raceway.		7-1
  
Marty Thacker • Total Flow Products
He is the only winner from the nine previous incarnations of this event in competition this season. It’s hard to find a savvier racer on Sunday than this blown driver.		8-1
  
Jared Dreher • Dreher Motorsports
The talented driver may be one of the most underrated in the alcohol class. This car has been in the winner’s circle with less-experienced drivers at the helm, so he is plenty capable.		9-1
  
Mike Bucher • b.a. Sweetie Candy Co.
We’re ranking him in his national event debut not in hopes of free candy but because we’ve seen what the Nitro University team can do with rookie drivers from good gene pools. The late Jim Bucher was the last driver to win in Top Gas and one of the last to win in Top Fuel with a Chevy.		11-1
 
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Jonnie Lindberg • Landmeco Chevy
Few can cover ground like the national champ, and we’re not just talking about the quarter-mile. The Cavalcade of Stars winner is going from a Dropkick Murphys concert in Stockholm on Tuesday to trying to drop-kick the competition in Norwalk for the second time this season.		2-1
  
Kris Hool • SK Professional Tools Chevy
Speaking of drivers who cover a lot of ground geographically, he has checked into winner’s circles so far apart that the Foursquare app can’t keep up with him. The Charlotte winner recently won the Central Region event in Denver, and now he’s trying to win Norwalk for the second time.		4-1
  
Annie Whiteley • J&A Service Chevy
Crew chief Mike Strasburg, who won this race as a driver two years ago, has a fast and consistent hot-track tune-up that could tilt the odds in her favor.		5-1
  
Steve Harker • Speed City Chevy
His 2014 championship campaign kicked into high gear with a win at this event. The quickest run in the category was made in Australia, but maybe an Australian driver can bring it back to the U.S.		6-1
  
Terry Ruckman • Ruckman Brothers Racing Chevy
The Las Vegas winner will be hard to miss with his new red Camaro. The youngest pit crew in Top Alcohol has the blueprint for victory.		8-1
  
Chris Foster • Foster Racing Ford
The Iowa native drives through the Corn Belt again with hopes to a-maize. He has our ear after creaming the competition by reaching two previous finals.		9-1
  
D.J. Cox • Dixie Construction/East Coast Auto Electric Chevy
Some drivers are quick to react to the flash of three LED bulbs. This driver can feel the electricity as it travels to the Christmas Tree.		10-1
  
Brian Hough • Olympus Trailers Chevy
The well-traveled Oregonian is capable of rebounding from his heartbreak in Houston to score big in Norwalk.		11-1
 
PRO MOD
Troy Coughlin Sr. • JEGS.com Corvette
Former Norwalk winner has been chipping away at Rickie Smith’s points lead, but there is still much work to be done, and the season is half over. He cannot afford an early-round loss the rest of the way.		7-2
  
Rickie Smith • IDG Camaro
He looked like a mere mortal a week ago in Bristol, but that’s when he’s most dangerous. It would be foolish not to expect a better effort this time around.		4-1
  
Bob Rahaim • TLC Waste Disposal Corvette
Had he not crossed the centerline in the final, Rahaim would most certainly have run the table in Bristol. His 5.82 in qualifying was easily one of the best runs of the season for the conditions.		6-1
  
Danny Rowe • Agave Underground Corvette
At this point, the championship appears to be just about out of reach, so it’s best to simply concentrate on winning a few races. This car and driver combination has been consistently able to do just that for more than a decade.		7-1
  
Mike Castellana • Western Beef Corvette
He returned to the winner’s circle in Bristol, so naturally, he deserves to be a part of our beloved Tipster again. It’s very likely that his Bristol win was not a fluke, either.		9-1
  
Billy Glidden • Precision Turbo Camaro
Darned if this isn’t a really hard car/driver combo to handicap. They might qualify No. 1 and win the race or they might struggle to get down the track and miss the show. Then again, doesn’t that describe most Pro Mod teams?		11-1
  
Von Smith • AAP Corvette
The Frank Manzo-led AAP team can and should be in contention for race wins, but to do so, it needs to qualify a bit more consistently. The potential is certainly there.		13-1
  
Michael Biehle • Biehle Motorsports Mustang
Welcome to Tricky Tipster, Michael Biehle. Should he come close to duplicating last weekend’s performance in Bristol, which included a 253-mph top speed, he’ll become a permanent fixture here.		16-1