FUNNY CAR, WHERE EVERYONE CAN (AND DOES) WIN

So far this season, there have been seven different Funny Car winners at NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events, including seven different winners in the last eight events. That’s called parity, and it’s undoubtedly one of the big reasons why NHRA fans have sold out a number of venues this season and why TV ratings continue to climb. Not many people want to go to a sporting event of any kind where they know the outcome beforehand, and that’s the beauty of NHRA Pro racing right now, as anyone who qualifies is capable of winning on a given day.

J.R. Todd’s Funny Car win in Sonoma was long overdue, and he’s not the only driver who could, or should, be hoisting a Wally. John Force, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, and Chad Green have knocked on the door a time or two, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see any of them get a victory this season.

GAIGE HERRERA IS ON THE VERGE OF MAKING SERIOUS HISTORY

Other than a pair of tiny miscues that cost him possible wins in Bristol and Norwalk, Gaige Herrera has been just about flawless in his first season with the Vance & Hines Mission Foods Suzuki team. Herrera is fresh off a sweep of the Western Swing, the first time that feat has been accomplished since 2009. Obviously, Herrera’s first priority remains the NHRA Camping World Pro Stock Motorcycle championship, but along the way, he's got a chance to make history, most notably, tying or passing Matt Hines’ record of 10 wins his a season. Herrera already has six with seven events remaining. Dave Schultz and Matt Hines also share the record for consecutive wins with six, and Herrera is halfway there following his sweep. Schultz also won 34 straight rounds in 1994. Herrera is currently sitting on 12, which means he’d have to make it to the semifinals of the fall Las Vegas event without a loss just to tie. That seems highly unlikely, then again, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen anyone do what Herrera has done.

JUSTIN ASHLEY IS THE FAVORITE TO WIN THE TOP FUEL CHAMPONSHIP

It’s far from a foregone conclusion, and as we’ve seen, almost anything can happen during the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, but at this moment in time, Justin Ashley has established himself as the favorite to win it all in 2023. Ashley’s Phillips Connect team seems to make few mistakes, and when you add a driver who is perhaps the best starting line leaver in the class, it makes for a difficult out on race day.

Ashley recaptured the championship lead with his win in Sonoma, and with three races remaining before the Countdown, he may or may not be the top seed. That likely won’t matter if he’s able to duplicate his early season success during the final six events.

HOLESHOTS ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE PRO STOCK CLASSES

OK, so this isn’t exactly new news, but it’s now more and more obvious that if you want sustained success in any drag racing category, you’ve got to get off the starting line on time. This point was notably illustrated in Sonoma, where three of the seven side-by-side races in round one was decided via holeshot.

It took no time at all for the first domino to fall as Josh Hart got the best of eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher in the second pair. Hart’s 3.77 easily held off Schumacher’s 3.74. Hart was solid off the starting line with a .045 light while Schumacher was .105.

One pair later, Antron Brown got out of the gate first against Mike Salinas and held on, 3.74 to 3.71. Brown banked .034-second off the line to make it close at the stripe. Finally, Shawn Langdon grabbed four hundredths in his race against Leah Pruett, and that was enough to assure a 3.75 to 3.74 victory. Simple arithmetic dictates that as long as there continues to be parity in NHRA’s nitro ranks, there will be more holeshots.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A DESTINATION RACE, SONOMA IS FOR YOU

NHRA fans generally love to travel and explore new places, and for those seeking a fun and rewarding road trip, it’s hard to beat the Sonoma Raceway and the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals. The Sonoma event has historically provided a lot of high drama and thrilling side-by-side racing, but then again, so do most Camping World Series events. What helps separate Sonoma is the (usually) pleasant weather and other local attractions, including the historic city of San Francisco and the many wineries in the surrounding Napa Valley. It's never too early to start making plans to attend next year's event.