The recent Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Peak Performance in Chicago produced a few surprising results and a couple of not-so-surprising winners. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series now heads to historic New England Dragway for the NHRA New England Nationals, which will kick off a busy summer that also includes upcoming stops in Bristol, Richmond, and Norwalk over the next month.

This week, Tipster has picked Justin Ashley, Austin Prock, and Greg Anderson as the pre-race favorites in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock, respectively.

TOP FUEL

The favorite: Honestly, the Scag team has been a bit hit or miss so far this season, but there aren’t many teams who wouldn’t happily trade places with them as they’re currently sitting atop the Mission Foods Top Fuel standings and driver Justin Ashley has a 71-point cushion over second-ranked Shawn Langdon. Ashley continues to be the team’s biggest asset because he’s rarely late off the starting line. Given a consistent race car, he’s more than capable of taking care of the rest.

The contenders:  Kalitta Motorsports teammates Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon have started fast this season, combining for wins in three of the first six events of the season.

Antron Brown picked up a big win at the most recent event in Chicago, and his Matco Tools team appears to have turned the corner. As for a new winner this season, smart money would be on Capco teammates Billy and Steve Torrence.

The dark horse: Tony Stewart qualified on the bump spot in Chicago, but that is not at all an indication of the strength of the TSR Nitro team. More accurately, the former NASCAR star has made great progress this season, and there is no reason, other than the strength of the competition, to think he can’t make it to a final round or possibly win a race.

ODDS

FUNNY CAR

The favorite: We went with Austin Prock in Chicago, and he nearly delivered, so we’re sticking with him again this week, although it’s temping to pick Chicago champ Matt Hagan. Prock surrendered the championship lead in Chicago, but it's just a four-point spread, which can easily be made up during qualifying.

Prock admits that he’s still got much to learn when it comes to the ins and outs of Funny Car racing, but most would agree that he’s well ahead of schedule and will almost certainly be a contender for the championship for the duration of the 2024 season.

The contenders: The final was held in Bristol, but Bob Tasca III got a long-awaited win at his home event last season, and he should be among the favorites to repeat again this season. Tasca has been a touch inconsistent lately, but his qualifying results are solid.

Obviously, our list of contenders should also include J.R. Todd and John Force because they’ve both already visited the winner’s circle this season. Todd had a forgettable Chicago race, but he’s been solid almost everywhere else with multiple semifinals to go with his season-opening win in Gainesville.

The dark horse: We thought Daniel Wilkerson might have his breakthrough moment in Chicago, which is technically his home track, but that did not happen. Instead, he’s our dark-horse pick this week because at some point, the Scag Ford is going to string together a few round-wins on a Sunday, and that is likely to happen sooner rather than later.

ODDS

PRO STOCK

The favorite: Sometimes even Greg Anderson seems a bit surprised at his 2024 success, but it’s hard to deny that he’s off to his best start in years and should rightfully be the favorite to win this weekend, even if by a very slim margin. Anderson has already won twice this year, and he grabbed the big check at the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout at the most recent event in Chicago. He enters the New England race trailing teammate Dallas Glenn by just four points in a Pro Stock chase that is almost certain to go down to the wire.

The contenders: Dallas Glenn looked spectacular during his win at Route 66 Raceway, and he’s arguably the best car-driver combo in the sport right now. As for reigning champ Erica Enders, she rarely has two bad races in a row, and after a shocking round-one loss in Chicago, she’s clearly going out for revenge this time around.

The next two drivers in the standings are Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Aaron Stanfield, who are both among the class’ most consistent drivers. Coughlin won in Las Vegas, while Stanfield went to a pair of finals in Chicago.

The dark horse: Matt Hartford has had a dreadful start to the 2024 season, and he’s not close to the top 10, but after a bit of a revival in Chicago, we’re inclined to believe that he’s not as far off as one might think. Hartford turned in a solid qualifying performance at Route 66 Raceway with last year’s car, and his new car pulled off the upset of the season with a win by guest driver John DeFlorian against Erica Enders. Not sure which car Hartford will drive in New England but either one should be greatly improved.

ODDS