{"id":8753,"date":"2014-10-31T11:37:30","date_gmt":"2014-10-31T18:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=8753"},"modified":"2014-11-24T15:05:11","modified_gmt":"2014-11-24T23:05:11","slug":"nhra-countdown-contenders-the-movers-shakers-and-losers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/nhra-countdown-contenders-the-movers-shakers-and-losers\/","title":{"rendered":"NHRA Countdown Contenders: The Movers, Shakers, and Losers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"14DallasTonySchumacher75thWinPHOTO\"<\/a>
Tony Schumacher’s 75th win!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship started in Charlotte back in September, there were 20 potential champions in the Top Fuel and Funny Car ranks.\u00a0 Four races down, there\u2019s been a lot of movement in the standings– some climbers and some sliders.<\/p>\n

When I made my preseason picks, I selected Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel and Ron Capps in Funny Car mainly because they were the two most deserving. \u00a0Kalitta has three runner-ups (2003-04, \u201806) and Capps has been runner up in the championship standings four times (1998, 2000, \u201805 and in 2012 lost by two points).\u00a0 I was hoping to see a new face on top of the standings, but it won\u2019t happen this year for these two.<\/p>\n

\"14GatorsTOPFUELDougKalitta\"<\/a>
Doug Kalitta at the Gatornationals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the NHRA nitro divisions line up on the Strip at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Friday, the competitors will have four rounds of qualifying and four rounds of Sunday racing to change their fate for the future.<\/p>\n

A breakdown in points goes like this, 10 points for being a participant, qualifying points of 3-2-1 for low ET in each qualifying session in a descending order.\u00a0 Then after qualifying, points are awarded for each position in the lineup (8 – 1st<\/sup>, 7 – 2nd<\/sup>, 6 – 3rd<\/sup>, 5 – 4th<\/sup>, 4 – 5th<\/sup> and 6th<\/sup>, 3 – 7th<\/sup> and 8th<\/sup>, 2 – 9th<\/sup> through 12th<\/sup>, and 1 – 13th<\/sup> through 16th<\/sup>.\u00a0 The race break down is 20 points for first round loser, 40 for the quarterfinals, 60 for a semi-finals finish, 80 for the runner up, and 100 for the win.\u00a0 A new National elapsed time record is worth a bonus 20 points.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re the No. 1 qualifier, set low ET in all four qualifying sessions, and win the race that driver will earn that driver 130 points.\u00a0 The added National record bonus will give a total of 150 for the event.<\/p>\n

Starting with Top Fuel, it looks like Tony Schumacher is inching closer to his eighth World Championship and appears like the U.S. Army team is marching forward with dominance.\u00a0 As NHRA\u2019s most prolific Top Fuel driver with 76 wins, Schumacher now has amassed a total of 2,462 points and a lead of 134 points over Doug Kalitta with three wins exclusively in the Countdown and one opening round loss giving him the best run to the title.\u00a0 Besides, he\u2019s the favorite this weekend after he won the Vegas spring race in April.<\/p>\n

\"14DallasTonySchumacherActionFeature\"<\/a>
Schumacher in Dalls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the runner up position is Kalitta, but he only has a nine point lead over Steve Torrence, and 14 away from defending Top Fuel champion, Shawn Langdon.\u00a0 All three of these positions could change so rapidly by the semi-finals in Vegas, but unless Schumacher goes out first round, all he has to do is maintain his lead by qualifying and matching his points with the other contenders in the early rounds.\u00a0 The magic number is 151 for Schumacher leaving Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Kalitta dominated the regular season with ten final round appearances and earned two wins prior to the playoffs.\u00a0 He was the leader at the turn before Schumacher rained on everyone else\u2019s parade.<\/p>\n

Torrence is making his best showing in the Countdown and has raced to the semifinals twice and two quarterfinals.\u00a0 Langdon reached the finals in St. Louis, a semifinals conclusion in Dallas but has two first round defeats.<\/p>\n

\"Steve<\/a>
Steve Torrence in action.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just a round behind Kalitta, Torrence, and Langdon is the 2012 champion, Antron Brown.\u00a0 He\u2019s 170 points out of the lead, but only 36 out of second.\u00a0 He won St. Louis and rebounded after a couple of early defeats by the third race, but went out in Reading in the first round erasing his hopes of getting back to the top.\u00a0 He started the Countdown in second and has slipped to fifth now.<\/p>\n

Only four points behind Brown is Kalitta\u2019s teammate J.R. Todd, who has made the most progress after starting 10th<\/sup> and now going for a top five spot.\u00a0 He reached the finals in Dallas, but his other results were three quarterfinals appearances.<\/p>\n

Another Top Fuel runner is Spencer Massey, who dropped from sixth to seventh after the first four events.\u00a0 He has two semi-finals, one quarterfinal, and a first round loss.\u00a0 Another driver that had a great regular season is Khalid alBalooshi and finished fourth in the regular season.\u00a0 Now he\u2019s in eighth.\u00a0 He reached the finals at Charlotte, but since then has had two quarterfinals and a first round loss.<\/p>\n

Brittany Force comes from a winning family, no doubt.\u00a0 Her first year in the Countdown didn\u2019t pan out for her fans.\u00a0 She had two first round losses, an unexpected DNQ in Dallas, and then came so close in Reading to collecting her first win before losing to leader, Schumacher in the finals.\u00a0 She started ninth in the Countdown and is still there.<\/p>\n

The biggest disappointment in the Countdown goes to the rookie candidate, Richie Crampton.\u00a0 After winning the prestigious U.S. Nationals, he\u2019s won only one round of competition since then.\u00a0 After gaining all that momentum after a hot summer, the Morgan Lucas Racing team has struggled mightily when it counted the most.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a>
Matt Hagan at Indy. He’s the one to beat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Funny Car has narrowed down to a 2 man, one woman race.\u00a0 Matt Hagan is now leader by 36, followed by guess who?\u00a0 Yep, the 16-time champion, John Force and right on his heels in his daughter Courtney.\u00a0 The Toyota Nationals has become major real estate for one of the three.\u00a0 Every round of qualifying could be beneficial and whoever makes it the furthest could have a leg up going into Pomona.<\/p>\n

Hagan is the leader by winning Charlotte and Reading along with reaching the finals in St. Louis.\u00a0 John Force hasn\u2019t won a race in the six-race format, but has a final, semi-final, quarterfinal and a first round loss to be second.\u00a0 Daughter, Courtney has either won or out after the first round with back-to-back wins in Dallas and St. Louis and early losses in Charlotte and Reading.\u00a0 She is 36 down from her dad, and 72 out of the lead.<\/p>\n

\"Courtney<\/a>
Courtney Force at Sonoma. She’s still a contender against Hagan, and Dad, John Force.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hagan can\u2019t afford to lose early.\u00a0 John Force can\u2019t afford to lose, period.\u00a0 There are just eight rounds of racing left.\u00a0 Courtney Force could have a career day and make it a three-way battle at Pomona for the Auto Club NHRA Finals.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>
John Force isn’t ready to back down in the chase for the championship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Right behind the top three that can mathematically move up are Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Robert Hight, respectively.\u00a0 These two are 114 and 135 points behind and it\u2019s either win or kiss their chances good-bye in Vegas.<\/p>\n

A major disappointment was the Kalitta Racing Funny Car driven by Alexis DeJoria.\u00a0 She had three wins and another final round in 2014, but in the Countdown has raced to two first round losses, one quarterfinal, and a semi-final.\u00a0 This team could play the spoiler role and quickly become a thorn in the side of the top three.\u00a0 Crew chief, Tommy DeLago doesn\u2019t like to lose and you can expect this team to run well in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

Now the next three, my preseason pick, Ron Capps has been all over the board.\u00a0 They run well at some races, winning Epping and Brainerd, but had eight first round losses.\u00a0 They also could pull the upset in Vegas and could have something to say who wins the championship.\u00a0 It was just last year that Capps knocked out Matt Hagan and turned out the lights on his championship drive.<\/p>\n

Del Worsham is another Funny Car driver who\u2019s been there winning the 2012 Top Fuel championship and this season despite two final round appearance has yet to crack the winner\u2019s column.\u00a0 As the teammate of Alexis DeJoria in the Kalitta camp, this team has tons of potential.\u00a0 He recently was defeated in the finals against Courtney Force in Dallas, so this team knows its way down the dragstrip.<\/p>\n

Journeyman Tim Wilkerson got into the Top 10 over Jack Beckman keeping him out of the Countdown.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a lackluster year for Wilkerson.\u00a0 The Countdown didn\u2019t do him any favors with one semi-final, two quarterfinals, and a first round loss.\u00a0 This team needs to get its bearings straight before they can make a comeback to prominence.<\/p>\n

The biggest letdown is two-time Funny Car champion, Cruz Pedregon.\u00a0 The speedy Pedregon has driven into a rut.\u00a0 He won a round in Reading, but that was his first round win since Seattle in early August.\u00a0 He\u2019s 10th<\/sup> in points and really should be up there along side of Hagan and the Forces.\u00a0 Vegas odds makers could have field day if this team rallies in the last two races and the promise for this team is endless.\u00a0 The results obviously haven\u2019t shown the effort.<\/p>\n

All the drivers will be getting an extra hour of sleep Sunday night with Savings Time coming back, so they\u2019re won\u2019t be any excuses of not getting enough rest.\u00a0 Although, who can sleep with so much on their mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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