The year is growing tense as NHRA’s Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors swagger to the close of the “regular” season, before the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin after the celebrated U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) early next month. All four classes will be competing in the 33rd annual Menards NHRA Nationals on the Heartland Motorsports Park drag strip at Topeka, KS. Every single competitor will have one thing on their mind: a win gets me into the playoffs.
Of course, there are already drivers who have punched their playoff tickets, including Brittany Force in Top Fuel, Robert Hight, Matt Hagan and Ron Capps for Funny Car, Pro Stock’s Elite Motorsports teammates Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield – but no one in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Even more interesting than the “haves” are the “have nots” that are on the outside looking in.
While we all know the four-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence is still looking to capture his first 2022 Wally winner’s trophy, his father, Billy, who was in the thick of the Countdown last year, is now in 18th place, lagging some very competent racers who, for whatever reason, haven’t been able to make their way into the top 10. Billy Torrence is not coming to Kansas to race this weekend.
Who’s on the outside looking in among the dragster crowd? 11th through 16th places belong to most recent winner Tony Schumacher, who’s ten points behind Clay Millican in 10th, three-time champ Antron Brown, (-582 to leader Brittany Force) whose 2022 season accentuates the difficulties of starting one’s own team after being with a successful group for a very long time. Behind him are part-timers Doug Foley, Cameron Ferre, Gainesville victor Tripp Tatum III and Alex Laughlin.
There are 16 dragsters on the entry list, one that includes Force, Mike Salinas, Justin Ashley, Steve Torrence, Josh Hart, Leah Pruett, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Austin Prock and Clay Millican – all of whom are now in the top 10. Add Schumacher, Brown, Buddy Hull, Kyle Wurtzel, Terry Totten and Foley and you’ve got a full field, one where the standings could easily shift from the first round of qualifying to the last round of eliminations.
The picture in Funny Car isn’t quite as gnarly as Top Fuel, as three top competitors have already clinched their spots in the Countdown. While there are at least four outsiders trying to get into the top 10 in this class,…
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