With the postponement of the O’Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals, the inaugural Countdown regular season just got that much more intense.There will literally be no rest for the weary and, perhaps more critical, no chance to regroup if a “gremlin” finds its way into a team’s car.

With the Bristol race rescheduled for July 6-8, the grueling Western Swing has become the U.S. Swing, a six-races-in-six-weeks stretch that begins in New York on June 21 and ends in Sonoma on July 29.

Racers will then have one week off before returning to the track for the first of back-to-back races at Brainerd and Reading that will conclude the 17-race regular season.

With the postponement of the O’Reilly Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals, the inaugural Countdown regular season just got that much more intense.There will literally be no rest for the weary and, perhaps more critical, no chance to regroup if a “gremlin” finds its way into a team’s car.

With the Bristol race rescheduled for July 6-8, the grueling Western Swing has become the U.S. Swing, a six-races-in-six-weeks stretch that begins in New York on June 21 and ends in Sonoma on July 29.

Racers will then have one week off before returning to the track for the first of back-to-back races at Brainerd and Reading that will conclude the 17-race regular season.

But while the drivers and crews will be pushed like they’ve never been before — especially the ones hovering on the bubble — the fans and media will benefit tremendously.

With so little interruption in the schedule, the first-ever Countdown regular season will play out like an extended mini-series, presented in prime time on Sunday night.

And there are certainly plenty of dramatic plotlines.

Will 14-time world champion John Force rebound in time to navigate his way from 18th position into the Top 8?

Will his daughter Ashley Force stay in the Countdown Top 8?

Will perennial contender Doug Kalitta find his way under new crew chief Jon Oberhofer?

Stay tuned to ESPN2.