Traditionally, Thursday and Friday hosted sportsman class eliminations at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. However, with a global pandemic rearranging life in general, the Big Go had to do some rearranging itself.

Instead of the regular laddered-style competition, NHRA officials opted for a Chicago-style format to determine class winners. Chicago Style is where competitors run a predetermined number of runs, and then the quickest two come back for the final round. In this case, competitors in Stock and Super Stock will run two sessions and race the third and final for the class (not eliminator) crown.

The importance of class eliminations at NHRA’s most prestigious venue since its inception was not lost on the NHRA when trying to work around a season full of adjustments.

"Class eliminations at the U.S. Nationals is part of this race’s history, and it was important that involvement continued,” said NHRA’s Ned Walliser. “Stock and Super Stock racers plan all year long to be a part of class eliminations at the U.S. Nationals, and that is something we needed to provide to our racers.”

Walliser added the Chicago Style format was the best option considering the number of racers in competition and days allotted to race.

Super Stock racer Mike Crutchfield looked at this year’s temporary normal a bit diplomatically but added the revised format isn’t for everyone.

“This is better than nothing but there’s a whole lot of people that stayed home because of it, I can tell you that,” Crutchfield said. “This is the one chance a year that people have to shine and to show their stuff. And, this is not it.

“The fastest car doesn’t always win the race and to select the two fastest cars to run last off is not really the way to do it because the fastest two guys, they win sometimes, but a whole lot of times they don’t.”