DRAMATIC TITLE CHASES OCCURING ORGANICALLY WITHOUT COUNTDOWN

by Susan Wade    Sat, 2020-08-22 05:15

 

For the past 12 years, number-crunching and calculating occupied NHRA drag racers from about June and continued through season’s end in mid-November.

This year, because of the fluctuating schedule, the Countdown to the Championship – the six-race so-called playoff system that brought points and a half at some races and exclusion in a sport that was screaming for inclusion – has erased the need for that obsession.

Since 2007, pro racers have seen their points reset following the U.S. Nationals. Leaders in each class got to enjoy a 20-point advantage over their closest rivals, and the remainder of the 10 title-eligible drivers were ranked and separated by 10 points to start the runoffs.

This year, though, tight races have developed in spite of the points manipulations, most notably in the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes.

Three-time and current Pro Stock champion Erica Enders has a slim lead over multi-time champions Jeg Coughlin and Jason Line, both of whom have engaged in down-to-the-wire battles with her for the crown. Both Coughlin and Line are retiring at the close of this season, and each would like nothing more than to finish their careers with another title. Coughlin has five and Line has three.

And Enders, who certainly has no problem with either of them when they aren’t in the opposite lane, wants her fourth championship just as much. And she will have to work hard to protect her lead that’s seven points ahead of Coughlin and 11 ahead of Line with five races left on the schedule.

In the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, the moment belongs to Scotty Pollacheck.

In addition to winning for the first time ever and from his first No. 1 starting position, the Oregon businessman registered two 200-mph runs on his Strutmasters.com/Matt Smith Racing EBR and advanced to the final round of the Mickey Thompson Pro Bike Battle.

So naturally, he wants to hang onto his points lead. He almost will have to keep having dream weekends like the one he had last weekend at Indianapolis if he is to stop the racers behind him. Champions Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec, Matt Smith, and Angelle Sampey – who have a combined 16 titles – and the energized Ryan Oehler, who won the first Indianapolis race in July all are on Pollacheck’s heels. And these first six in the standings are separated by only 47 points.

The nitro classes show a bit of advantage for the leaders in this no-Countdown scenario.

In Top Fuel, leader Doug Kalitta got a break. Leah Pruett, his closest rival, emerged from the U.S. Nationals 50 points behind him, thanks to her runner-up finish and his second-round defeat. However, if this had been a season like the previous dozen, Pruett would be just 20 points behind.

Kalitta also needs to watch out for another particularly dangerous competitor – rookie Justin Ashley, who has won just as many trophies this season as the veteran Mac Tools Dragster driver. Ashley and Pruett are aggressive drivers who are seeking their first Top Fuel titles juts like Kalitta is. And those two don’t have any problem being disrupters on the scene.

Ashley is in fourth place, sandwiched by No. 3 Steve Torrence (who’s going for his third straight crown) and Torrence’s father, No. 5 Billy Torrence. But Ashley isn’t intimidated.

He’s humble, saying “This whole experience has been very humbling for me. I know I am a small part of a much larger group” after his victory Saturday in the completion of the Lucas Oil Summernationals from July 19. Humble, yes, but he nevertheless is boldly enterprising behind the wheel of his Strutmasters.com Dragster.

Tony Schumacher and Cory McClenthan, once fiercely competing for the title, made it clear what their new assignments are. Four-time series runner-up McClenathan said, “Let’s see if we can back up Leah (Pruett) and help out our teammates at DSR.” And Schumacher, the eight-time champion, said, “Now we go root for Leah and hope she gets into that points lead.”

Jack Beckman regained the Funny Car points lead at the U.S. Nationals and is 35 points ahead of Don Schumacher Racing mate Matt Hagan. So a Countdown points reset at Indianapolis actually wouldn’t have made a huge difference as far as Hagan is concerned. But he did benefit a lot when it comes to the status of the other top-five racers. Tommy Johnson Jr. is third, 57 points behind Beckman. JR Todd is fourth, but the gap widened to 130 points. No. 5-ranked Ron Capps is 141 points out. So Johnson, Todd, and Capps might be missing the Countdown at least a little right now.

Still, Capps and Hagan are going for the title just as hard.

Capps said, “We have five races to run for a championship. It’s exciting. Vegas is for points-and-a-half, but we want to get a run on it these next races. It sort of feels like a Countdown and we’ll fight back to the top.”

And Hagan said, “Our team and Beckman are throwing down and battling it out, and it’s going to be a fight all the way to the end and that’s what I love. I love being a part of that.”

For herself, Top Fuel’s Pruett said Sunday, “This Big Go did not disappoint on the intensity meter.” Same goes for the prospects for the final five races.

So who needs a Countdown?

 

 

 

 
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