The NHRA teams had a week off to celebrate the 4th of July. After a four week run of events the much needed break is over and is set to continue at the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals. The event in Chicago kick-starts the second half of the Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series. Only six contests remain and ten drivers in each pro class will be set to compete in the championship playoffs.
In 2015 Tony Schumacher scored his fifth win at his home track in Chicago, when the speedster dragged his U.S. Army dragster to a final heat win over Larry Dixon. Other winners included Tommy Johnson Jr. in the Funny Car class and Allen Johnson in the Pro Stock division.
Top fuel points leader Doug Kalitta, will look to bag his fourth event title in the K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals on Sunday. The veteran dragster won three events in a row in 2016. He first claimed victory in the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals and ended his run with a victory at NHRA Nationals in Kansas.
Antron Brown sits second in the NHRA Mello Yellow point standings. He will look to have a bounce back performance where he failed to reach the final in the last event. Brown has dragged his way to the top podium spot on two different occasions in 2016. The 2015 Top Fuel champion won in early April in the Desno Spark Plug NHRA Nationals. Brown repeated his performance June 5th in the NHRA Nationals in New England.
Ron Capps hopes to extended his points lead in the Funny Car Division. He currently sits 130 marks ahead of Courtney Force. Capps looks to keep his momentum rolling from his latest victory two weeks ago. He also out-dragged Force to claim his fourth win of the 2016 season. The NAPA Auto Parts sponsored driver commented on his mid-season success.
“What Rahn Tobler [crew chief] is doing right now is hard work,” Capps said. “This guy has been working his tail off. It is big picture to him. He is not just a good crew chief; he is a good racer, and I love that. When he is pointing at me in the windshield before a run, it gives me all the confidence in the world. He was my hero growing up,” Capps continued. “These wins happen, and you are told you have tied someone you are completely enamored with growing up, so when you are mentioned like that, it blows me away. It doesn’t seem possible, to be mentioned with someone like ‘Snake’ is crazy.”
Courtney Force will try to close the point gap between her and Ron Capps. She has found plenty of speed at a handful of NHRA Nationals venues in 2016. Force sped her way to victory at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Houston, Texas. She has been in the runner-up spot in two other races. The prodigy also has to be considered a favorite to challenge for the win in Chicago this weekend.
Greg Anderson and Jason Line have absolutely dominated the Pro Stock Division at the half-way point in the Mello Yellow Drag Racing Series. The KB Racing teammates sit one and two in the current point standings. Line has collected six wins in the 11 contests thus far. As a result, Line holds a narrow 115 point lead over the speedy Anderson.
His partner in crime has raced his way to five victories in the 2016 campaign. Greg Anderson won two in a row in the early part of June at the NHRA Nationals in New England and again the following week in New Jersey. Fans can flip a coin to figure out which overpowering racer will sit in the finals for the K&N Filters Route 66 Nationals in the Windy City.
Top Fuel Point Standings:
1 Doug Kalitta 1009 0 Kalitta
2 Antron Brown 940 -69 DSR
3 Steve Torrence 846 -163 MLR
4 Brittany Force 832 -177 Force
5 Tony Schumacher 729 -280 DSR
6 Shawn Langdon 711 -298 DSR
7 J.R. Todd 645 -364 Kalitta
8 Clay Millican 572 -437 Hadman
9 Richie Crampton 570 -439 MLR
10 Leah Pritchett 463 -546 DSR
11 Terry Mc Millen 439 -570 DSR
12 Scott Palmer 270 -739 McKinney
13 Troy Buff 220 -789 Bill Miller
14 Dave Connolly 217 -792 MLR
15 Terry Haddock 186 -823 Dragster
Funny Car Point Standings:
1 Ron Capps 966 0
2 Courtney Force 836 -130
3 Jack Beckman 823 -143
4 Del Worsham 762 -204
5 Tommy Johnson 750 -216
6 Matt Hagan 747 -219
7 Tim Wilkerson 723 -243
8 Robert Hight 722 -244
9 John Force 668 -298
10 Alexis De Joria 640 -326
11 Chad Head 497 -469
12 Cruz Pedregon 486 -480
13 John Hale 375 -591
14 Jeffrey Diehl 334 -632
15 James Campbell 233 -733
Pro Stock Point Standings:
1 Jason Line 1389 0
2 Greg Anderson 1274 -115
3 Bo Butner 796 -593
4 Allen Johnson 719 -670
5 Drew Skillman 683 -706
6 Vincent Nobile 613 -776
7 Chris McGaha 557 -832
8 Shane Gray 532 -857
9 Jeg Coughlin 528 -861
10 Alex Laughlin 498 -891
11 Erica Enders 490 -899
12 V Gaines 374 -1015
13 Kenny Delco 291 -1098
14 John Gaydosh 238 -1151
15 Deric Kramer 213 -1176
