NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For more than five decades, NHRA National Dragster's famed Tricky Tipster has tested his prognosticating skills prior to each national event, putting odds on the top eight racers he thinks have the best shot at victory in Tricky Tipster. This week, Tricky Tipster handicaps the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

TOP FUEL Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Pro Mod
	Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors Capco team admittedly underperformed in Bristol yet still managed to reach the semifinals, which helps explain why they’re still leading the points standings. ODDS: 3-1
	Antron Brown • Matco Tools Won here in 2014, making him one of just four drivers in this year’s field who has a Norwalk victory. Expect a quick recovery from last week’s quarterfinal loss. ODDS: 4-1
	Leah Pritchett • Papa John’s Pizza She’s got 26 round-wins this year, compared to just 19 all of last season. That says a lot for the stable environment the DSR team offers and the benefits of the Papa John’s deal. ODDS: 5-1
	Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army Army team won the inaugural Norwalk NHRA event in 2007 but hasn’t been to a final in Ohio since then. There is no reason why that can’t change this weekend. He needs a big race to get back in points battle. ODDS: 7-1
	Clay Millican • Parts Plus/Great Clips Is there anyone who wasn’t driven to tears by his emotional first win in Bristol? Didn’t think so. Now, watch the Stringer team go on a tear for the rest of the season. ODDS: 9-1
	Brittany Force • Monster Energy The Monster team is back and capable of huge runs when conditions present themselves. Still like to see them display a touch more consistency before the start of the Countdown. ODDS: 10-1
	Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools We’re almost to midseason and the Mac Tools team is still winless. That just doesn’t seem possible. Then again, would anyone be surprised to see them win the next three or four races? ODDS: 12-1
	Shawn Langdon • Global Electronic Technology History lesson: In 1967 “Big Daddy” Don Garlits said he wouldn’t shave until he ran in the sixes, and he did so in the Indy final. Perhaps this guy needs to make a similar pledge for when he wins his next race. He’s already got an impressive head start. ODDS: 14-1
FUNNY CAR
	Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge He’s got a ridiculous 30-6 record in elimination rounds this year, and we aren’t event to midseason. That’s well ahead of the pace of last year’s incredible championship run, which ended at 54-18. ODDS: Even
	Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge Not 100 percent sure we can call this the second-best team in the class, but they certainly have the hot hand lately with a win and a runner-up in Englishtown and Bristol, respectively. That counts for a lot. ODDS: 3-1
	Courtney Force • Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Maybe a bit of a hunch here, but she has been to the final of the last two Norwalk races. Also a fair bet to set the track record and/or qualify No. 1. ODDS: 4-1
	Matt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane Dodge In a class where a tenth can separate the entire field, his consistent .03-.04 lights should scare the daylights out of the competition. Oh, and the car doesn’t run too badly, either. ODDS: 6-1
	Robert Hight • Auto Club Chevrolet Looking to make his first Norwalk final since 2008. Also figures to be a bit testy following a tough round-two loss against Capps last weekend in Bristol. ODDS: 7-1
	Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge With two semifinals in the last three events, things are looking up for the Make-A-Wish crew. Qualifying mid-pack makes for a tough draw on race day, so an extra hundredth or so would make a world of difference. ODDS: 9-1
	Tim Wilkerson • Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Nobody likes warm racetracks like this guy. When the temperature rises, the tune-up seems to fall right into his lap. This race should favor his tune-up. ODDS: 11-1
	J.R. Todd • DHL Toyota The battle to make the top 10 is every bit as exciting as the battle for first (maybe more so). The “yella fellas” need to grab some win lights. Pronto. ODDS: 14-1
PRO STOCK
	Bo Butner • Jim Butner Auto Camaro Getting to the final seems almost routine at this point, but winning them remains a challenge. Still, he’s the points leader for a reason. ODDS: 4-1
	Erica Enders • Elite Performance Camaro A win here. A semifinal there. Next thing you know, she’s creeping up on the points leaders. This whole class will be interesting to watch down the stretch. ODDS: 5-1
	Tanner Gray • Gray Manufacturing Technology Camaro Made a couple of small mistakes lately that have been costly. Still, he’s apt to learn from them. His talent level is off the charts, so he’s going to be a threat all season. ODDS: 7-1
	Greg Anderson • Summit Camaro Two races removed from his Englishtown win he probably shouldn’t be way down here, but a first-round loss will do that. No one wants to win the Summit Nationals more than this guy. ODDS: 8-1
	Jason Line • Summit Camaro He’s struggled lately, and some have suggested that it’s because he’s testing new parts/ideas for the Countdown. That’s fine, but when you haven’t been to the semi’s since Houston, that is a problem. ODDS: 9-1
	Jeg Coughlin Jr. • JEGS.com Camaro Beyond shocking that we’ve had eight different Pro Stock winners this year and this guy isn’t one of them. That can’t/won’t be the case much longer. Tipster guarantee. He wins a race before Indy. ODDS: 10-1
	Alex Laughlin • Gas Monkey Camaro Who are you and where the heck did you come from? That’s pretty much what the whole class’ thought when he showed up in Bristol and left with the Wally. Now, let’s see if lightning can strike twice. ODDS: 12-1
	Chris McGaha • Harlow Sammons Camaro How I spent my summer vacation by Chris McGaha. It’s time to get back to school, so we’ll see just how productive he was during four-race break. Going to figure he’s got no tan lines. ODDS: 14-1
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
	LE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki Right now, this is the best combination of rider/bike in the class. He’s going to win a few of these this year. Bank on it. ODDS: 5-2
	Jerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki Englishtown victory was a perfect way to get championship defense kicked into high gear. It’s also a bonus that the weather conditions are “smudgy,” which apparently is Cajun for “perfect for our tune-up.” ODDS: 3-1
	Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell Two-time Pro Stock champ Jim Yates has made a big difference at the Arana camp. He might not know motorcycles, but he knows a thing or two about winning races and championships. ODDS: 5-1
	Eddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson The new Street Rod bikes are a work in progress. How quickly they get up to speed is anyone’s guess. Probably sooner rather than later, though. ODDS: 6-1
	Hector Arana Sr. • Lucas Oil Buell He won his first national event title at this track in 2008. More recently, his bike has begun to show serious signs of life, including an unofficial 200-mph run. ODDS: 8-1
	Andrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson We all know the new Harley Street Rods will be very quick; it’s just a matter of finding the sweet spot. Does anyone remember three years ago when they built a new bike and won this race? Could that happen again? ODDS: 9-1
	Scotty Pollacheck • Suzuki Extended Protection Suzuki So far, he’s been one of the most pleasant surprises of the still-young season. Now that Clay Millican has won a Top Fuel race, he’s inherited the title of “most overdue.” ODDS: 11-1
	Joey Gladstone • San Marino Excavating Suzuki Cooled off a bit since hot debut in Gainesville, but he’s still got all the potential in the world. Racing for a new team that should only get better as the year goes on. ODDS: 15-1
PRO MOD
	Troy Coughlin • JEGS.com Corvette Think the championship is already won? This guy doesn’t think so, and he’s determined to make it a fight to the finish. Been red-hot at the last two events. ODDS: 3-1
	Shane Molinari • S&T Truck Repair Firebird Almost broke through for his first big Pro Mod win last week in Bristol. Norwalk should present similar conditions and a similar opportunity. We’re betting that next time, he gets the job done. ODDS: 5-1
	Rickie Smith • Vallen Camaro As much as winning races, Rickie loves proving his doubters wrong. To that end, he’s not the least bit over the hill. There are still quite a few win lights left in “Tricky Rickie.” ODDS: 6-1
	Mike Castellana • Al-Anabi Performance Corvette His points lead is still substantial, but it’s not insurmountable. There is much work to be done, and the Manzo-led crew is well aware of that. ODDS: 7-1
	Jonathan Gray • Vallen Camaro It appears that this has turned into a full-time ride, so that means multiple opportunities to score a few wins in what appears to be a tough class. ODDS: 8-1
	Bob Rahaim • TLC Waste Disposal Corvette Making steady progress with his new Corvette. Was solidly in the mix on race day in Bristol. This is also as close to a home race as it gets. ODDS: 10-1strong>
	Steve Matusek • Aeromotive Camaro He lost on a holeshot in Bristol, and that almost never happens. Guessing he’ll have a chip on his shoulder this weekend. ODDS: 12-1
	Steven Whiteley • J&A Service Cadillac Came up short against Rickie Smith at the most recent race but remains a solid top 10 contender. This is also one of the few cars in the class that we’d dare call “consistent.” ODDS: 15-1