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 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.

TOP FUEL Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle
	Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors So, we’ve got the hottest driver in the class heading to one of his favorite racetracks. This could be a very long weekend for the rest of the Top Fuel field. ODDS: Even
	Antron Brown • Matco Tools He was a runner-up here last year and also won on the mountain in 2009 and 2012. The Matco team has also swept the Swing, and we all know you can’t win all three without winning the first. ODDS: 3-1
	Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army A bit of a hunch here because he’s had such a rough summer, but if anything can cure a slump, it’s a trip to Bandimere Speedway. Got three wins here, including in 2016. ODDS: 4-1
	Leah Pritchett • Papa John’s Pizza A bit hard to figure this team out right now. Some weeks, they look unstoppable. Others, not so much, but the potential is always there for a rout. ODDS: 6-1
	Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools Show of hands: anyone out there who doesn’t think the Kalitta crew is gearing up for a big second half? It could easily start this weekend with this team. ODDS: 7-1
	Brittany Force • Monster Energy She’s qualified no worse than No. 5 in the last six races, which generally means a favorable draw on Sunday. In fact, no reason to think she can’t start from the No. 1 spot and run the table. ODDS: 9-1
	Clay Millican • Parts Plus/Great Clips Debuting a special edition Shark Week car at this event, which means a second win would be a dream come true for the sport’s headline writers. ODDS: 11-1
	Shawn Langdon • Global Electronic Technology Is there anyone out there who still thinks he won’t make the Countdown? It might be a close call, but based on recent results, he is going to race for the championship. ODDS: 14-1
FUNNY CAR
	Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge His only Denver win came in 2009, but that isn’t a concern. He’s in the midst of a career year, and there is absolutely no reason to think he can’t win here. ODDS: 3-1
	John Force • Peak Chevy Over the years, the 16-time champ has practically owned this track, including three finals in the last three years. ODDS: 4-1
	Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge Hard to believe it’s been two years since this car started the whole laid-back header craze. A lot has changed, but he’s still capable of winning and dominating. ODDS: 4-1
	Matt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane Dodge For all of his success elsewhere, still looking for a win on the mountain. If the No. 2 ranked Funny Car driver has any hopes of catching Capps, he’s going to need wins and soon. ODDS: 6-1
	Robert Hight • Auto Club Chevy Big mystery to think that this team is winless so far in 2017. There is absolutely no reason for it except for maybe luck. He’s a monster in qualifying. ODDS: 7-1
	Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge The Make-A-Wish team has been to the semifinals or better in four of the last five races, which means they’re peaking at the right time. That sort of consistency bodes well for the three-race Western Swing. ODDS: 9-1
	Courtney Force • Advance Auto Parts Chevy She’d probably be a huge favorite to win the Traxxas fan vote but would also prefer to get in the old-fashioned way: with a regular season victory. ODDS: 11-1
	Cruz Pedregon • Snap-On Tools Toyota Historically, he’s done some amazing things up here, including multiple track records and a pair of wins in 1993 and 2013. ODDS: 14-1
PRO STOCK
	Allen Johnson • Marathon Petroleum Dart It’s Denver, and he’s Allen Johnson. This is the easiest pick of the bunch. ODDS: 3-1
	Bo Butner • Butner Auto Camaro Reportedly debuting a new car this weekend. That shouldn’t affect his ability to contend for another title. ODDS: 4-1
	Greg Anderson • Summit Camaro Before Allen Johnson went on his epic Denver tear, this guy had a pretty good record racing in thin air. The Pro Stock class is totally unpredictable, but he’s generally a safe bet. ODDS: 5-1
	Erica Enders • Melling Camaro Qualifying in the bottom half of the field is a bit of a concern at the last two races, but that didn’t stop her from making the Chicago final. ODDS: 7-1
	Drew Skillman • Skillman Auto Group Camaro In Chicago, he reminded everyone just how good he can be with a convincing win. Now, let’s see where momentum takes him. ODDS: 9-1
	Jason Line • Summit Camaro Back-to-back semi’s provides some optimism for the Western Swing. If he’s really been testing, it is almost time to find a workable combination and go with it for a bit. ODDS: 11-1
	Tanner Gray • Gray Manufacturing Technologies Camaro Might have a bit of an adjustment in his first trip to Denver (as a Pro driver), but overall he’s having a year that most rookies would dream of having. ODDS: 12-1
	Jeg Coughlin Jr. • JEGS.com Camaro His impressive résumé includes four Denver finals and a pair of wins, so he knows how to race in thin air. Once again, all he needs is luck to become 10th Pro Stock winner of the season. ODDS: 14-1
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
	Matt Smith • Polaris Victory Magnum He’s had a nice long drive to think about a first-round red-light in Chicago. Safe bet he won’t make the same mistake twice. ODDS: 3-1
	Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell There’s a lot to like about this pick. He’s been really quick at the last few races and generally has a great Denver tune-up. Expect nothing less than a final-round finish. ODDS: 4-1
	LE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki If this were a sea-level race, he’d be at the top of the chart. Then again, he’s been running so well lately the venue might not matter. ODDS: 5-1
	Jerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki Quite frankly, he has never had much success at this track, but then again, he’s never been here as the reigning Mello Yello champion. An all-WAR final isn’t out of the question. ODDS: 7-1
	Eddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson No real mystery here. When they figure out their new bikes, they’ll start winning races again. The only question is when. ODDS: 9-1
	Andrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson He’s won here four times in the last decade, so it qualifies as one of his best tracks, but the new Street Rod bike is still a big question mark. ODDS: 10-1
	Scotty Pollacheck • Suzuki Extended Protection Suzuki The good news: he can be counted on to make the semi’s in more than half of his starts, but the downside is that he’s not been to a final yet. Looking for just one small break. ODDS: 12-1
	Karen Stoffer • Big St. Charles Suzuki Made big gains in Chicago with a return to the 6.8s. If that performance carries over to the high altitude in Denver, she’ll be a handful. ODDS: 15-1