Robert Hight’s dramatic come-from-behind quest to make the Countdown to 1 playoffs is complete after he defeated boss John Force in the semifinals at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil to move around Cruz Pedregon for the final spot in the Funny Car field. Earlier in the day, Michael Phillips, Shawn Gann, and Karen Stoffer secured the final Pro Stock Motorcycle spots to set all fields. In addition, Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin clinched the No. 1 spots in Funny Car and Pro Stock.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field was set in the opening round when Stoffer won and Steve Johnson and Junior Pippin lost. Pedregon and Coughlin each earned the top spot and the 20-point bonus that comes with it when they turned on the win light in the first round.

These clinches followed a packed day Sunday when the Top Fuel and Pro Stock fields were set and Mike Neff secured a spot in Funny Car. The Top Fuel and Pro Stock fields were set when Joe Hartley and Warren Johnson each failed to qualify in their classes. Hartley entered the event in 11th, three points behind Clay Millican, so when he missed the show, that locked Millican in. Doug Kalitta had already punched his tickets to the playoffs when he qualified for the program. In Pro Stock, Johnson’s DNQ allowed Johnny Gray, who was nine points behind “the Professor” entering the event, to move around him. Rickie Jones entered the event ninth but still within reach of Johnson and Gray, so Johnson’s troubles locked him in as well. Funny Car racer Neff locked in his spot when he made the field.

Jeg Coughlin became the first to clinch his playoff spot in Norwalk, and three more drivers — Mike Edwards, Antron Brown, and Eddie Krawiec — joined him after the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. Pro Stock racer Jason Line and Top Fuel racers Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon clinched their berths at the NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Ron Capps became the first Funny Car driver to clinch a spot in the Countdown to 1 at the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, where he was joined by fellow flopper pilots Tony Pedregon and Ashley Force Hood. Top Fuel racer Brandon Bernstein, Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson and Allen Johnson, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Andrew Hines also clinched spots by qualifying at that event. Nine more competitors — Top Fuel racers Cory McClenathan, Morgan Lucas, Spencer Massey, and Shawn Langdon; Funny Car racer Jack Beckman; and Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Matt Smith, Doug Horne, Craig Treble, and Hector Arana — secured their playoffs spots in Brainerd. At the last event, in Reading, seven drivers clinched Countdown to 1 berths: Funny Car racers John Force, Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III, and Del Worsham; Pro Stock competitors Greg Stanfield and Ron Krisher; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Matt Guidera. Also in Reading, Brown and Krawiec secured the top spot, and 20 bonus points that come with it, in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, respectively.

Only the top 10 points earners in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes will take part in the playoffs, which begin after the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil.

Playoff spots clinched (top 10 positions open in each class):

Top Fuel
1. Antron Brown
2. Larry Dixon
3. Tony Schumacher
4. Brandon Bernstein
5. Cory McClenathan
6. Spencer Massey
7. Morgan Lucas
8. Shawn Langdon
9. Doug Kalitta
10. Clay Millican

Funny Car
1. Tony Pedregon
2. Ron Capps
3. Ashley Force Hood
4. Bob Tasca III
5. Jack Beckman
6. Tim Wilkerson
7. John Force
8. Del Worsham
9. Mike Neff
10. Robert Hight

Pro Stock
1. Jeg Coughlin
2. Jason Line
3. Mike Edwards
4. Greg Anderson
5. Allen Johnson
6. Greg Stanfield
7. Ron Krisher
8. Kurt Johnson
9. Rickie Jones
10. Johnny Gray

Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Eddie Krawiec
2. Andrew Hines
3. Hector Arana
4. Matt Smith
5. Doug Horne
6. Craig Treble
7. Michael Phillips
8. Matt Guidera
9. Shawn Gann
10. Karen Stoffer