NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As was the case at the first Countdown to the Championship race in Charlotte, the names atop the points order did not change following the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, race two of six in the Countdown to the Championship, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a shift in the overall playoff picture. Early exits by top points players, particularly in Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and get-well weekends by others who slipped in Charlotte tightened up the points battles in the classes and allowed more drivers to move up and into championship consideration.

Here’s a class-by-class look at the changes:

TOP FUEL

Driver

Antron Brown

Doug Kalitta

Steve Torrence

Brittany Force

Tony Schumacher

J.R. Todd

Shawn Langdon

Leah Pritchett

Clay Millican

Richie Crampton

Winners: The two finalists, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher (pictured), took full advantage of the early exits by those ahead of them in the points, making the biggest points moves and leaving the event ranked in the top four in points. Richie Crampton also came to life at the event, moving up two positions to eighth, but with how far down he is in the standings, is it too little too late?

Losers: The biggest hit in points came to Steve Torrence, who fell three spots, from third to sixth, after losing to Pat Dakin in the first round, but he wasn’t alone in falling down the rankings. Brittany Force, J.R. Todd, Leah Pritchett, and Clay Millican also lost positions.

Breaking even: The top two, Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta, in the points saw their advantage over the rest of the field when they lost in the first and second rounds, respectively, but they were able to maintain the No. 1 and 2 positions heading into Reading.

Key stat: Langdon, who was responsible for the points shake-up when he bested Brown and Kalitta early, kept his final-round record perfect for 2016. Two of those wins have come against Schumacher.

FUNNY CAR

Driver

Ron Capps

Del Worsham

John Force

Tommy Johnson Jr.

Matt Hagan

Courtney Force

Robert Hight

Jack Beckman

Tim Wilkerson

Alexis DeJoria

Winners: Not surprising, the big winners were the two finalists, Jack Beckman (pictured) and Tommy Johnson Jr., who moved up five and two spots, respectively. Johnson, who started the Countdown sixth now ranks second, and Beckman is up to third after tumbling from fifth to eighth in Charlotte.

Losers: The biggest drop was reigning world champion Del Worsham, who slipped from second to fifth after a first-round loss to John Force. Both members of the Force family, John and Courtney, and Matt Hagan were also among those who lost positions.

Breaking even: Ron Capps’ steady performance that once again landed him in the semi’s kept him atop the order. Robert Hight, Tim Wilkerson, and Alexis DeJoria also held steady and left the race ranked in the same position in which they entered it.

Key stat: In Charlotte, John Force took a step toward fixing his lopsided record with Capps this season when he beat him in the semi’s. Jack Beckman did the same this time out, beating Capps for just the third time in eight meetings in 2016.

PRO STOCK

Driver

Jason Line

Greg Anderson

Vincent Nobile

Bo Butner

Allen Johnson

Chris McGaha

Shane Gray

Drew Skillman

Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Erica Enders

Winners: After slipping one spot in Charlotte, a runner-up finish moved Bo Butner (pictured) back up behind his KB Racing teammates, into third. Shane Gray also made a move up thanks to his semifinal showing and is now in the top five.

Losers: Vincent Nobile and Allen Johnson slipped one and two spots, respectively, after early exits. Nobile lost in round two and Johnson in the first round.

Breaking even: Jason Line and Greg Anderson may have been shut out of the final, but they were able to maintain the top two spots in points. Indy winner Chris McGaha, Drew Skillman, Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Erica Enders also left the race in the same points positions.

Key stat: Non-Countdown runner Alex Laughlin has six round-wins in the two Countdown races, tying points leader Line for most in the class.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Rider

Andrew Hines

Chip Ellis

Angelle Sampey

Eddie Krawiec

LE Tonglet

Jerry Savoie

Hector Arana Jr.

Hector Arana Sr.

Matt Smith

Cory Reed

Winners: Finalists Jerry Savoie (pictured) and Angelle Sampey were able to move up the standings, and they left St. Louis ranked in the top four in the standings. Sampey’s teammate, Cory Reed, also moved up thanks to a semifinal finish.

Losers: Though he again went rounds, Chip Ellis’ semifinal finish wasn’t enough to keep him second in points; he slipped to third. Eddie Krawiec, LE Tonglet, and Matt Smith also lost one spot apiece.

Breaking even: His advantage may be very small, but Andrew Hines is still the points leader. Hector Arana Sr. and Hector Arana Jr. also remained in their incoming positions.

Key stat: Hines’ advantage in the standings is just two points over Sampey, the smallest lead in any of the categories.

AWARDS

Best race: Jack Beckman vs. John Force, Funny Car round two
There were three races in the second round of Funny Car decided by less than a tenth, but none were closer than the one between former champs Beckman, far lane, and Force, which was decided by .001-second. Beckman left the starting line first, .062 to .080, and he turned the advantage into a 3.97 to 3.96 holeshot win.

Marquee match: Shawn Langdon vs. Antron Brown
After a strong showing en route to victory in Charlotte, Brown’s team stumbled a bit in qualifying here, but with the caliber of team behind him and his record in St. Louis, where he won the last four years, no one was discounting Brown entering this high-powered match with his teammate. There were also big points implications on the line because if Langdon (and frankly most of the others in the top 10) wanted to stay in contention, beating Brown early was a must. Langdon and his team stepped up and got the much-needed win in a thrilling 3.77 to 3.77 race.

Driver of the race: Alex Laughlin
After three lights that were over .100 en route to a semifinal finish in Charlotte, Laughlin’s team made some adjustments to the clutch linkage, and the impact was immediate. Laughlin had lights all below .100, and he steadily got better as eliminations went on, capped by a .009 in the final.