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 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

TOP FUEL Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Pro Mod
	Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors Losing the Reading final certainly hurt, but looking at the bigger picture, he’s still in the driver’s seat as far as the championship goes. ODDS: 3-1
	Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools With four races left, he’s 22 points out of first place. In other words, the Kalitta team’s fate is in their own hands. This isn’t a make-or-break event, but a semifinal or better finish would be very welcomed. ODDS: 4-1
	Brittany Force • Monster Energy Talk about clutch; the Reading win was exactly what this team needed to jump back into championship contention. Two months ago, if you’d have told them they’d be 23 points out of first, they’d be thrilled. ODDS: 5-1
	Antron Brown • Matco Tools There are still seven teams that can legitimately claim to be championship contenders in Top Fuel, and this is certainly one of them. In fact, he may be the favorite based on past experience. ODDS: 7-1
	Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army No team is better equipped to handle the pressures of a points battle, but we’ve reached the stage where the Army team can’t afford to give up more ground. Expect a major offensive this weekend. ODDS: 9-1
	Leah Pritchett • Papa John’s Pizza With two early losses to start the Countdown, there is no more wiggle room as far as the championship goes. Anything less than a final round here would be a devastating blow to championship aspirations. ODDS: 10-1
	Clay Millican • Parts Plus/Great Clips Don’t sleep on the Parts Plus crew as they are very much in the title hunt. Oh, and for what it’s worth, this is technically Millican’s “home event” or at least the closest to home. ODDS: 12-1
	Richie Crampton • SealMaster Didn’t take long for the SealMaster team to bond with their new driver. While others are battling for a championship, he’s hoping to block for his teammates and audition for 2018. ODDS: 15-1
FUNNY CAR
	Robert Hight • Auto Club Chevy Is this the best performing car in the class? Almost certainly, but 339-mph speeds don’t guarantee a title. They need to continue to win rounds on race day. ODDS: 3-1
	Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge Although he already was winning those races, you're living large when two opponents also have parachutes deploy prematurely. The way the NAPA car usually runs, they don’t need the extra luck. ODDS: 4-1
	Courtney Force • Advance Auto Parts Chevy The performance has always been there, and now the round-wins are starting to follow. Had she won the Reading final, she’d be the leader by one point. ODDS: 5-1
	Matt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane Dodge This team has had the craziest luck lately yet they are still very much in the hunt for the title. One good race could fix everything. Oh, and he’s been a runner-up here three of the last five years. ODDS: 6-1
	Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge Made a nice rebound from early Charlotte loss with a semifinal in Reading, but still 100 points out. Would be very beneficial to cut that deficit by a round or two this weekend. ODDS: 8-1
	Alexis DeJoria • Tequila Patron Toyota Probably the most dangerous car that’s not in the Countdown, regardless of class. She has the ability to crush almost anyone’s title hopes. ODDS: 10-1
	J.R. Todd • DHL Toyota Is it possible to clean up a 138-point deficit with four races left? Right now, no one is happier about Pomona being a points-and-a-half race than this crew. ODDS: 12-1
	Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge He was a runner-up here last year to teammate Beckman. A rematch of that final round would be very much welcomed by both drivers. Also a finalist here in 2001. ODDS: 14-1
PRO STOCK
	Bo Butner • Jim Butner Auto Camaro We’re not sure the 2016 version of “Bob Utner” could have pulled off the Reading win. That shows you just how far he’s come as a driver this season. ODDS: 5-2
	Tanner Gray • Gray Manufacturing Technology Camaro When he won Charlotte, it looked like lights out for the Pro Stock class. Now, he’s got to battle his way back to the front. Going to be interesting to see how the teen phenom responds to the pressure. ODDS: 4-1
	Greg Anderson • Summit Racing Camaro Yes, he is a four-time world champion, but it’s worth noting that his last title came in 2010. That should provide all the motivation and then some for another strong championship run. ODDS: 5-1
	Jason Line • Summit Racing Camaro Back-to-back semifinals are great, but they don’t mean much in the standings when the drivers above you are going to the final. This would be perfect time to even his career final-round record at 47-47. ODDS: 7-1
	Drew Skillman • Skillman Auto Group Camaro Quarterfinal loss in Reading was brutal, but the damage could have been worse. Won this race two years ago, and another victory would be extremely timely. ODDS: 9-1
	Allen Johnson • Marathon Petroleum Dart As his Pro Stock driving career begins to wind down, it would be nice to think he’s got enough left in the tank for one more Wally celebration. ODDS: 11-1
	Erica Enders • Melling Camaro With 163 points to make up, a third championship is a longshot. Then again, a few holeshot wins here or there, a few lucky breaks, and the Elite crew might be able to get back in the battle. ODDS: 13-1
	Alex Laughlin • Gas Monkey Camaro Defending event champ has looked solid at the few Pro Stock events he’s attended this season. ODDS: 15-1
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
	Eddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson With three straight wins, it isn’t an exaggeration to suggest that he’s on the best run of his career right now. A win here would be enormous in the points battle. ODDS: 5-2
	LE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki He’s been off a tick at the last couple of races yet still continues to pile up the points and round-wins. That being said, he really needs to go further than Krawiec this week. ODDS: 4-1
	Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell He’s got a lot going for him this week, including a great motorcycle and a past win in St. Louis. In fact, his most recent win came here in an all-Arana final in 2015. ODDS: 5-1
	Jerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki He’s won this race in two of the last three years, and he could really use another victory to jump back into the points battle. It’s not too late for another title run. ODDS: 7-1
	Andrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Believe it or not, he can still win a sixth championship, but in order to do so, it’s almost mandatory that he wins this race. Must cut into Krawiec’s lead by at least 20 to 30 points. ODDS: 7-1
	Matt Smith • Polaris Victory Magnum Same old story here; when his bike is reliable, it’s one of the best in the class. Right now, it isn’t, and that’s making it tough to string together a few round-wins. ODDS: 9-1
	Scotty Pollacheck • Suzuki Extended Protection Suzuki Let’s face it, the Reading event was his to win, and it ended with a disappointing holeshot loss. If he can bring the same level of performance to St. Louis, don’t expect him to make the same mistake twice. ODDS: 11-1
	Karen Stoffer • Big St. Charles/Skillman Auto Suzuki Turned in a strong qualifying effort in Reading, and quite frankly, she’s got the same power as Pollacheck. Would not be an upset to see her in the final. ODDS: 14-1
PRO MOD
	Mike Castellana • AAP Camaro There was a time that he looked like a lock to win the championship. Now, he’s locked in a tough battle. That being said, he’s well-armed with his Frank Manzo-tuned entry. ODDS: 3-1
	Troy Coughlin • JEGS.com Corvette Late season points battle; he’s been here many times before and usually finds a way to get the job done when he needs it the most. ODDS: 5-1
	Jonathan Gray • Vallen Camaro How about the driving job he did in Charlotte? Driving a Pro Mod car is difficult, driving one and cutting nearly perfect lights is infinitely more challenging, but he seems to have it down pat. ODDS: 7-1
	Steve Jackson • Bahrain1 Camaro So far this year, “Stevie Fast” has been exactly as advertised: bold, brash, outspoken, and also extremely competitive. He won’t win the championship this year but might well have a say in who does. ODDS: 9-1
	Rickie Smith • Vallen Camaro How many other guys can sit out four races and still finish in the top 10? Answer: almost nobody, but then again, Rickie isn’t your average Pro Mod racer. ODDS: 11-1
	Shane Molinari • S&T Truck Repair Firebird Despite the recent rules adjustment, this is still a car that can qualify on the pole and stroll right through race-day eliminations. ODDS: 12-1
	Danny Rowe • Agave Underground Corvette He’s been a bit quiet lately, but he’s returning to the site of his first Pro Mod victory. That could provide a needed spark for a late-season rally. ODDS: 14-1
	Sidnei Frigo • Artivinco Corvette Indy winner is almost guaranteed to qualify, and with 32 cars competing for just 16 spots, that’s a big, big deal. Now let’s see if he can string together four round-wins on race day. ODDS: 16-1