NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER

Reigning champ Shawn Cowie is the current leader in Top Alcohol Dragster, and it’s going to take quite a bit of work to unseat him. Cowie’s title defense has been more than respectable as he’s appeared in six final rounds and won four times in his supercharged Mundie's Towing entry.

Cowie currently has 659 points, and he can improve his score at the final two national events in Las Vegas and Pomona with a possible total of 734.

At this point, the only drivers mathematically capable of catching Cowie are Joey Severance, Anthony Troyer, and John Bradford.  Severance can claim the final three events of the season, and should he win out, he can also get to 734 points.

Bradford would need to win all three events in order to achieve a max score of 679 points, while Troyer can only tie Cowie’s current total of 659.

TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR

Barring a miraculous finish to the season, Sean Bellemeur and the Bartone Bros. team will once again be crowned Top Alcohol Funny Car champions. Bellemeur has a robust score of 765 points following a seven-win season, and it’s not out of the question that he could achieve a rare perfect 10-win season and get to 850.

At this point, the only other driver who can catch Bellemeur is Brian Hough, who currently sits at 681 points. Hough can improve his score at the final two national and one regional event remaining, and should he do so, he can get to 797 points. Should Bellemeur reach the final round of the upcoming Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection in Las Vegas, he will clinch his fifth world title.

COMP

Division 6 ace Jeff Lane is in the driver’s seat for his first Comp eliminator championship, but there are seven other drivers that are still in the running for the title. Lane has been nearly flawless this season with six victories, and he still has the ability to boost his score from a current total of 603 to 710.

Joe Carnasciale, Jeff Taylor, Chase Williams, Glen Treadwell, Monty Bogan, Greg Kamplain, and Steve Szupka are in the running with former champ Taylor having perhaps the best shot to take over the top spot. Taylor can earn points at all three remaining races as he looks to improve on his current 578-point score.

Kamplain and Szupka have each raced in just two national events, so they can claim a full score at any event they attend. At this point, it’s not clear if Szupka, of Division 1, or Kamplain, a Division 3 racer, will head west for the Las Vegas events.

SUPER STOCK

A total of eight drivers remain in the hunt for the Super Stock title, including current champ and points leader Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. While he’s done earning points, Hidalgo has set a high benchmark with 689 points, giving him a sizable advantage over the rest of the field.

Every driver who is chasing Hidalgo, including past champs Justin Lamb, Kevin Helms, Brad Burton, and Pete D’Agnolo, along with Evan Kowalski, Tyler Caheely, and Brett Speer, each have the ability to crest the 700-point threshold. It's worth noting that only once has a driver scored 700 points and not won a title, and that happened last year in Stock when Hidalgo scored 711 points and finished second to Joe Sorensen's 712.

Helms might be the biggest threat to Hidalgo as he can claim points at both a national and a divisional event and can achieve a max score of 743 markers. Lamb is also someone to watch as he needs to make up 52 points but has two shots to do it, and as a resident of Henderson, Nev., he’s playing a home game at both Las Vegas events.

STOCK

This is where it gets complex as there are 10 drivers currently in the running for the Stock title, including leader Jeff Strickland, who is coming off a win last weekend in Rockingham, N.C., and has a solid 655-point score.

Strickland, who already has a pair of titles in Stock and Top Dragster, is being chased by Russ “Bubba” Linke, Jeff Longhany, Jerry Emmons, Kyle Rizzoli, Parker Theobald, Tim Fletcher, Will Emmons, Logan Wernet, Jody Lang, and Houston Raikes.

Linke has two shots to improve his 633-point score and can get to 709 points. Former champ Rizzoli is also worth watching as he’s only attended three national and five divisional events and can improve his current 486 score to a maximum of 690 points.

UPDATE (10/24/2025): Linke has taken the lead during the delayed final rounds of the Division 1 Lucas Oil Series event from Richmond that is being completed at the Dutch Classic event in Reading. He has passed Strickland and has eliminated all but three of the remaining title contenders.

SUPER COMP

In addition to being a top-notch big-money bracket racer, Kris Whitfield has had a dominant season in Super Comp and currently sits atop the standings at 623 points with one national event left in which to earn points. Whitfield can reach a max score of 775 points, which would rank among the highest in the history of Sportsman racing.

Chad Webber, Jeff Cheney, Chris Childress, Cooper Chun, David Long, and Thomas Marlow are also in the mix. Webber can get to 742 points, while Cheney can reach 720 and Childress can get to 710.

Long and Marlow are in an interesting spot as they’ve each attended just two national events and will earn full points in their next appearance.

SUPER GAS

The odds of the Super Gas title being settled on the final day of the season in Pomona are pretty good as there are 14 drivers still in the running, including JJ Brock, the current leader. Brock has set the bar at 638 points, but he’s out of races, so at best, he can become a blocker.

Phil Unruh is just 38 points back and has races left to claim with a maximum of 699 points should he win out. Evan Kowalski, Bo Butner, and defending champ Val Torres are also capable of reaching 700 points. Other drivers in the mix include Trevor Larson, Mike Boehner, Ken Mostowich, Larry Scarth, Brad Pierce, Rodger Sauder, Paul Richardson, Vernon Rowland, and Jerron Settles.

RIGHT TRAILERS TOP SPORTSMAN

Darian Boesch is in line for a second championship in Right Trailers Top Sportsman, but it is far from a certainty. Boesch has a total of 568 points, but he’s out of races, so he must hold off the charge of four rivals.

Those chasing Boesch include David Cook, Jeff Brooks, Dan Lafferty, and Bradley Johnson. Cook is just 13 points back and can add points at both a national and divisional event. Brooks sits 31 points back and can earn points at one more divisional race with the hopes of improving to 612.

Lafferty and Johnson have each attended just two national events, giving them a chance to take full points at the final event of the season in Pomona.

RIGHT TRAILERS TOP DRAGSTER

The battle for the Right Trailers Top Dragster class is also wide open with a dozen potential candidates, including current leader Darian Boesch. Also the leader in Top Sportsman, Boesch has 568 points, but he’s out of races to claim, which makes him vulnerable.

Those in pursuit of Boesch include Jessica Eastburn, Blake Peavler, Casey Plazier, Dylan Hough, Chad Taylor, Clint Riley, Kelsea Hinkle, Andy Spiegel, Jenna Michaud, Ty Gaynor, and Devin Isenhower.

Eastburn needs to make up just three points to take the lead and has a pair of national events to do so. No other driver currently has more than 480 points, although most have multiple events to better their score.