Brown taking control in Top Fuel title race
The 2016 Countdown to the Championship reached the halfway point at the Dodge NHRA Nationals in Maple Grove Raceway, and though the race was slowed a bit by weather again today, all four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series classes completed eliminations. When the dust settled, the Top Fuel championship picture got a little clearer with reigning world champion Antron Brown beginning to separate himself from the pack, while the battle in the other classes intensified and the list of contenders grew across Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Sunday’s highlights: After an early exit in St. Louis, Antron Brown reestablished control of the Top Fuel championship chase when he outlasted Brittany Force to win his sixth title of the season and extend his advantage in the points. Tommy Johnson Jr. has been in every Funny Car final in the Countdown to the Championship, but he couldn’t quite seal the deal, until now. Johnson powered to a 3.89 to defeat points leader Ron Capps and earn his first win of the Countdown and second of the season. Vincent Nobile has been one of the strongest cars in Pro Stock since the Western Swing, but he wasn’t able to quite get to the winner’s circle, but he finally broke through and did so at the perfect time. His first win of the season lifted him to third and squarely into championship contention.
After a rough start to the Countdown that included just one roundwin in the first two events, Eddie Krawiec was able to regain his early-season form and win his fourth race of the season. It moved him back up to second in the standings, less than two rounds behind Andrew Hines. Cory Reed continued his steady progress forward, advancing to the first final of his career. Though he came up short against Krawiec, Reed’s run to the final helped his points cause, lifting him to seventh, and his quest to be this year’s Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner.
Before his first-round loss to Steve Torrence, Tony Schumacher had historically been extremely in the stretch run, especially at tracks hosting the final four races in the Countdown. Since the format launched in 2007, Schumacher has earned 19 “final four” wins while all other Countdown contenders combined have captured 13 – five each for Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta, two for J.R. Todd, and one for Richie Crampton.
The eight-time Top Fuel world champion still leads all Top Fuel drivers with five victories at Maple Grove. Each of those Reading triumphs were part of championship seasons (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2014).
Schumacher’s losing pass of 3.700 would have beaten any other driver in round one besides Torrence, but with the loss Schumacher tumbled two spots, from third to fifth.
Steve Torrence had been in the top five in points all season, beginning with his win at the season opener in Pomona, but fell from that lofty perch with his first-round loss last weekend in St. Louis, freefalling from third to sixth. He steadied his standing in Reading by beating Schumacher in round one, their seventh meeting of the season, with Torrence now holding a 40-3 led after a 3.691 to 3.700 victory. Schumacher is still 16-10 alltime versus Torrence and had defeated the Texas driver in all three of their previous Countdown matchups.