Brainerd reaffirmed its status as one of the fastest growing places in the vast geography NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Lucas Oil Nationals turned out to be a very busy, very unpredictable and rich in unexpected turns in duels, the outcome of which, it would seem, was clearly preordained even before the start. And while the pilots from top of the standings can afford to relax before the upcoming Countdown To The Championship, outsiders desperately fighting for a place in the top ten, to continue to fight for the highest regalia.
Top Fuel
Brittany Force this year started very confidently, though subsequently significantly slowed down mainly due to retirements through the fault of technology. In the past weekend racer once again demonstrated the highest level of performance, sending home the championship leaders in the face of Arc Kalitty and Antron Brown, who in the decisive battle did not have enough grip with the surface of the strip. At the same time the daughter of the most titled pilot association she crossed the finish line with a blazing engine.
One of the main intrigue was played at the beginning of the races Shootout. For the tenth place, guaranteeing access to the playoff series, clashed Terry McMillen and Leah Pritchett. McMillen's victory in the first round allowed him to catch up on points with the young the pilots, which is currently in favor of Don Schumacher Racing. However, in the next race to help teammate came eightfold champion Tony Schumacher and Terry knocked out of the competition without any problems. So now McMillen and Pritchett share the tenth line of personal credit, and at the final stage of the regular season, which starts on the last day of the summer, we know, for someone of the riders this season is over.
The principle feature of this Event is that the number of equal confrontation in nitromethane classes can be counted on one hand: as a rule, one of the participants arrival, flew out of the race or because of problems with the hook, either due to the failure of the power plant, which is sometimes accompanied by colorful fireworks. Anyway, after the last two phases of the situation in the top is not a bit changed: Brown first, second Kalitta and Torrens, despite the early descent, holds the third position. As for the publication of Countdown To The Championship, that nine out of ten applicants may have to exhale with relief, the only question is which of the two parties to keep them company: Pritchett or McMillen.
Funny Car
The situation in the end of the regular season much like last year, when Del Vorshem suddenly appeared on the scene and literally snatched the league title from Jack Beckman hand in the victory which at that time almost no one doubted. This year is also the reigning champion for a long time to sit in the shade of the leaders, and then marked a national record, several appearances in the finals, and eventually defeated the new owner of the best pure time pass a thousand feet Matt Haganah. In the decisive battle Hagan as well as his teammate Antron Brown could not sensibly implement a gigantic torque of the motor and said goodbye to hopes of a podium in the clubs of blue smoke in the middle distance.
By the way, twenty-four hours earlier just as victory slipped away from the Vorshema, which at the time was the owner of record and fought for victory on stage in Seattle, which ended due to rain was moved to Brainerd. With all these successes Affairs immediately moved up to third place in the standings, and comes on the heels Courtney Force, feels not so impressively in the second place because of a succession of unsuccessful performances. But Ron Capps has been this season is much more stable than all of his opponents, and definitely will in the Countdown To The Championship in first place of personal credit.
By analogy with the «big» class nitromethane, nine riders have already booked their place in the play-off series, which starts immediately after the biggest Event in calendar U.S. Nationals Association. It is unclear at this point one: whether Alexis DeZhoria after a serious injury at the end of July, go to the start in Indianapolis, because otherwise in Chad Heda a chance to knock out the pilots out of the competition.
Pro Stock
Intrigue be! Positions unconditionally dominated the first half of the championship KB Racing, will not look so immutable. For the second time in a row the pilots of the team, thanks to the remarkable breakthrough Vincent Nobila remained without a first place in qualifying. And he is in the second round sent home four times champion Greg Anderson. However, the most important discovery was the Event suddenly shot Drew Skillman, recently replaced the team.
Winner of the «Rookie of the Year 2015» award was on the way to the final Nobila Vincent, and in the decisive battle, met with Jason Lyne, for whom this was the twelfth in the final season, though he Skillman for the first year had the honor to compete for the trophy. What is striking is that the two-time champion Drew ahead at the start, and flushing all the money, and could not cross the finish line first. For the first time in the current Championship someone managed to beat Leon by pure time, provided that it has not brought equipment. Due to this success Skillman booked their place in the Countdown To The Championship, and vacancies are only four left.
One thing is clear: the overwhelming superiority of Anderson and Leon successfully brought to an end. And after the conversion points at the end of the regular season, everything can happen, anything. So, we will witness a truly spectacular end of the national championship, where each event can be decisive.
Failure Event: One of the leaders of the championship, Steve Torrence in the first round of races Shootout MakMillenu lost Terry, who is struggling to break into the top 10. Recall that during the season Torrens twice been on the podium, he staked the national record of clean time, and only because of the lack of a hook gave way to the trophy at the previous event Antron Brown.
Pilot Event: Drew Skillman continued to revolutionize the classroom Pro Stock, started a few steps before. And he did it so confidently, that about any luck speech just can not be. Skillman was damn fast this weekend.
Check Event: In the semifinals, Erica Enders Stephens once again proved that the tree she simply has no equal. She got one of the most difficult opponents — Jason Line. The current champion has broken from the start with the reaction of 0.005 seconds, but the pilot blue Chevrolet Camaro once again demonstrated that in all that relates to the technical component of cars to compete with its units can command. As a result, Line brought Eric to finish one-thousandth of a second. However, winning more and more difficult given the championship leader, while the other mechanics of «stables» wasting their time.
