2006 Championship Run a Preview for 2007 Countdown
Written by David Lamm · October 25, 2006
So everyone moaned and groaned about the NHRA rule changes to the point system effective for the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. Lo and behold, the NHRA has all four of its professional categories locked in a tight point race this year. Just think of this season’s run for the hardware a preview of things to come in 2007.
NHRA.com: With two events left, 11 drivers still competing for four POWERade titles
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but no one wants to admit they are the ones following a winning formula. The announcement that the NHRA is revamping its point system for next year in order to inject some excitement and drama into the final races was met with huge criticism. Much of that criticism was voiced by traditionalists and purists that are resistant to any change no matter how beneficial it is to a sport. Alas, the NHRA announced a new point system loosely modeled after NEXTEL Cup’s Chase for the Championship. This would ensure that the final races of the season would be meaningful towards the outcome of the championship all the way down to the final race of the season.
In years past, some championships were wrapped up weeks and sometimes months before the final race of the NHRA season, the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. Those years that John Force was dominant, he had already clinched the Funny Car Championship by the completion of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. That race is always run on Labor Day weekend and the season typically ends in the second week in November. Clinching a championship two and a half months prior to the final race is a statement of dominance but also kills fan interest. Unless you are a fan of a particular team, no one likes a blow out. Television executives try to put the best match-ups on prime time television to gain the most viewers. So when the Monday Night Football score is 38-10 going to the fourth quarter, the ratings drop off rapidly because viewers go to bed. Same thought process can be applied to drag racing when a driver has the championship sewed up when the leaves start to change.
This NHRA season is the first season in quite a while where all four professional categories could be determined in Pomona, Calif. The biggest lead any of the drivers have is Jason Line in Pro Stock with a 119 point lead over Greg Anderson. The most points any driver can earn in Las Vegas this weekend is 138 points. (118 points for winning the race while qualified No. 1 and 20 bonus points for setting a national e.t. record.) There are a lot of moving parts based on qualifying positions, rounds advanced and possible bonus points for records but Line could put this one away by Sunday night. The same rationale applies for Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel, John Force in Funny Car and Antron Brown in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Even though the point races are tight right now, realistically two (Line and Kalitta) could be clinched heading to Pomona.
Think of this weekend’s ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a preview of the excitement next year and years to come. As long as the competitors know the rules and how the system works prior to the season starting, there should be no complaints. Until then, root on your favorite driver and rest assured that the final races next year, just like this year, will mean something.
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