NHRA RELEASE: Intense Points Races Take Center Stage Over Final 6 Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Michael Padian, (626) 250-2217

 


POWERADE SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE UP FOR GRABS DOWN SEASON'S HOME
STRETCH


INTENSE POINTS RACES IN ALL FOUR CLASSES HAVE SET THE TABLE FOR A


WILD, WINNER-TAKES-ALL CHASE TO THE FINISH LINE  


GLENDORA, Calif. - Take the parity of the NFL and the Wild Card races in
Major League Baseball, throw them into a hat and what you'd be left with
is as competitive an NHRA season as has been experienced in some time,
maybe ever.

The $50 million NHRA POWERade Series in 2005 has been a Wild West
shootout with multiple lead changes and points races closer than the
blink-of-an-eye finishes that are routine in the sport. And with the
season winding down now to the final six of 23 events, the table has
been set for a thrilling musical chairs-like race for the POWERade
Series world championships.

"Nobody can break away and get the clean air and get away from
everybody," said Gary Scelzi, currently in third place in the
tightly-packed Funny Car standings where just 71 points separate first
from fifth place. "It could still happen, but right now one through four
is right there, and even fifth place is right there. With six races
left, the whole idea is if somebody jumps up with three in a row, now
we're the ones chasing the rabbit ... There's no dominating anywhere."

Why all the competitive points races? Well, with teams expanding and
dollars pouring in from all corners, the playing field in a sport once
almost completely dominated by a select few of the haves has become
incredibly deep and competitive.

Look no further than John Force, the icon of NHRA drag racing, for a
perfect case in point. With the backing of Ford and Castrol, he has
built one of the most successful teams in the sport, but what's good for
the team isn't always good for the individual. 

The winner of an NHRA record 118 races and 13 POWERade Series world
championships isn't just worrying about the "guys over there" anymore,
he's also lining up against two of his own - Robert Hight and Eric
Medlen - two guys with access to all of the intelligence that has made
Force the winningest driver in the history of the sport.

So here is Force, even with more wins this season (4) than any other
Funny Car driver, in the unusual position of looking up in the POWERade
Series standings at his own son-in-law, Hight, who is the runaway
favorite for the Auto Club Road to the Future Award. Medlen, meanwhile,
has emerged in the second half of the season as the hottest driver in
the class with a stretch of three wins in four races that included a
victory over the boss in the finals of the Lucas Oil Nationals in
Brainerd. 

Perhaps nothing illustrates the crazy rollercoaster ride this 2005
season has been more than the week-by-week standings where there have
been a total of 24 lead changes and 16 drivers - including three
different riders in the last three events in Pro Stock Motorcycle -
who've been in first place of their respective class for at least one
week: 

 

u TO FOLLOW IS A BREAKDOWN BY CLASS: 

Top Fuel (through 17 of 23 events): Lead changes: 4; Points leaders: 3
(Scott Kalitta, Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta); Current Standings: Doug
Kalitta 1,280, Tony Schumacher 1,276, Larry Dixon 1,181, Dave Grubnic
1,057, Brandon Bernstein 1,041.

Funny Car (through 17 of 23 events): Lead changes: 6; Points leaders: 5
(Tommy Johnson, Phil Burkart, Whit Bazemore, John Force, Robert Hight);
Current Standings: Robert Hight 1,134, Ron Capps 1,104, Gary Scelzi
1,099, John Force 1,087, Eric Medlen 1,063

Pro Stock (through 17 of 23 events): Lead changes: 10; Points leaders: 4
(Dave Connolly, Allen Johnson, Warren Johnson, Greg Anderson); Current
Standings: Greg Anderson 1,340, Warren Johnson 1,267, Kurt Johnson
1,208.

Pro Stock Motorcycle (through 11 of 15 events): Lead changes: 4; Points
leaders: 4 (Andrew Hines, Steve Johnson, GT Tonglet, Antron Brown);
Current Standings: Andrew Hines 850, GT Tonglet 835, Antron Brown 746.

 

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