The latest update as of October 23, 2024
UPDATES to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car points standings
Last weekend's event at Firebird Motorsports Park was not completed, but to the point that eliminations were postponed, we have calculated the points earned and where the contenders for the Top Alcohol Dragster world championship stand. The Funny Car championship was won by Sean Bellemeur and the "Killer B's" at the NHRA Carolina Nationals (Charlotte, NC) last month, but the battle for positions #2 through #10 are still underway.
The biggest development for the dragsters at Phoenix concerned the points leader, Hunter Green, who failed to qualify in his last points earning event of the season. That leaves him with 562 points, still at the top of the list, but seriously vulnerable to Jackie Fricke with 551 points, and Shawn Cowie with 550 points. While both racers have used up all their regional chances, they are entered in the final two national events, and only need two round wins to overtake Green in the standings. Whether it's two first round wins, or one semi-final at either race, they are both more than capable of achieving those goals. After that, it may come down to one or even two head-to-head meetings between those two to decide the 2024 world championhsip.
While Mike Coughlin (#4) has run out of events to claim and can't climb any higher in the standings, the #5 through #8 racers are still within reach of Green's spot. Defending world champion, Julie Nataas, needs to win one of the final two national races to pass Green, or make two final rounds. Not easy, but with Randy Meyer tuning, it's possible. Below her, Matt Cummings is in a stronger position as he has advanced to the final round at the postponed Phoenix regional, and could enter the final regional event of the season at Las Vegas (the week after the nationals). If he can double up at the nationals next weekend, taking the regional race, and the national event, he would overtake Green. Even if he doesn't, he still has the second regional, and Pomona to do the deed.
A bit of a longshot, but with the strongest mathematical possibility is Top Alcohol rookie, Angelle Sampey, who could finish the season with a total of 701 points if she could win the two regionals (Reading, PA and Las Vegas, NV) on the schedule, and the two national events. Just winning the regionals would give her 604 points. A win and a semifinal would also put her ahead of Green, but would most likely leave her behind the strongest contenders, Fricke and Cowie. It is to be noted that Sampey has entered both remaining national events, and could take over the points lead without travelling all the way to Pennsylvania this coming weekend, and simply compete three weeks in a row out west.
We doubt that this week's regional at Maple Grove will have much, if any, affect on the championship standings, but next week in Las Vegas will be absolutely critical to the racers vying for the championship crown for the 2024 season.
The situation in Funny Car is much more straightforward. Sean Bellemeur has the championship won and the only goal his team has left is to finish with a "perfect" season, ie, seven national and three regional wins for the maximum possible 850 points. All they need to achieve that is to win the Las Vegas national event. Easier said than done, but with that team, almost anything is possible. Sitting well behind Bellemeur in second place, in a very creditable performance for the first season driver of the Gordon family car is Madison "Maddi" Gordon, who will try to hold off Brian Hough, who is 52 points behind in the #4 spot in the standings, and coming on strong with a late season charge.
Gordon and Hough will meet in the semifinals of the postponed Phoenix event, during Saturday qualifying next week at Vegas, and if Hough can turn on the winlight and get past returning veteran Don Hudson in the subsequent final round, will close the gap to just TEN points behind Gordon. As he has run two fewer national events than her, he will get the chance to pass her for second in the standings going into the final races of the season. Below Gordon and Hough, only Annie Whiteley has a mathematical chance of overtaking either of them as no one else in the Top Ten is entered in either of the final national events.
However the chips fall, and the scoreboards light up, it's going to be an exciting few weeks of drag racing as the 2024 NHRA season races to a conclusion.