The latest update as of November 12, 2024
UPDATED Top Alcohol Top Ten standings
There weren't a lot of changes in the points standings at the conclusion of the final Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional event of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. The most significant developments occurred in the non-entry of a number of racers in the regional event or this week's In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.
On the dragster side, the number of racers chasing points leader Shawn Cowie dwindled from two to one, as Angelle Sampey needed to win both the Las Vegas regional and the Pomona finals to have any chance of overtaking Cowie. While she is entered in the finals, she wasn't at the Las Vegas regional, and that extinguished her chances for the 2024 TAD title. The lone remaining contender is Jackie Fricke, and she has to win at Pomona, AND have Cowie not get past the first round, or fail to qualify.
If either of those events happen, then Fricke would be the champion by a margin of ONE point. Based on Cowie's performance record at Pomona over the years, it's not very likely - actually highly unlikely - to happen.
There was one change at the bottom of the top ten, with Madison Payne leapfrogging over former #10 Joey Severance, with her win at the Las Vegas regional. It's been a challenging season for the Duane Shields-owned team, with just one national event final round appearance, and only once into the winner's circle at a regional event, that coming on Sunday at Las Vegas.
There is a chance that Severance could re-take the tenth spot with a good weekend at Pomona. He will be running in the postponed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals semifinals during qualifying for the finals, then compete in the In-N-Out Burger NHRA finals. Altogether he could gain 86 points and take the #10 spot but it will take the best weekend the Severance team has had in the past few years to accomplish that task. And Payne would have to lose before the final round in eliminations.
As we all know and have known for two months, the "Killer B's" team of Bartone, Boggs & Bellemeur have achieved their goal of re-taking the world championship, and they've done it in style. All that remains is to win the postponed final round from the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals to reach the "perfect" season of 850 points. That is seven national and three regional wins, and they are just one national win (Vegas) short of that goal. All that is standing between them and perfection is Maddi Gordon, their opponent in the Vegas final round which will be run during qualifying at Pomona.
Young Ms. Gordon has wrapped up second place in the standings with an outstanding rookie season, notching three regional wins, one national win, and one runnerup, and another final round appearance in the weather delayed Vegas nationals this coming weekend. There were two moves in the top ten standings, as Ulf Leanders jumped from #12 all the way to #8, moving two racers down a notch, and pushing Ray Martin out of the Top Ten, despite his runnerup finish at Las Vegas.
Martin had claimed all the regional events possible and couldn't gain any more points. Driving the Miner Brothers car, Martin has been a steady performer all season and will almost certainly jump back into the top ten, possibly to as high as #8, as he only trails Leanders by 10 points going into the NHRA Finals. Further up in the standings, the only likely change is for Brian Hough, currently sitting fourth, to overtake Bob McCosh Jr. for the #3 spot by qualifying at Pomona. With only 13 cars entered, that appears to be a mere formality.