By Mike Haag | Raceday San Antonio
Championship hopes were strengthened, winning streaks snapped and records fell during a memorable weekend at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
With only two races remaining in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, the results from Texas have added another layer of intrigue to the Countdown to the Championship.
Antron Brown, J.R.Todd, Dallas Glenn and Matt Smith left with victories, but the implications of their performance could extend well beyond Texas as the series prepares for its final stops in Las Vegas and Pomona, California. Now the championship contenders have little room for mistakes.
Here are five takeaways after the Texas NHRA FallNationals.
- Antron Brown ends Shawn Langdon’s winning streak.
Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon saw his four-race win streak (including the first three Countdown events) come to an end thanks to Antron Brown. Langdon, who qualified No. 1 with a 3.648-second pass at 340.39 mph, appeared to be unbeatable until he was defeated by Brown in the semifinals.
Brown went on to defeat rookie Maddi Gordon in the final round, earning his 83rd career victory and moving from sixth to third in the championship standings. Despite the loss, Langdon still holds a 139-point lead over teammate Doug Kalitta. Brown trails by 224 points.
The question heading to Las Vegas is did Brown expose a vulnerability in Langdon’s championship run, or was Texas merely a temporary setback for the season’s most dominant Top Fuel driver?
Meanwhile, Gordon is the driver to watch at Las Vegas. Her third final-round appearance of the season made a loud statement, especially after the rookie driver defeated Kalitta and Justin Ashley in eliminations.
- Dallas Glenn takes control, but Pro Stock championship remains wide open
Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn delivered the most impressive overall performance of the FallNationals.
He set the quickest elapsed time in Pro Stock history with a 6.434-second pass at 213.50 mph, qualified No. 1 and completed the weekend by defeating Matt Hartford in the final round. Glenn may have regained the championship lead, but he is far from defending and winning his second championship title. Greg Stanfield is only 14 points back, with Hartford another 27 points behind Stanfield.
Glenn’s KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson is fourth and trails Glenn by 78 points.
The question heading to Las Vegas is can Glenn maintain his record-setting performance, or will Stanfield and Hartford capitalize on the smallest mistake?
This might be the most competitive championship battle among the four professional categories. The NHRA Pro Stock championship could come down to who wins the final round at Pomona.
- J.R. Todd keeps Funny Car championship hopes alive, but Matt Hagan remains the driver to beat
Todd’s victory over Hagan in the Funny Car final was one of the weekend’s biggest developments. Todd earned his first Funny Car victory at Texas Motorplex and moved into third place in the standings, 119 points behind Hagan.
But Hagan showed just how important consistency is to remain at the top of the Funny Car standings.
Hagan has reached five final rounds in the past six races and seven finals overall this season. Despite losing to Todd, he leaves Texas with a 98-point advantage over Jordan Vandergriff.
The question heading to Las Vegas is can Todd or Vandergriff put together consecutive strong performances and force Hagan into a championship showdown at Pomona?
Do not rule out Austin Prock in the final two races. Prock is fourth, 155 points behind Hagan and the two-time defending champion still has an opportunity to influence the championship.
- Matt Smith delivers under pressure, turning Pro Stock Motorcycle into a three-rider championship battle
Smith’s victory over Richard Gadson was a reminder that championship experience can make a difference when everything is on the line.
Smith used a spectacular .006-second reaction time to defeat Gadson on a holeshot, despite Gadson running a quicker elapsed time.
That victory was Smith’s fourth of the season and 46th of his career.
The result also kept Smith within striking distance of the championship leaders.
Entering Las Vegas, Gadson leads teammate Gaige Herrera by 58 points, while Smith trails Gadson by 85.
The question heading to Las Vegas is can Smith use his Texas victory to disrupt the Gadson-Herrera championship battle and make a serious run at his seventh world title?
- Texas proved that no championship is safe until the final round at Pomona
One of the biggest takeaways from Texas is that the championship picture can change dramatically in a single elimination round.
With just two events remaining, qualifying bonus points, reaction times, consistency and early-round matchups could determine who celebrates at Pomona.
The big question now heading to Las Vegas is which drivers will leave Nevada with an opportunity to clinch a championship and which title fights will go down to the final eliminations at Pomona?
