Intense NHRA Funny Car battle tops LVMS storylines

Sometimes what happens successful Las Vegas begins connected a dusty airstrip successful Kansas.

A large milestone volition beryllium marked this play astatine the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway wherever the world’s fastest blistery rods volition pain rubber for the 21st clip — and 1,000th clip since the series’ baptismal astatine the Great Bend Municipal Airport connected Sept. 29, 1955.

Art Chrisman’s Chrysler-powered dragster acceptable the archetypal apical velocity successful NHRA past with a 145.16 mph tally successful 10.98 seconds — and no, helium didn’t bushed John Force successful the finals.

Force, a 16-time Funny Car champion who is showing fewer signs of slowing down, has won 3 races this play astatine the property of 72.

Here are 3 different things to look for astatine the penultimate resistance contention of 2021:

Funny Car fight

The contention for the Funny Car rubric couldn’t beryllium immoderate closer, with 2016 victor Ron Capps starting Las Vegas 1 constituent up of defending champ Matt Hagan. Adding intrigue to their conflict is that the 2 are Don Schumacher Racing teammates.

Capps crossed the halfway enactment successful the semifinals astatine Bristol, Tennessee, past week and was penalized 5 points, leaving him conscionable up of Hagan.

Lurking 83 points down successful 3rd spot is two-time champion J.R. Todd, who closed the spread astatine Bristol by losing to Alexis DeJoria — the 10th antithetic Funny Car victor of 2021 — successful the last round.

Torrence vs. Force II

Steve Torrence has a 73-point borderline connected Brittany Force arsenic helium pursues his 4th consecutive Top Fuel championship. But he’ll besides archer you this should beryllium his 5th successful a enactment aft the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoff strategy enabled Force to overtake him for the 2017 crown.

“Brittany got blistery successful the past fewer races and did good, and you can’t instrumentality that distant from them. But those guys wouldn’t adjacent beryllium successful contention if it wasn’t for this (expletive) points strategy they’ve got,” Torrence said astatine the time.

It’s overmuch the aforesaid script successful 2021. Torrence raced to 8 wins during the 13-event regular play portion Force won conscionable erstwhile earlier points were reset. Torrence added a Countdown triumph astatine the Midwest Nationals portion Force has yet to triumph during a postseason that has produced 5 winners successful arsenic galore races.

Changes coming

Although nary of the 2021 titles has yet to beryllium decided — Greg Anderson leads Erica Enders by 81 points successful Pro Stock and Mike Smith is 25 points wide of Angelle Sampey successful Pro Stock Motorcycle — a mates of announcements that volition importantly interaction the 2022 play are creating a buzz.

Popular three-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown volition interruption distant from the Don Schumacher Racing unchangeable to signifier his ain team. Teammate Leah Pruett besides is leaving DSR to articulation forces with erstwhile NASCAR superstar — and fiancee — Tony Stewart successful different start-up venture.

Stewart, who said helium wanted “to bash much than conscionable basal and beryllium a trophy woman adjacent to Leah,” besides volition tract a Funny Car for Hagan, victor of 39 races and 3 people championships.

Contact Ron Kantowski astatine rkantowski@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski connected Twitter.