NHRA Shifts Gears, Opts for NASCAR-Style Playoffs
A.J. Perez
NHRA is sloughing off its current championship format and shifting
toward a playoff system for its four professional divisions in
2007, series officials announced Wednesday.
The NHRA Powerade "Countdown to the Championship" will function
much like NASCAR's successful Race to the Chase. Drivers must be in
the top eight after the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa.,
on Aug. 19 - the 17th event of the season - to qualify for the
six-race playoff.
"We hope it brings the new fan into NHRA by creating a new buzz and
new excitement around the sport, but I also believe it's going to
be very exciting to our current fans," NHRA President Tom Compton
said in a conference call with reporters.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend will serve as
the first race of the "Countdown to Four," a four-race portion of
the playoff that will cut the eight-driver field in half for the
last two races - the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals (Oct. 24) and
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Nov. 4).
Last season's Funny Car championship wasn't decided until the final
race, but Compton said "that was the exception, not the rule.
That's why we are making changes."
The series also announced the NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals -
an event to be run for the first time at Norwalk (Ohio) Raceway
Park - will be held July 1. Five other races were shifted on the
23-race schedule.
A.J. Perez
NHRA is sloughing off its current championship format and shifting
toward a playoff system for its four professional divisions in
2007, series officials announced Wednesday.
The NHRA Powerade "Countdown to the Championship" will function
much like NASCAR's successful Race to the Chase. Drivers must be in
the top eight after the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa.,
on Aug. 19 - the 17th event of the season - to qualify for the
six-race playoff.
"We hope it brings the new fan into NHRA by creating a new buzz and
new excitement around the sport, but I also believe it's going to
be very exciting to our current fans," NHRA President Tom Compton
said in a conference call with reporters.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend will serve as
the first race of the "Countdown to Four," a four-race portion of
the playoff that will cut the eight-driver field in half for the
last two races - the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals (Oct. 24) and
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Nov. 4).
Last season's Funny Car championship wasn't decided until the final
race, but Compton said "that was the exception, not the rule.
That's why we are making changes."
The series also announced the NHRA Pontiac Performance Nationals -
an event to be run for the first time at Norwalk (Ohio) Raceway
Park - will be held July 1. Five other races were shifted on the
23-race schedule.
