NHRA--Drama overshadows new championship system

Taking a cue from the NASCAR Nextel Cup series and its "Chase for the Championship," the National Hot Rod Association instituted a "Countdown" format that pared down the drivers in each category until they essentially reached a "final four" in each class.

Did it work? Well, there's no denying that the season finale at Pomona, California, was a nail-biter, as none of the four champions clinched until the last day of the last race. Top Fuel champ Tony Schumacher, who came to Pomona fourth in points, needed an overall win to claim his fourth consecutive title, and he got it. Rod Fuller, who drove most of the season without a sponsor, came to Pomona with the points lead but ended up second, ahead of Brandon Bernstein and Larry Dixon.

In Funny Car, Tony Pedregon earned his second championship and his first as the owner of his own team. Second was Robert Hight, ahead of Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps.

Jeg Coughlin took the Pro Stock title even though he came to Pomona well behind Greg Anderson, but Coughlin's win in the finals gave him his third championship, with Anderson finishing second and Dave Connolly third.

It was an emotional season for the NHRA, beginning with the March 23 death of Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, 33, killed in a testing crash at Gainesville Raceway in Florida when his John Force Racing car suffered a tire failure. At the Texas Motorplex near Dallas, Force himself was seriously injured Sept. 23, when his car literally ripped in half during a race against Kenny Bernstein. And five days later, the NHRA lost its founding father, with the death of Wally Parks, 94.

Force (daughter Ashley was named rookie of the year after her season in Funny Car) pledges to return to the cockpit, but it is unknown whether he will be ready for the season opener, Feb. 7-10, 2008, at Pomona.