Tue, 11 Oct 2016, 10:00 AM Drivers Willing to Risk It All at Countdown to the Championship Event at Las Vegas

Courtesy of NHRA Communications Photo copyright 2016 Auto Imagery, Inc.

LAS VEGAS -- The high rollers of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series know what's at stake at the 16th annual NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 27-30. As the second-to-last race of the 2016 season, the opportunity to win a world championship becomes slimmer and slimmer, and folding is not an option for drivers and teams.

Every pass, every point and every round is more crucial than ever at the lucrative event, which is the fifth of six races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The first four races of the Countdown - the NHRA Carolina Nationals, AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, Dodge NHRA Nationals and AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals - will have set the tone for the penultimate race of the season, but anything can happen in the world of 330 mph, 10,000-horsepower NHRA Drag Racing.

This year's edition of the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Sin City will feature intense side-by-side racing as drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle compete for vital Mello Yello Series points. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year's winners of the event that will for the first time be aired on FOX Sports 1 this October.

Andrew Hines, Erica Enders, Robert Hight and Doug Kalitta celebrate their wins last year.

Last year's event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) also saw champions crowned, as two drivers dominated the Countdown in their respective categories.

In Top Fuel, Brown claimed his second Top Fuel world championship when he advanced one round further than rival Tony Schumacher during eliminations, while in Pro Stock, Enders secured her second straight world championship crown when she won in the quarterfinals and rival Greg Anderson lost in the same round. Enders then raced to victory, her ninth of the season and fourth in a row at LVMS. Brown lost in the semifinals.

So far in 2016 Countdown the Championship, the chips haven't all fallen their way.

Brown, who started the 2015 Countdown with a record 12 consecutive round wins, entered this year's six-race playoff leading the Top Fuel points standings and sprinted to victory at the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., in his Matco Tools dragster. Just as he was getting flashbacks of the success he saw last year in the opening half of the Countdown, he was knocked out in the first round at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, but bounced back to win his second race in the Countdown to the Championship at the Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Brown's win at Maple Grove Race increased his lead over second-place Kalitta to 77 points. Kalitta, who was runner-up to Brown in Charlotte, is a three-time 2016 event winner but has not yet won a world championship.

Making that championship push is no easy task for any driver, though, as the Top Fuel class is loaded with talent like Brown, Kalitta, eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, three-time event winner Brittany Force, recent St. Louis winner Langdon, first-time Countdown qualifier Leah Pritchett, Steve Torrence and J.R. Todd.

Doug Kalitta celebrates Vegas win last year.

Pro Stock was also shaken up this year as back-to-back world champion Enders hasn't had the defense she had hoped for. The driver of the Elite Motorsports / Mopar Performance Dodge Dart, who won three of the six Countdown races last year, has made only two semifinal round appearances this season. She entered this year's Countdown ninth in points but, shockingly, she did not qualify for Carolina Nationals.

Instead, the Ken Black Racing trio of Jason Line, Greg Anderson and Bo Butner has dominated the first year of the redesigned Pro Stock class - which features electronic fuel injection, 10,500 RPM rev-limiters, flat hoods and shortened wheelie bars. Two-time world champion Line, who is in first place and leads Anderson by 63 points, has notched eight victories and five runner-up finishes this season. Anderson, a four-time world champ, has seven victories and five runner-ups in 2016 while third-place Butner has five-runner-ups.

Even though Line and Anderson have outperformed the rest of the competition, the Pro Stock championship is far from locked up. In St. Louis, Alex Laughlin raced to his first career victory in his first ever final round appearance. Even though he didn't qualify for the Countdown, he proved upsets are possible and the Pro Stock trophy is up for grabs at any and every race, especially with the likes of Denver winner Allen Johnson, five-time world champ Jeg Coughlin, Indianapolis winner Chris McGaha, two-time 2016 runner-up Vincent Nobile and 2015 top rookie Drew Skillman giving you a run for your money.

In Funny Car, Hight powered to victory in Las Vegas last year by outlasting Tommy Johnson Jr. in the final. Hight, who won in Gainesville, Fla., is currently eighth in points and faces a tough battle in the high-performing Funny Car class.

Robert Hight celebrates his Las Vegas win last year.

Ron Capps, the winningest driver in NHRA history without a world championship, leads the category in points with five wins in eight final round appearances this year. He is a four-time NHRA Toyota Nationals winner and opened the Countdown with back-to-back semifinal round appearances and final round in Reading. He leads Reading winner, Tommy Johnson Jr. by 24 points and St. Louis winner Jack Beckman by 93. John Force, a 16-time world champion and the most successful driver in NHRA history, will do all he can to stop Capps from winning the title, as will reigning world champion Del Worsham, two-time world champ Matt Hagan, Courtney Force and Alexis DeJoria.

Pro Stock Motorcycle reigning world champion Andrew Hines hopes to repeat his Las Vegas success this year. He outlasted Louisiana alligator farmer Jerry Savoie at the event last year to claim his fourth victory of 2015 and later secured his fifth world championship at the Auto Club Finals in Southern California. Hines, a five-time 2016 winner, is first in the points with a 38-point lead over teammate Eddie Krawiec.

The NHRA Toyota Nationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series as well as the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the sport earn their racing stripes.

As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they're granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand how the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

As part of NHRA's ongoing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Funny Car class, one legendary Funny Car driver will be honored during pre-race ceremonies.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA's popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 11:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-644-4444 or 702-644-4444. Tickets also are available online at www.LVMS.com. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult.

Before heading to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will a make stop Texas Motorplex for the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, Oct. 13-16. Keep up with all the NHRA action on FOX Sports 1.

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