Fri, 8 Oct 2004, 12:47 PM NHRA POWERade World Championships on the Table at Reading

Courtesy of NHRA Communications Photo copyright 2004 Auto Imagery, Inc.

MOHNTON, Pa. --

Tony Schumacher

Tony Schumacher and John Force are in position to clinch their respective NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series world championship titles at the rain-delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Oct. 8-10 at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa.

Schumacher, driver of the U.S. Army dragster, needs to increase his series lead by four points to secure his second NHRA Top Fuel crown. Schumacher, who leads Doug Kalitta by 273 points after his runner-up effort at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago Sunday, has earned eight victories this season in 11 final round appearances. Schumacher, the 1999 NHRA Top Fuel world champion, is the defending race winner at Maple Grove. Third place driver Brandon Bernstein joins Kalitta as the only drivers in the category still mathematically alive in the championship hunt.

John Force

Force could wrap up his 13th NHRA Funny Car world championship if he can increase his series lead by 40 points (two rounds) during the event. Like Schumacher, Force needs to finish the event with a 277-point lead to mathematically eliminate all points challengers. Red-hot Del Worsham, currently second in the point standings, is riding a two-race win streak and looks to have the best shot at postponing Force’s title celebration until the tour moves to the penultimate race in Las Vegas, the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 28-31, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Force, driver of the national record-holding Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang, has earned four victories in nine final rounds this season. Along with Worsham, Gary Scelzi, Whit Bazemore, Eric Medlen and Gary Densham are all still mathematically eligible for the championship, but face heavy odds to knock off Force.

It is business as usual in the other two NHRA POWERade professional categories. Andrew Hines holds a commanding 153 point lead in Pro Stock Bike. While four other riders are in contention in Pennsylvania, Hines could put the finishing touches on his first championship title in the two-wheel category at the conclusion of the Las Vegas event. Greg Anderson already celebrated his second NHRA POWERade Pro Stock world championship during the first round of the O’Reilly Fall Nationals in Dallas two weeks ago. Anderson, who secured the points crown when closest challenger Jason Line lost his first round race, clinched his championship title earlier than any other driver in NHRA history.