NHRA Notebook: Storylines Galore Entering The Countdown

INDIANAPOLIS – After an explosive regular season, the NHRA Countdown to the Championship begins this weekend during the 40th NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway.

The six-race playoffs are loaded with storylines, led by regular season champions Tony Stewart (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) trying to finish the job as world champions.

Plenty will transpire over the next six races, as the Countdown to the Championship heats up in a hurry with three straight events in Reading, Pa.; Charlotte, N.C.; and St. Louis, Mo.; including the first four-wide race in the playoffs.

There’s the main event to Texas Motorplex’s Stampede of Speed, the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, and a trip to Las Vegas to end October before the season wraps at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals Nov. 13-16 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Ahead of Reading, below is a breakdown of the biggest storylines entering the Countdown:

Top Fuel

– In his second season in Top Fuel, racing legend Tony Stewart has had a brilliant year, winning two races and displaying the kind of consistency needed to win a championship.

The team will need big performances – and wins – in the Countdown, but if “Smoke” does that, he can add another championship to a resumé that may be hard to top in motorsports.

– The answer is almost undoubtedly yes, as Shawn Langdon has repeatedly shown championship mettle in his career. A first-round loss at the U.S. Nationals was tough – costing the former world champ a regular-season championship – but a focused and locked-in Langdon is tough to beat. Expect that aggression behind the wheel for the entire playoffs.

– Antron Brown got hot at the perfect time last year, resulting in a fourth world title. Can he do that again? Does obliterating the record books lead to playoff wins for Brittany Force? If so, watch out.

After winning in Indy, can Justin Ashley reach the top for the first time in his career? He also seems to be getting hot at the perfect time. And Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican, and Steve Torrence shouldn’t be overlooked either.

Funny Car

– Somehow, it seems Austin Prock has been even more dominant this season for John Force Racing. There’s not the record amount of No. 1 qualifiers this season, but Prock has been close to unstoppable on Sundays, especially as of late.

He’s already posted seven wins and though the points reset for the Countdown, Prock starts the playoffs a clear step ahead and just as motivated as last year when he won his first title.

– A year ago, Jack Beckman was called into action to race for John Force, doing so admirably by winning twice and carrying Force to a second-place finish. This year, he’s again provided the biggest competition to Prock and enters the Countdown in second, looking to win a second Funny Car world title.

– There’s plenty of other willing participants, too, including former champs Matt Hagan (third), Ron Capps (fourth), and J.R. Todd (sixth). Does someone get hot this time around? Capps finished third a year ago without winning a race, while Hagan and Todd seem to be coming around at an ideal time.

New faces like Paul Lee (fifth) and rookie Spencer Hyde (ninth) should make things plenty interesting.

Pro Stock

– The regular season belonged to KB Titan Racing teammates Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson. The duo won nine races, made runs in the 6.40s look routine, and separated themselves – by nearly 400 points – from the rest of the Pro Stock field. Is another winner-take-all finale in store for Pomona?

The duo certainly hopes for that, and their incredible and consistent performances make it seem like a distinct possibility.

– Entering Indy, six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders wasn’t even in the top 10. Now, she’s a U.S. Nationals winner in 2025 and eighth in points. A massive hot streak to end the season would throw everything in a loop, and that has Enders motivated.

The car has come around and when it counts, there’s not many better than the 50-time race winner.

– Matt Hartford was brilliant on Saturdays this year, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty several times. If he can replicate that starting Sunday, he could be dangerous this postseason. Other Pro Stock challengers include Aaron Stanfield, Cory Reed, and five-time class champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

– Gaige Herrera hasn’t been quite as dominant this season as he was the past two years, winning just five of the nine races thus far. But after a strong U.S. Nationals, Herrera is still the prohibitive favorite, and he’s easily proven that any road to the championship goes through him.

– Richard Gadson has enjoyed a breakout season, winning twice and perhaps making himself the chief challenger to his teammate. But Matt Smith can’t be counted out, either, and a quick start by the six-time champion could make things interesting.

– Who else can make something happen in the two-wheel class this postseason? John Hall won in Norwalk, but other talented riders – like Jianna Evaristo, Chase Van Sant and Angie Smith – have been relatively quiet this season. Will that change when the playoffs begin?

– Broadcast coverage of final eliminations Sunday at Maple Grove airs from 2-5 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the FOX Sports App, and NHRA.tv.