NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Following is a look at the drivers in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle who had the best overall qualifying efforts throughout the 2016 season and in the Countdown to the Championship, breaking down qualifying bonus points and average starts.

Most qualifying bonus points: season
PRO STOCK
1.	Jason Line	150
2.	Greg Anderson	138
3.	Bo Butner	116
4.	Vincent Nobile	43
5.	Shane Gray	41

  
With the way the season as a whole went in Pro Stock, it's not surprising at all to see the three KB Racing-powered entries atop this (and other) lists. Across the three full-time Pro classes, only four racers scored more than 100 bonus points this season, including the three here and Top Fuel's Steve Torrence. Line's 150 mark was the largest total of any driver in any class. Line earned "little points" at all 24 events this year and tallied the max of 12 three times, in Gainesville, Topeka, and Bristol.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1.	Eddie Krawiec	78
2.	Jerry Savoie	73
3.	Angelle Sampey	62
4.	Andrew Hines	58
5.	Chip Ellis	28

  
Krawiec earned bonus points at 15 of Pro Stock Motorcycle's 16 events, earning a high of 11 at the season opener in Gainesville. Krawiec held a sizeable advantage for much of the season until Savoie's late-season surge that netted him the championship and closed the gap to just five.

Most qualifying bonus points: Countdown
PRO STOCK
1.	Greg Anderson	35
2.	Jason Line	31
3.	Shane Gray	17
4.	Bo Butner	15
5.	Alex Laughlin	11

  
Want to know how Anderson closed the gap on his teammate Line and pushed the championship chase down to the Auto Club NHRA Finals? You can attribute that in part to his qualifying efforts. Anderson earned bonus points at all six Countdown events, including eight in St. Louis and seven apiece in Dallas, Las Vegas, and Pomona. Line also earned bonus points at every Countdown race, but his performance was a little spottier, highlighted by a nine-point "little points" gain at the finale in Pomona.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1.	Jerry Savoie	37
2.	Eddie Krawiec	29
3.	Andrew Hines	20
4.	Angelle Sampey	16
5.	Chip Ellis	14

  
Similar question here as we asked in Pro Stock: Want to know how Savoie was able to gain on and eventually pass the Harleys in points? Well, qualifying was an enormous part of that. In the six Countdown events, Savoie earned more "little points" than he did in the 10-race regular season. Though he missed out on bonus points in Reading, where qualifying was limited to just one session, Savoie racked up a large chunk of his 37 in the final three events: seven in Dallas, 12 in Las Vegas, and 11 in Pomona.

Best average starting spot: season
PRO STOCK
1.	Greg Anderson	2.58
2.	Jason Line	2.63
3.	Bo Butner	3.25
4.	Shane Gray	5.39
5.	Vincent Nobile	5.75

  
Line led this category for much of the season, but with top-three starts at all six Countdown events, Anderson moved around and edged his teammate for the best average starting spot for the season. Again, with the way things went throughout the year, it's no surprise that Anderson and Line are then followed by Butner in another entry with a KB Racing powerplant. The KB trio were the only drivers in the class to qualify in the top half at every event. Fourth-place Gray was a top-half qualifier 20 times, and Nobile finished eighth or better at 19 events.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1.	Eddie Krawiec	1.94
2.	Andrew Hines	3.86
3.	Angelle Sampey	3.96
4.	Jerry Savoie	4.65
5.	LE Tonglet	6.37

  
Krawiec had the best overall average of any driver in any of the four Pro classes, averaging a start better than two. Krawiec's worst start of the season was fifth, in Brainerd, and he was the No. 1 qualifier six times. Krawiec's teammate, Hines, was the only other rider who qualified in the top half at all 16 races. Sampey got close, qualifying in the quick eight at all but one race this season, and her lone bottom-half start was in Reading, where qualifying was limited to just one session.

Best average starting spot: Countdown
PRO STOCK
1.	Greg Anderson	2.17
2.	Jason Line	3
3.	Shane Gray	3.83
4.	Vincent Nobile	4.17
5.	Bo Butner	4.83

  
When your worst start of the six-race Countdown is No. 3, it's not hard to see why you would end up atop this list. Anderson was the No. 1 qualifier twice (Charlotte, Las Vegas), No. 2 once, and No. 3 three times during the Countdown. Line had a pair of No. 1s and a pair of No. 2s, but his average was weighed down by a pair of sixth-place starts. Showing the progress his group made from the beginning of the year to the Countdown, Gray ranked third in the playoffs, thanks to four No. 4 starts, a No. 1, and a No. 6.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1.	Eddie Krawiec	2
2.	Jerry Savoie	3
3.	Andrew Hines	3.67
4.	Angelle Sampey	5.33
5.	Hector Arana Jr.	6.67

  
Considering Savoie had the most bonus points and ended the year with three straight No. 1 starts, we were a little surprised not to see his name atop this list, but Krawiec also led here. Krawiec got the top spot with Countdown starts of No. 1 (once), No. 2 (four), and No. 3 (once). Savoie, meanwhile, had his three No. 1s, along with starts of third, fourth, and eighth.