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Tricky Tipster's Pomona picks

10 Nov 2016
NHRA News
News

For more than five decades, NHRA National Dragster's famed Tricky Tipster has tested his prognosticating skills prior to each national event, putting odds on the top eight racers he thinks have the best shot at victory in Tricky Tipster. This week, Tricky Tipster handicaps the Auto Club NHRA Finals.

TOP FUEL
Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle
Antron Brown
Antron Brown • Matco Tools
Without the pressure of the championship battle, he should finish on a high note. Wait, who are we kidding? He doesn’t feel pressure. Still, he’s a big favorite.
ODDS: 2-1
Steve Torrence
Steve Torrence • Capco Contractors
Las Vegas win wasn’t enough to keep championship hopes alive, but closing the season with back-to-back wins would be a nice way to close the door on a successful 2016 campaign.
ODDS: 4-1
Doug Kalitta
Doug Kalitta • Mac Tools
Hasn’t been past the second round in the last four races. That’s no way for a championship team to close out a season. Expect it to put forth a better effort this weekend.
ODDS: 5-1
Clay Millican
Clay Millican • Parts Plus/Great Clips
Call this more of an educated guess than a hunch, but crew chief David Grubnic has this car flying. I know we’ve heard it a million times, but a win is inevitable.
ODDS: 6-1
Leah Pritchett
Leah Pritchett • FireAde/Pennzoil/Papa John’s
Hard not to notice how well this team has come together in the past few weeks. Stability is a wonderful thing, and it has helped make this crew a championship-caliber team.
ODDS: 8-1
Brittany Force
Brittany Force • Monster Energy
She has slipped to fourth place after a couple of tough weekends, but this is still a team that has three wins this season and five final-round finishes. Tuner Alan Johnson also loves Pomona.
ODDS: 9-1
Tony Schumacher
Tony Schumacher • U.S. Army
What is "the Sarge" doing all the way down here? In this “What have you done for me lately” world, three first-round losses in the Countdown can’t be overlooked. Now watch him go win this race.
ODDS: 12-1
Shawn Langdon
Shawn Langdon • Sandvik/Red Fuel
Southern California native returns home for one of his favorite races. Yes, we have him ranked eighth, but given the depth of the Top Fuel class, that still means he can win it.
ODDS: 14-1
 
FUNNY CAR
Ron Capps
Ron Capps • NAPA Dodge
Much like the Chicago Cubs' World Series win, this is really happening. Barring a miracle, Capps will be the 2016 NHRA Funny Car champ, and that makes him the favorite here.
ODDS: 3-1
John Force
John Force • Peak Chevy
He jokes about being an old man, but last week’s win in Las Vegas proves otherwise. He’s a lock to get to 150 wins in his career and probably many more than that.
ODDS: 5-1
Matt Hagan
Matt Hagan • Mopar Dodge
Last time we raced in Pomona, he lost in the first round. This is a much-improved team since then. Expect a much longer stay in eliminations.
ODDS: 6-1
Del Worsham
Del Worsham • DHL Toyota
The Kalitta/Worsham crew generally doesn’t need much of a reason to have a postseason celebration, but a win here would put it over the top.
ODDS: 7-1
Courtney Force
Courtney Force • Traxxas Chevy
She left first and ran a 3.90 in the Las Vegas final, and that still wasn’t enough to win, but it does indicate the potential for a solid performance here.
ODDS: 9-1
Robert Hight
Robert Hight • Auto Club Chevy
The Auto Club driver tends to do quite well at Auto Club-backed events, and this is the biggest one of them all. He would be ranked higher if not for the round-one loss in Las Vegas.
ODDS: 11-1
Tommy Johnson Jr.
Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge
There is where Tricky Tipster files a disclaimer about how any one of the 16 qualifiers in Funny Car can win. Yes, we have him listed seventh, and yes, he’s more than capable of getting the job done.
ODDS: 13-1
Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge
“Fast Jack” falls into the same category as teammate Johnson. He’s incredibly quick but also a tiny bit inconsistent. That being said, he could run the table here.
ODDS: 14-1
 
PRO STOCK
Greg Anderson
Greg Anderson • Summit Camaro
He may have to win this race to win the championship, but as we all know, he’s fully capable of doing just that because he won here in February.
ODDS: 3-2
Jason Line
Jason Line • Summit Camaro
He’s a co-favorite along with his teammate, Anderson, because they are about as evenly matched as it gets. A winner-take-all final for the championship isn’t out of reach.
ODDS: 3-2
Shane Gray
Shane Gray • Gray Manufacturing Camaro
He’s already excited to mentor his son Tanner, who will be taking over next year, but a Pomona win would be a great way to cap off a solid career.
ODDS: 5-1
Vincent Nobile
Vincent Nobile • Mountain View Camaro
Driving for the SoCal-based Mountain View team, there is always extra incentive to produce in Pomona, and this race is no different. He’s also looking to rebound after a tough Las Vegas race.
ODDS: 6-1
Drew Skillman
Drew Skillman • Skillman Auto Camaro
He has been to three final rounds and banked two wins this season, and all of this has happened since Brainerd. Arguably the best team in the class in the second half of the season.
ODDS: 8-1
Alex Laughlin
Alex Laughlin • Gas Monkey Camaro
Although he didn’t make the Countdown, he has won 10 rounds since Charlotte. For comparison sake, points leaders Line, Anderson, and Gray have each won 11 rounds in that time.
ODDS: 10-1
Bo Butner
Bo Butner • Butner Auto Camaro
This has been an incredibly frustrating season for someone who should probably have multiple wins by now. A victory here would make up for all the tough losses.
ODDS: 11-1
Chris McGaha
Chris McGaha • Harlow Sammons Camaro
It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong, and we missed the mark by a lot on this team. It has been competitive all season and will be rewarded with a solid top-10 finish.
ODDS: 13-1
 
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
Jerry Savoie
Jerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki
If he can perform at the same level he did in Las Vegas, it’s lights out, and he’s going to be the champion. Of course, that’s much easier said than done. Still, he rates a slim edge.
ODDS: 3-1
Andrew Hines
Andrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
He didn’t win five championships by accident, so a sixth would not be surprising to anyone. That being said, this might be his toughest challenge yet.
ODDS: 7-2
Eddie Krawiec
Eddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
When it comes to handling pressure, “Steady Eddie” seems to do quite well. Of course, he might have to beat both Hines and Savoie to win the title.
ODDS: 7-2
Angelle Sampey
Angelle Sampey • Star/PSE Buell
In her last race with the Star team, she should be focusing solely on a win, but it’s also easy to think she might play a role in the outcome of the championship battle.
ODDS: 5-1
LE Tonglet
LE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki
Another rider who could crush the championship dreams for one of the three title contenders. We say it all the time, but this is a great bike/rider combo.
ODDS: 7-1
Matt Smith
Matt Smith • Victory Gunner
The semifinal finish in Las Vegas was one of his best outings of the season. Big things are on the horizon for the Victory program.
ODDS: 8-1
Hector Arana Sr.
Hector Arana Sr. • Lucas Oil Buell
For a guy who has been at this for more than 30 years, he’s still quite impressive. This has actually been a solid season.
ODDS: 10-1
Hector Arana Jr.
Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell
OK, so he only has two round-wins during the Countdown. We all know that he’s capable of much more than that. For what it’s worth, he also won this race two years ago.
ODDS: 12-1