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Tricky Tipster's St. Louis picks

22 Sep 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 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

TOP FUEL
Funny Car | Pro Stock | Pro Stock Motorcycle | Pro Mod
  
Antron BrownAntron Brown • Matco Tools/U.S. Army
Reigning champ. Points leader. Most recent winner. Any reason why he shouldn’t be at the top of this list? We can’t think of one either.
3-2
  
Doug KalittaDoug Kalitta • Mac Tools
Historically, the early stages of the Countdown have not been good to the Mac Tools crew, but last week’s runner-up was a welcome start, even if they lost ground to leader Brown.
4-1
  
Tony SchumacherTony Schumacher • U.S. Army
The eight-time champion says he likes a challenge. Well, he’s got a big one on his hands after a round-one loss in Charlotte. That being said, if there is any team that can bounce back, it is this one. The do not give up.
5-1
  
Steve TorrenceSteve Torrence • Capco Contractors/Rio Ammo
Five rounds out of first place with five races left; that’s a manageable deficit. He cannot, however, afford to let Brown or Kalitta gain any ground this weekend.
6-1
  
Brittany ForceBrittany Force • Monster Energy
Deserved a much better fate than a quarterfinal loss in Charlotte. Like Torrence, she faces a near “must-win” situation in order to remain in championship contention.
7-1
  
J.R. ToddJ.R. Todd • SealMaster
Charlotte was a brutal event for many Countdown drivers, and these guys got caught up in the chaos. Time to settle down, regroup, and focus on winning a few rounds this week.
9-1
  
Shawn LangdonShawn Langdon • Red Fuel/Sandvik
In nitro racing, the name of the game is consistency, and right now, this team is fighting to find it. They were money in the middle part of the season and need to find a way to get that momentum back.
11-1
  
Clay MillicanClay Millican • Denso/Great Clips
Any team with a 3.6-second time slip merits some respect, especially this one. They remain the most overdue squad in all of motorsports.
14-1
 

FUNNY CAR
Ron CappsRon Capps • NAPA Dodge
He lost a good close race to John Force in the semifinals in Charlotte, but this is still a great car and great team that could win any (or all) of the next five races this season.
4-1
  
John ForceJohn Force • Peak/Advance Auto Chevy
If you’re looking for the fountain of youth, it’s somewhere near Yorba Linda. The 16-time champ looked like a man half his age in an impressive Charlotte victory.
5-1
  
xxxDel Worsham • DHL Toyota
Five races left in the season, and he’s 42 points out of first place. That helps set the stage for what could be an epic title fight.
5-1
  
Matt HaganMatt Hagan • Mopar Express Lane Dodge
Don’t have an explanation why this car, consistently one of the class’ quickest, qualified No. 9 in Charlotte. Don’t look for that to happen again this week.
6-1
  
Tommy Johnson Jr.Tommy Johnson Jr. • Make-A-Wish Dodge
Wasn’t able to finish the job at zMAX last week, but a runner-up finish was just what the doctor ordered as far as the championship battle goes. The last five races are gonna be fun.
7-1
  
Courtney ForceCourtney Force • Traxxas Chevy
With five races left, she’s 100 points out of first. That’s an obtainable goal, but there is no room for a mulligan. Must be semifinal or better this weekend, and a few qualifying bonus points wouldn’t hurt.
9-1
  
Robert HightRobert Hight • Auto Club Chevy
The Auto Club car at an Auto Club event. That’s usually a very good omen. He also had a very quick car in Charlotte, another good sign.
10-1
  
Jack BeckmanJack Beckman • Infinite Hero Dodge
Hard to put a finger on exactly what’s gone wrong this season, but if there’s any team that wants a do-over, it's this crew. That being said, they’re still capable of awe-inspiring numbers.
13-1
 

PRO STOCK
Jason LineJason Line • Summit Racing Chevy
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. His performance in Charlotte very much resembled the early-season domination by the KB team.
2-1
  
Greg AndersonGreg Anderson • Summit Racing Chevy
This car was every bit as good as teammate Line’s at zMAX Dragway. It’s highly likely that he’ll qualify in the top two and be around for the final on Sunday.
5-2
  
Vincent NobileVincent Nobile • Mountain View Chevy
The fact that he is winless this season is getting harder and harder to believe. All the pieces are in place for wins and for a run at the Mello Yello championship.
5-1
  
Shane GrayShane Gray • Gray Technologies Chevy
Here is another team that runs well enough to get the job done on Sunday but remains winless on the season. He figures to be on the warpath after early loss in Charlotte.
6-1
  
Bo ButnerBo Butner • Butner Auto Chevy
Deserved a better fate than his quarterfinal loss in Charlotte. He has all the tools necessary to win, but the waiting game continues.
8-1
  
Chris McGahaChris McGaha • Harlow Sammons Chevy
The Indy champ came back down to Earth in Charlotte with a quarterfinal finish. Basically, he needs to find a couple of hundredths in order to consistently run with the leaders.
9-1
  
Allen JohnsonAllen Johnson • Marathon Petroleum Dodge
Last week’s first-round loss was almost certainly a championship killer, but this is still one of the last guys you’d want to face on race day. He brings it almost every time.
11-1
  
Alex LaughlinAlex Laughlin • Gas Monkey Chevy
His semifinal finish in Charlotte was likely the first of many. If you’re looking for NHRA’s next first-time Pro winner, this would be a solid bet.
14-1
 

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
Andrew HinesAndrew Hines • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
He does not need the best bike to win; something that has been proven time and time again this season. When he does have the best bike, winning is almost automatic.
3-1
  
Eddie KrawiecEddie Krawiec • Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson
Put simply, Charlotte was a disaster, so in order to get back in the championship fight, he’s going to need a win, pronto. Expect a quick rebound this week.
4-1
  
Jerry SavoieJerry Savoie • White Alligator Suzuki
Another championship favorite who got off to a rocky start in Charlotte. He needs a win to get back in the hunt. Fortunately, he’s won in the Gateway city before.
5-1
  
LE TongletLE Tonglet • Nitro Fish Suzuki
Let’s be honest. He was probably going to win in Charlotte had his transmission shifted. That’s water under the bridge. This is still the most dangerous bike/rider combo in the class.
7-1
  
Chip EllisChip Ellis • Pippin Trucking Buell
His win in Charlotte might be the feel-good story of the year in the bike class. It also might not be his last win. The potential is certainly there for a few more victories.
8-1
  
Angelle SampeyAngelle Sampey • Star/PSE Buell
Normally, she’d be ranked a bit higher than this, but the mood in the Star camp is unsettled at best after last week’s bombshell announcement. She does have the potential to win races, though.
10-1
  
Hector Arana Jr.Hector Arana Jr. • Lucas Oil Buell
Here’s the deal. This team and rider are fully capable of winning races, but their timing has been off. With a little consistency and a little luck, that will change.
12-1
  
Matt SmithMatt Smith • Victory Gunner
Speaking of luck, here is the 2016 poster child for hard times and misfortune. Make no mistake, the Victory bike is quick, and this is a great rider; it’s just a shame he hasn’t had many chances to show it.
14-1
 

PRO MOD
Rickie Smith • IDG Camaro
Ran into a little hiccup in Charlotte with a round-two loss, but those are rare. He doesn’t need to do much this weekend to clinch a third championship but don’t rule out a win.
3-1
  
Von Smith • Al-Anabi Performance Corvette
The Indy champ was quick again in Charlotte with a 5.820 to steal the top spot. Expect to see that sort of performance again this weekend from the class’ best supercharged car.
4-1
  
Troy Coughlin • JEGS.com Corvette
He can still win a third Pro Mod series championship, but it will take a near miracle to do so. Any chance at a comeback requires a victory this weekend, so expect an all-out effort.
6-1
  
Bob Rahaim • TLC Waste Disposal Corvette
OK, so the final wasn’t pretty, but everything else about his Charlotte win was impressive. He is also still alive in the battle for the championship, but, like Coughlin, he’d almost certainly need a victory.
7-1
  
Danny Rowe • Agave Underground Corvette
Returning to the site of his first Pro Mod win more than a decade ago, he’s got a team that is more than capable of going the distance. Had one of the best cars in the field in Charlotte.
9-1
  
Steve Matusek • Agave Underground Camaro
The words Pro Mod and consistency rarely belong in the same sentence, but this car, more often than not, qualifies well and turns in a strong showing on race day.
11-1
  
Michael Biehle • Biehle Motorsports Mustang
Another consistent performer that qualifies almost every time out and presents a tough challenge on race day. His first win could come at any time.
12-1
  
Steven Whiteley • J&A Services Cadillac
Looked great at zMAX with a 5.840 to qualify No. 3. Add a touch more consistency on race days and the rest of the field will have a big problem on their hands.
14-1