NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The 2017 season launches in a little over a week at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, and when it does, fans will notice several big changes to a number of teams. Following is a scorecard of the offseason changes that range from car swaps to crew chief changes.

WHAT: Thanks to increased support from Tommy Thompson Motorsports and CatSpot Litter, Scott Palmer will run a full 24-race schedule

OUR TAKE:  Palmer and his team, led by girlfriend Ashley Fye, made significant progress last year in their goal to make clean, consistent runs, and Palmer reset his personal best multiple times in 2016. Like Palmer himself, we realistically don't expect this team to contend for race wins, but several round-wins are definitely not out of the question. Depending on early season performance and progress made, Palmer could potentially vie for one of the final spots in the Countdown to the Championship, but, at this point, he should be considered a longshot.

WHAT: Citing lack of funding, Don Schumacher Racing parks the Top Fuel dragster piloted by Shawn Langdon for an undetermined number of races

OUR TAKE: The big question here is how long will Langdon's car stay parked? The team is actively working on getting funding and has said it hopes to have Langdon back on track no later than Gainesville. If Langdon can come back early in the season (our best guess is no later than Houston), he could and should contend for a Countdown spot -- a win or two would put him right back in the hunt, and this team won twice in the regular season last year. If Langdon remains parked more than four races, it will likely be tough to recover, opening the door for Terry McMillen, who has come heartbreakingly close to making the top 10 the last few seasons.

WHAT: After years in the Sportsman ranks and a stint in Pro Mod, Troy Coughlin Jr. goes Pro, taking over the controls of the SealMaster Top Fuel dragster

OUR TAKE: Coughlin comes from a long line of successful drag racers, including dad Troy Sr., a three-time Pro Mod champion, and he is driving a car that finished in the top four last season and is good for at least one win and multiple finals each season. There will be a learning period as Coughlin adjusts to and catches up to the Top Fueler, which is much quicker than anything he previously drove, but we expect to see the SealMaster car in the Countdown again this year, and we wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it ended up in the winner's circle at some point.

WHAT: J.R. Todd moves from Top Fuel to Funny Car, replacing Del Worsham in the DHL Toyota

OUR TAKE: Considering the difference between Top Fuel and Funny Car, there will be a transition and learning period. However, Todd is versatile and has proven to be great at adapting to new situations, so we, along with many others, feel it should be a relatively smooth transition (it doesn't hurt either that he is teaming with the group that won the 2015 world championship). It would not be surprising at all to see Todd join the list of drivers to win national events in both nitro classes this year.

WHAT: In addition to driver changes, Kalitta Motorsports reorganized its crew chief structure in the offseason, moving Todd Smith over to Todd's team to work alongside Jon Oberhofer, Nicky Boninfante over to Alexis DeJoria's team to work alongside Tommy DeLago, and naming Glen Huszar as crew chief for Paul Lee's entry

OUR TAKE: After the Kalitta Funny Cars had a bit of a down season last year, combining to win just twice on the season, we weren't surprised to see a bit of a shake up in an attempt to give the teams a needed shot in the arm. Having said that, the impact of these changes will not fully be known until the cars hit the track and we can see if, indeed, it does improve performance. All the crew chiefs in the Kalitta team have been on championship-winning teams, so we see no reason why they shouldn't improve and get back to contending form.

WHAT: Cruz Pedregon hires Aaron Brooks to serve as his crew chief

OUR TAKE: Pedregon had a miserable 2016 campaign and was in need of change. Is Aaron Brooks the answer? That's yet to be seen, but overall, this should be a positive for Pedregon, who has been pulled in several directions as car owner, driver, and crew chief. Having a dedicated tuner whose sole focus is that is a huge benefit, and Pedregon got a great one at that. Though his focus most recently has been on Top Fuel, Brooks has experience in Funny Car, and he is widely considered to be one of the most talented tuners in the pits. Brooks has also proven he is not afraid to push the limits and go for it when conditions allow, which aligns with Pedregon's philosophy over the years.

WHAT: After departure of Jimmy Prock, Jack Beckman gets new tuning triumverate: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, and Neal Strasbaugh

OUR TAKE: Anytime you change crew chiefs and crew, there is going to be a jelling period, so there very well could be some early struggles. Having said that, the Countdown format is forgiving and this is an experience trio, so do not count this team out. Not only was Antonelli part of championship teams with John Force, but he served as crew chief for Ashley Force Hood, tuning her to multiple wins and second- and third-place rankings in the points. Medlen has been part of multipel championship teams, and we have been told by multiple people within DSR that Medlen is the key innovator for the entire organization, including being the mastermind behind the header changes that triggered the performance surge in the class. This will be Strasbaugh's first crew chief gig, but he has worked side-by-side with several big names, including Mike Green. We fully expect to see Beckman finish in the top 10 again this year.

WHAT: Jimmy Prock leaves DSR and rejoins John Force Racing, working with John Force, whom he tuned to a championship in 2013

OUR TAKE: No matter where he goes or with whom he works, Prock produces, and he has done big things with Force before. There's no reason to think these two can't pick up where they left off the last time they worked together and win races and contend for a championship again this year. Prock's move over to Force's team also gives a boost to teammate Robert Hight, who gains Jon Schaffer, who tuned Force to four wins last year, and Jason McCulloch, who has been part of multiple championship teams through the years, to work alongside Mike Neff.

WHAT: Jim Campbell replaces John Hale behind the wheel of Jim Dunn's Funny Car, which will receives major backing from 7-Eleven

OUR TAKE: Much like crew changes, a driver change will also mean a jelling period will be needed. Having said that, Dunn has proven to be a very good teacher through the years, having guided many drivers of varying experience level. Dunn tuned Hale to multiple three-second runs last year, and Campbell also ran in the threes on more than one occasion. If these two can get on the same page quickly, there's no reason to think they can't be a thorn in the side of some of the higher-profile teams out there. The Dunn team also continues to amaze with its ability to secure nontraditional sponsors, and that continues with 7-Eleven coming on board. Having strong sponsor backing, of course, can only help in the team's quest to create problems for the other teams.

WHAT: Del Worsham leaves Kalitta Motorsports to reunite with dad Chuck on the family entry

OUR TAKE: The Worsham family entry ran in the threes multiple times last year with Jim Campbell behind the wheel, but it didn't do so consistently. We're also not sure at this point that it's a car capable of running low 3.9s and/or 3.8s, which, based on last year's performances, we believe will be needed to be a contender week in and week out. Having said that, the father-son duo proved to be a great pairing before, and having them both focused on this car alone can only be a good thing. Not to mention the fact that having a more experienced driver who is widely considered among the best shoes in the class behind the wheel opens the tuning window and allows a bit more flexibility for the team as a whole. At this point, we don't have any particular expectations when it comes to this team, but we are intrigued by it and interested to see what they do.

WHAT: Reigning, two-time Top Alcohol Funny Car champ Jonnie Lindberg replaces Chad Head in the Head Racing Funny Car

OUR TAKE: To be quite frank, our expectations for this car is the same as it would be without a driver change. Sure, they have a new driver who will have some learning to do, but Lindberg has proven quite adept at wheeling a Top Alcohol Funny Car, which many consider to be the most difficult car to drive in drag racing, so we think he will be able to adapt. The question is how long does that take? Another thing factoring in our assessment is the car itself. While it has shown potential at times the last few years, the Head Racing flopper has also been very inconsistent.

WHAT: Tanner Gray to replace dad Shane in the Gray Motorsports Camaro

OUR TAKE: Early buzz surrounding the third-generation Pro Stock driver has been very positive, and he has put up some good, competitive numbers in testing, but testing in a more private setting with no pressure is vastly different than actually competing in an event. We are reserving full judgement of Gray until we see him compete, but if early impressions by those who have seen him drive, including some fellow competitors, are any indication, expect good things from this rookie.

WHAT: After running Mopars last season, former world champs Erica Enders (pictured) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. switch to Chevrolets for 2017

OUR TAKE: There's no way to sugarcoat the Elite team's 2016 season: it was awful, so it was no big surprise to see this change. Considering Enders' two championships came in Chevys, and the Elite team's lone Chevy last year, Vincent Nobile's Mountain View entry, was the only one to make it to the winner's circle, expect bigger and better things from the entire group this year. How much better? Like some of the other teams on this list, we'll have to wait and see. Though Nobile won and recorded two runner-up finishes in 2016, he didn't exactly set the world on fire. How much of that had to do with the fact the Elite team had a split focus, working on two different combos, and now that there is a singular focus will that mean major improvements across all three cars? These are all questions that likely won't be answered until we get a couple races in the books.