When Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com spoke with Graham Light at the U.S. Nationals regarding the new points system for 2007, he noted that he had gone back over the last few seasons and compared the two systems and that in the majority of cases the champions were the same. Obviously the intent is to make sure that the fans and the media pay attention to the NHRA action through the final event of the season as opposed to the “a-okay” Force (or Anderson) won it again. That has been the modus operandi for several seasons well prior to the Finals at Pomona.

The main objection to the new system is that it removes any advantage that a driver may have by doing exceptionally well prior to Indy. Doug Kalitta is a victim of that scenario as his 136 point lead over Tony Schumacher was reduced to just 10 markers if the new allocation is applied to this year’s tally. In fact Kalitta would have fallen to 4^th in the order following the Dallas race under the new system and following the Reading event would trail Schumacher by 74 points. The real winner under the new system would be Rod Fuller who would be third and only 68 out of the lead going into Virginia and the cut to four cars as opposed to his current 6^th place, trailing Kalitta by 277. 

Currently Funny Car has 3 cars split by just 35 points with Force leading Ron Capps and Robert Hight while the new system would give Hight a 44 point lead over his boss and father in law with Capps still sandwiched in the middle of that group. Capps also comes out a loser under the new system as he would be go from only one point out of the lead to 38 points in arrears. Tony Pedregon would also be on a precarious footing as his 62 point margin over Eric Medlen would be reduced to a 21 point lead over Tommy Johnson Jr, making it a real possibility that TJ could displace Tony from the final four next weekend.

In Pro Stock it is Jason Line who takes a beating as Greg Anderson has used his late season charge to match the Kalitta/Schumacher scenario. Line had a 121 point lead prior to Indy but Anderson=s two wins and the fact that the new system reduced the lead to just 10 markers prior to the Nats means that Anderson would lead his Summit teammate by 55 rather than trailing by 56 points. Mike Edwards and Kurt Johnson are less than a round apart under both systems so that is pretty much a wash.

The Pro Stock Bikes are close under both allocations with the top three in the same order although Antron Brown loses some of his margin over Andrew Hines. The loser here is Chip Ellis whose poor Reading outing would have cost him a spot in the top four and hence the chance at the title as Karen Stoffer=s win at Maple Grove would have vaulted her around Ellis rather than leaving her trailing by 73 markers. With the final four being set for the bikes at this point under the new system the best that Ellis and the S&S team could hope for would be 5^th while 3^rd is quite conceivably within reach this year with 8 rounds of racing left.