NHRA’s January 27th announcement regarding a points increase for the prestigious U.S. Nationals appears to be a change at least some drivers and crew chiefs support.

At the 2015 U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis Sept. 2-7, drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be racing for their share of points using a point-and-a-half scale.

Ron CappsNHRA’s January 27th announcement regarding a points increase for the prestigious U.S. Nationals appears to be a change at least some drivers and crew chiefs support.

At the 2015 U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis Sept. 2-7, drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be racing for their share of points using a point-and-a-half scale.

“I think it's great,” said veteran Funny Car driver Ron Capps, who drives the NAPA Dodge for Don Schumacher Racing, about the point change at Indy. “It’s only fitting that really the race that is sort of our Daytona 500 or our Super Bowl, that everything at that race should be amplified. I have yet to win on Monday (there), but I have won Big Bud Shootouts there, three of them, and I won there on Saturday, last year when we completed the (rain-delayed) Brainerd final. All that is left to win is Monday, and that is a race that every driver wants to win. For me, that race is more important I think than a championship as far as a drag racing historian.”

Allen Johnson, the 2012 Pro Stock world champ, shared some of the same thoughts as Capps.

“I think it's a good thing and will add a little more drama to the last race of the (regular) season,” Johnson said. “If you are right on the bubble it will make you work even harder, so I think you see this being a positive. If you are in ninth place and it lets the 11th place guy be able catch you, you probably think there will be more pressure on you at this race, but if you are in 11th and trying to get the 10th spot it would be good.”

The race champion in each professional class will earn 150 points. Runner-up finishers will get 120 points. Semifinalists will be awarded 90 points each, and the second-round finishers will earn 60 points apiece. The first-round finishers will all claim 30 points.

Allen JohnsonIf a driver in a Pro class sweeps all available points in this new format at Indy he or she could earn 208 points.

"In the old days, we used to do the point-and-a-half format," said Jim Oberhofer of Kalitta Motorsports. "I think this is a good move and will add more excitement to the race. I think what you will see is this format will open up more opportunities for those outside of the Countdown headed into the last race. Indy is our Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500, Super Bowl and World Series ... and there needs to be this kind of prize. This brings a lot of prestige back to this race. I saw how hard Connie Kalitta had to work to win this race, and I know how hard Alexis Dejoria worked to get hers. I get it."

Mike Green, the crew chief for driver Tony Schumacher, who has won a record nine U.S. Nationals Top Fuel titles, also likes the new way points will be distributed at Indy.

“I think it’s great that they changed the point system,” Green said. “It used to be like that before and it made this race even a little bigger. I raced there when it was like that (in the past). I think it is a good thing and our success there obviously makes me feel more like that. It could be a little more dramatic, especially for the 8, 9, and 10 cars that are back there battling for that spot. It will bring more people into that and we’ve been lucky enough to have not been in that position.”

Graham Light, NHRA senior vice president of racing operations is excited to see how the points unfold at Indy.

“With more points up for grabs, we certainly expect to see a lot of movement throughout the top 10s in each of the Mello Yello Series classes on the final day of the regular season,” Light said in an NHRA press release. “The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals is already one of the most pressure-packed events on the circuit, and we expect that level of excitement to increase significantly with this points increase.”

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