The deadline for this column falls prior to the Division 7 Lucas Oil Series finale in Las Vegas, so as I write this there are two events remaining on the calendar to decide the Lucas Oil Series Championship: that final divisional event, and the NHRA Finals in Pomona. By the time that you read this, we’ll either be in the midst of the NHRA Finals – in which case some of the information below will be either outdated or completely irrelevant – or the season will have reached its completion and the champions will be crowned. Either way, I hope that you can enjoy looking back on this final stretch and appreciating – perhaps in hindsight – what the 2025 champions had to overcome to hoist the elusive championship Wally, because at this point the majority of the championship battles are still very much up in the air!
Stock:
The lone exception to the above statement is Stock Eliminator, where Division 1 ace Bubba Linke has clinched his first NHRA Lucas Oil Series championship. While the Stock race didn’t come down to the final events, it was everything that we could hope for as fans of the class. Two-time champion Jeff Strickland came into his final event of the season really needing nothing short of a victory to have a legitimate shot at his 3rd national championship. At the Division 2 closer in Rockingham, he did just that – winning “on command” to stretch his points lead. A few days later, Linke rolled into Maple Grove for his final points earning opportunity – the conclusion of the Division 1 event that had originally started more than a month earlier in Virginia before weather pushed back its conclusion. Lo and behold, Linke duplicated Strickland’s clutch feat, winning the event and ultimately securing the title!
Super Stock:
By the time that you read this, the Super Stock championship will be decided. And the most likely scenario is that Jimmy Hidalgo, Jr. will again etch his name in the history books, this time with back-to-back Super Stock titles. Hidalgo sits atop the standings with a massive 689 point score. Just two drivers have a chance to unseat him atop the standings. The good news for Hidalgo is that to do so, either of those drivers would have to win the Las Vegas LODRS event to win the title – that’s a tall order! The bad news? Those two drivers – Justin Lamb and Kevin Helms – have earned a combined nine world championships! If anyone is capable of making a memorable run to the title, it’s those guys; but neither has any margin for error at this point in the season.
If Hidalgo’s score does in fact hold, he’d become just the fourth Super Stock driver in the current championship points era to earn back-to-back championships, joining Keith Lynch (1982-1983), Greg Stanfield (who won three consecutive titles from 1992-1994… and four in five years when you tack on his 1990 championship), and the aforementioned Lamb who accomplished the feat in 2017 and 2018 (Lamb also won the Stock championship in ‘17, marking an unprecedented three titles in a two year span).
Super Comp:
Kris Whitfield continues to lead the Super Comp standings, as he has every week since April. In recent months, he’s added two wins to his resume, but neither victory counted toward his season-long points total (if either had, this race would have been over a month ago). As it stands, the title is still in doubt, but Whitfield remains the favorite. He currently leads, and can still improve his score at both remaining events.
At this point in the season, the championship contenders include Chad Webber and Jeff Cheney. To take the lead and keep his title hopes alive, Cheney will have to stage for the final round of the Division 7 closer in Las Vegas. Webber has more potential paths to the title, as he can improve his score at both events.
There is a chance that the Super Comp title is settled before Pomona: if Webber and Cheney falter and Whitfield improves his score, he could clinch the title in Las Vegas. There’s also a chance that Whitfield comes into the NHRA Finals without the lead in the category for the first time in 7 months. If that latter comes to fruition, he’d still have a chance to reclaim the crown with a strong finish in Pomona.
Super Gas:
In each of the last three years, the top spot in Super Gas has changed hands at the NHRA Finals. In two of those years, the lead changed hands in the final round! The class that has provided the most drama in recent years feels destined to give us yet another incredible finish, as six drivers come into the Las Vegas divisional with a shot at the title: JJ Brock, Val Torres, Phil Unruh, Evan Kowalski, Bo Butner, and Larry Scarth.
Brock is the driver hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself. He’s the leader in the clubhouse with 638 points – a score worthy of the title. He’ll likely retain the lead through the weekend and into Pomona – the only driver who can earn enough points to overtake him in Las Vegas is reigning champ Val Torres (by the way, the Super Gas category has yet to see a back-to-back champion in its 40+ year history). To do so Torres would have to reach the semi-final round. Regardless, we’ll come into Pomona with at least four drivers still in title contention, and perhaps all six!
Competition Eliminator:
As we enter the closing events of the season, the three drivers atop the Competition Eliminator standings are separated by just three points. Joseph Carnasciale leads Jeff Lane by a single point, with 3-time champion Jeff Taylor trailing by three.
Despite holding the lead, Carnasciale is a bit of an underdog as he cannot add to his total. Lane, who has dominated the divisional schedule with a perfect score in his five LODRS events has to be the favorite, although his stranglehold on the championship took a hit at the Las Vegas Nationals with a head-to-head loss to Taylor in round one. Lane will look to improve a first round loss in Pomona, and as it currently stands would need just one win-light to overtake Carnasciale and claim a long overdue first national title.
Taylor will take his swing at the championship at the divisional event in Las Vegas, a week after he advanced to the semi-final round of the national event at the same facility. To take the lead heading into Pomona, Taylor will need to win round 3 in Las Vegas. But even if he wins the event, Lane would still have a chance to reclaim the title with a deep run at the NHRA Finals.
Top Dragster:
Darian Boesch enters this final stretch as the leader in both Top Dragster and Top Sportsman. Like Carnasciale, however, he’s arguably not the favorite in either category. He’s done earning points for the season, and in Top Dragster he leads Jessica Eastburn by a scant 2-point margin. Eastburn can’t improve her standing in Las Vegas, but needs just one round win in Pomona to overtake Boesch and move into the lead.
It’s not a two-driver race either. Division 6 runner Casey Plazier can make a run at the title with a strong finish at either (or both) remaining events, and young Ty Gaynor is also in contention for the title following his national event victory in Las Vegas.
Top Sportsman:
In Top Sportsman, Boesch’s path to a second (or perhaps third) world championship feels a little bit more likely, but is far from a sure thing. David Cook trails Boesch by just 12 points, and can improve his score at both remaining events. To do so, he’ll have to go some rounds: Cook is working to improve a third round loss on the divisional side and a second round loss nationally. Jeff Brooks, Dale Thaxton, Dan Lafferty, and Bradley Johnson are all mathematically alive coming into Vegas as well, with Lafferty in perhaps the best position to challenge the leaders.
For all the drama in the professional classes as the Countdown reaches its conclusion in Pomona, there is always equal pressure and excitement in the Lucas Oil ranks. I for one can’t wait to see who comes out on top; and your guess at the 2025 roster of Lucas Oil champions is as good as mine!
