If you’ve read this column for any length of time, you know that I like to nerd out. Before you ask, the answer is yes. Yes, I realize that it’s May. Yes, I realize that half the country hasn’t even begun earning points toward the 2025 Lucas Oil Series Championship. Yes, I realize that I prematurely crowned Sherman Adcock as the 2023 Super Gas national champion – perhaps I even jinxed him – in these very pages two years ago. Yes. And I submit to you again, I enjoy the nerd out process. So, maybe a quarter of the way into 2025, here’s a quick look at the Lucas Oil Series championship picture.
Let’s start in the Super Comp category, where Kris Whitfield is off to a dominant start reminiscent of the Sherman Adock, Jr. campaign that I referenced above. Six races into his 2025 season, Whitfield has already staged in four final rounds. His round record to this point is 31-4! As a result, he’s accumulated a massive 510 points, with two races yet to count as full events. That means that if Kris fails to win another round this season, he’d close the year with 570 points – a total worthy of a top ten Super Comp finish every season in the past decade.
Furthermore, Whitfield has posted this score in the category that I would argue features more parity than any other on the Lucas Oil Series landscape. Only three times in the past decade has the world champion posted a total north of 660 points. National champions in Super Stock, Stock, and Super Gas have broken through the elusive 700 point barrier within the last four seasons, while no Super Comp driver has surpassed 700 in over 15 years. In short, it’s not just difficult to dominate in the 8.90 category – it’s basically unprecedented.
Does that mean that someone won’t eclipse 700 in 2025? No. Could that someone not be named Kris Whitfield? Of course. But at this point, there’s not a single sportsman competitor – regardless of category – who would hesitate to swap score cards with the Colorado runner in pursuit of his first Lucas Oil Series national championship.
Let’s add a second to the index and shift gears into the Super Gas category. When I initially outlined this column, I had pinpointed Nathan Vrooman is the early favorite – and for good reason. The Division 3 ace started the season with three strong finishes on the divisional trail: a win in Orlando, followed by a semi-final in Gainesville, and then a runner-up in Indianapolis. But that runner-up was to fellow Division 3 runner Nathan Prose. And a week later, Prose duplicated the feat by winning again, this time in St. Louis. Granted, Prose has staged for just two events thus far in 2025… But he’s yet to lose!
Joining Vrooman and Prose among Super Gas drivers to throw their hat in the ring as championship contenders at this point early in the season are a list of accomplished 9.90 competitors that include Evan Kowalski (a top five finisher in the category a year ago, who at the time of this writing leads the national standings in BOTH Super Gas and Super Stock), Ken Mostowich, and JJ Brock, and others.
Kowalski currently leads the Super Stock points as well. In seven events thus far, he’s yet to be defeated prior to round three. But the story in the Super Stock category belongs to another pair of west coast drivers, both of whom have championship history. Ryan McClanahan, who finished 2nd in last season’s championship chase, has already earned two victories in just four appearances. Meanwhile, 5-time NHRA World Champion Justin Lamb has driven to three final round appearances in his first five events!
Both McClanahan and Lamb are extremely accomplished. They’re both also hungry, for different reasons. Lamb’s incredible streak of 12 consecutive seasons logging at least one NHRA National Event victory came to an end in 2024, a season that he’d admit was his most frustrating behind the wheel in over a decade. He’s already won a national event in 2025, and appears poised to return to championship form. McClanahan, who earned the Super Stock crown in 2010 has had multiple heartbreaking near-championship runs since, none more dramatic than last season. Fresh off a momentum-swinging victory at the closing Lucas Oil Series event of the season in Las Vegas, McClanahan staged for the most pressure-packed round of his career in the quarterfinals at Pomona. Win the round, and he’d surpass Jimmy Hidalgo, Jr. to claim the Super Stock crown. McClanahan was up to the task, posting a .022 reaction time and matching his 8.15 dial with an 8.156. His opponent, Shelby Williams one-upped that stellar run, and sent McClanahan home without the coveted championship hardware.
Will Lamb or McClanahan claim that hardware in 2025? Who knows, again it’s too early to tell. But they’re both proven championship competitors, and they’re both off to hot starts – either of them are a good bet!
In Stock eliminator, no driver stands out just yet. CW Hoeffer and Jeff Adkinson lead the national standings as of this writing. While they both have points ledgers that would typically earn a top ten finish, and that could certainly provide the foundation for a championship run, they’ll need a hot finish to post a score that traditionally contends for a title. Bruce Kastle has already been to two final rounds in 2025, which is great. He’s also accumulated a handful of round one exits, which is not so ideal. While May is too early to call any category, Stock looks to be wide open at this point.
Similarly, the fast brackets are anyone’s guess. We can, however, acknowledge some very nice starts to the season. In Comp, Chase Williams has made just two starts, and is nearly batting 1000 with a win and a runner-up. Taylor Chomiski and 3-time champ Jeff Taylor are also off to great starts in their own right.
Rusty Baxter leads the Top Dragster points battle as of this writing on the strength of two wins and a runner-up through just six events. Clint Riley has already picked up a pair of divisional Wally’s as well. Those two are atop the heap here in the early stages of 2025.
In Top Sportsman, 2024 championship contender David Cook, Jr. started red hot with two finals in Phoenix, but has cooled since. The Utah-based Warr brothers, Bryan and Patrick are hot on Cook’s heels in the national points chase, and Tyler Caheely has a solid score going through his first few events as well.
Who will claim the 2025 crowns? Your guess is as good as mine. I’d be willing to bet that at least a couple of names mentioned above will grace the stage at the end of 2025. At the same time, I’d just about guarantee that at least a couple championships will go to racers who haven’t made their 2025 splash just yet. Hey, there are only a little more than 50 events left on the schedule at which Lucas Oil Series racers can earn points. And there are still two geographic divisions that have yet to even kick off their 2025 season. I’m sure not much will change between now and November!
