NHRA Midwest Nationals 2014: Dates, Race Schedule, Live Stream and More
Just four more events remain in the 2014 NHRA schedule, with the first of those final nationals coming this weekend.
The NHRA Midwest Nationals kick off on Friday from Gateway Motorsports Park with 12 different categories set to take the track. Of those, the Top Fuel and Funny Car disciplines will be the most riveting events to watch.
John and Courtney Force are both inside the top four in the Funny Car division, with Courtney winning the most recent running in Dallas. Meanwhile Tony Schumacher still paces the Top Fuel field with a victory of his own in Texas.
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Ahead of the Midwest Nationals firing up, here's a look at the full race information and preview for the event.
NHRA Midwest Nationals Information
When: Sept. 26-28. Full schedule available at NHRA.com.
Where: Gateway Motorsports Park, Madison, Illinois
TV: ESPN2 (Sunday coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET)
Live Stream: WatchESPN
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Tony Schumacher | 2296 |
| 2 | Steve Torrence | 2190 |
| 3 | Doug Kalitta | 2189 |
| 4 | Shawn Langdon | 2181 |
| 5 | J.R. Todd | 2168 |
| 6 | Spencer Massey | 2167 |
| 7 | Khalid alBalooshi | 2156 |
| 8 | Antron Brown | 2143 |
| 9 | Richie Crampton | 2085 |
| 10 | Brittany Force | 2053 |
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | John Force | 2258 |
| 2 | Robert Hight | 2213 |
| 3 | Matt Hagan | 2209 |
| 4 | Courtney Force | 2197 |
| T5 | Ron Capps | 2164 |
| T5 | Alexis DeJoria | 2164 |
| 7 | Tommy Johnson Jr. | 2162 |
| 8 | Del Worsham | 2135 |
| 9 | Tim Wilkerson | 2123 |
| 10 | Cruz Pedregon | 2093 |
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Jason Line | 2266 |
| 2 | Dave Connolly | 2223 |
| 3 | Shane Gray | 2218 |
| 4 | Erica Enders-Stevens | 2207 |
| 5 | Jonathan Gray | 2192 |
| 6 | Vincent Noble | 2186 |
| 7 | Allen Johnson | 2166 |
| 8 | Jeg Coughlin | 2150 |
| 9 | V. Gaines | 2103 |
| 10 | Chris McGaha | 2073 |
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | Andrew Hines | 2302 |
| 2 | Eddie Krawiec | 2257 |
| 3 | Steve Johnson | 2198 |
| 4 | Hector Arana Jr. | 2177 |
| 5 | Matt Smith | 2169 |
| 6 | Scotty Pollacheck | 2144 |
| 7 | John Hall | 2139 |
| 8 | Hector Arana | 2122 |
| 9 | Angie Smith | 2094 |
| 10 | Michael Ray | 2071 |
Preview
Coming off huge wins, both Schumacher and Courtney Force are looking like strong contenders in St. Louis.
The Forces' stranglehold over the NHRA begins with John Force, but his daughter is making her case for a championship. Following her win in the Texas Fall Nationals, Courtney spoke about getting back into the title chase, per The Associated Press (via USA Today):
"We definitely needed to make a turn for the better. We needed to go some rounds today if we still wanted a shot at the championship. After the loss in Charlotte it felt like the No. 1 spot was drifting further away. It was almost a good thing he (father John Force) went out a little bit early here, and he wasn't creating such a huge gap for us to (potentially) reach that No. 1 spot. We've made a huge move up and we're still in the hunt.
"
Thanks to securing the win in Dallas, Courtney is now up to fourth in the standings and trails her father by just 61 points in the Funny Car division. Courtney's victory also made history for a female driver, as Ford Driving Skills notes:
It might still be a tossup on the Funny Car division, but Schumacher is currently running away in the Top Fuel standings.
The 44-year-old is a seven-time champion in the discipline, but he hasn't won a title since 2009. By virtue of his win last weekend, Schumacher now holds a 106-point lead over Steve Torrence, the widest margin in any of the top four divisions.
Believing he'll stay there, Schumacher referenced his current lead, per the NHRA official account:
Along with the two strong contenders taking the track, Jason Line and Andrew Hines will also look to separate themselves in the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle divisions, respectively.
As the NHRA season winds down, plenty will be on the line starting on Friday. With one of the most pivotal events taking place this weekend in St. Louis, several notable drivers will be looking to stake their claim in the standings.
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