I'm actually getting pretty excited about the upcoming NHRA season because for the first time in a long time I can honestly say I don't have a clue who is going to win any of the four championships up for grabs. There has simply been too much change to determine any teams or drivers with a clear-cut advantage, and for that reason alone this very well could be a spectacular season.
Let's examine the top two classes in this column.
Top Fuel

We know for sure the current champion won't repeat because Del Worsham -- the feel-good winner of the 2011 crown -- has retired from driving. Fortunately for fans of the likable Worsham, he will still be around as he assumes the title of crew chief for Alexis DeJoria's Funny Car team, but his departure from the seat of the Al-Anabi Racing dragster helps open the title race to several hopefuls.
The other big vacancy on the list of contenders is Larry Dixon, who inexplicably "parted ways" with Al-Anabi team manager Alan Johnson over the winter. This bit of news was perhaps the most shocking item in the sport since Johnson left Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) at the end of 2008 after winning five championships is a row with driver Tony Schumacher. I guess we will never find out why Dixon got sideways with Johnson because those two say very little of consequence to the media or anyone else for that matter, and I don't see that changing any time soon.
So with the last two champions out of the way, it could be argued that DSR pilots Spencer Massey, Antron Brown and Schumacher have a better-than-normal chance of breaking through in 2012. Massey ran a close second to Worsham last year, Brown has continued to improve each year since switching from Pro Stock Bikes to Top Fuel and seven-time champion Schumacher is the most prolific driver in class history.
On the other hand, although the drivers are different, it's hard to pick against Al-Anabi Racing, isn't it? Johnson is the best tuner in class history and maybe the best ever, period, and I haven't heard any reports about him suddenly losing his mind in the last two months. Perhaps Shawn Langdon, the prodigious starting-line talent who moved to Al-Anabi from Morgan Lucas Racing, should be everyone's pick. Or how about his rookie teammate, Khalid al Balooshi, who won last season's Pro Mod title? Langdon was incredulous when he told me Balooshi's final licensing pass was quicker and faster than he'd ever been himself.
What about GEICO's Morgan Lucas and his new teammate Brandon Bernstein, who will drive the MavTV/Lucas Oil rail? They have two of Johnson's former tuners on board in Aaron Brooks and Rod Centorbi. They've got something going on over there.
Then you have Doug Kalitta and Dave Grubnic. They are always dangerous, and Grubnic told me he's got Candlewood Suites funding for 16 races this year and the other seven are also covered so he's set to go full throttle.
Funny Car

Funny Car will center around the two mega-teams of DSR and John Force Racing, who have been exchanging body blows for the last several years.
The current advantage, however slight it may be, lies with DSR as Matt Hagan claimed the hard-fought 2011 title. Considering he also pushed Force to the bitter end in '10, Hagan should be considered the top man in the class, and this year he'll have title support from Aarons.
Teammate "Fast" Jack Beckman was runner-up last season and remains a steady challenge at every event in his Valvoline Dodge. With his background in instruction, including teaching the sport to many of his contemporaries, Beckman should never be overlooked.
The other two DSR pros -- Ron Capps and Johnny Gray -- have the same equipment and opportunity as Hagan and Beckman so they will most likely be in the mix. Capps looked strong at times after Tim and Kim Richards took over tuning duties on his NAPA Auto Parts Charger, and Gray showed he can win by taking his first Funny Car victory in Brainerd, Minn., in the Service Central Dodge.
The John Force Racing stable once again houses four Mustangs with Force's youngest daughter Courtney jumping in the fray with the Traxxas car. While she may be on a bit of a learning curve, Dad, Robert Hight and Mike Neff will all contend.
Papa John can't be happy with his late-season swoon and will be geared up for an all-out assault on championship No. 16. Hight and Neff both finished within 100 points of the title and looked like the ones to beat at various moments in 2011.
Then there's the group of semi-independent runners, who all flash brilliance at times. Cruz and Tony Pedregon, both past champions, work together in their attempt to stay on equal footing with the big teams. Tim Wilkerson and Bob Tasca III keep open lines of communication. And now we have the two-car attack of Jeff Arend and DeJoria, who should benefit from comparing data.
So, like I said, how does one go about picking a clear-cut favorite in either of the nitro classes?
Maybe it will be easier in Pro Stock. I'll examine that category next.
