CLERMONT, Ind — The 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals is upon us. There’s plenty at stake for the annual foray to the west side of Indianapolis and it starts under the lights on Friday night.

When the lights come on for the NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series, the speeds go up. They each go hand-in-hand. These 11,000 horsepower machines glide through the nighttime air easier than they do under daytime conditions.

It’s natural.

But when it’s at the “Big Go” it just means more than anywhere else too. This is their Super Bowl. It’s also the final race of the regular season as well.

Most years, Friday night’s action sets the top end of the ladders for the four professional ranks. That’s why the pressure is packed and the action intense. You have 1 pass and no do overs.

There’s 2 more qualifying rounds on Saturday (2:15 p.m. ET, 5:45 p.m. ET) and the final 2 on Sunday (12:15 p.m. ET, 3:45 p.m. ET).

4 passes to determine the top 16 ET’s. The lowest is the No. 1 qualifier. That’s why each day matters but as the weekend goes along, the positioning is harder and harder to improve upon.

The temps rise each day so there’s never going to be 2 same conditions to base things off of. With the parity being like it is and how talented these fields are from top to bottom, seeding and matchups are everything.

That’s why there’s a lot at stake.

So is a few more things.

• Final event before the Countdown – Tony Schumacher is on the outside looking in right now in Top Fuel. Can the 8-time champion bump his way in?
• Capps/Brown Ready To Defend Wins – Both drivers won the last time out in Brainerd. Both also won last year’s US Nationals. Can they go back-to-back?
• Force’s Turn? Brittany Force is a Top Fuel champion. She’s won 16 races. She’s also winless here. Does that change on Monday? She’s been the No. 1 qualifier in each of the last 2 years and lost in the final round in both.
• Points Leaders – Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley has won 6 of the 14 Top Fuel races this season including 2 of the last 3. He’s winless at Indy. Dallas Glenn has won 4 of the 14 Pro Stock events. Gaige Herrera has won 6 of the 8 Pro Stock Bike races. Can any of these points leaders walk away with a Wally or do they need to pay more dues here still?
• No. 100 – Robert Hight will forever be a legend of this sport. The last time out, he scored his 99th career final round appearance. The next time he gets to the starting line with a win in sight, it will move him to the century mark. Maybe that happens on Monday.
  • Hight has made the final round in 7 of his 17 years of trying here. 3 of those were wins with the other 4 runner-ups. One of those second place finishes came just last year to Ron Capps. Can he get redemption on Monday afternoon?
  • Hight sits third in points. He had 2 wins in the first 5 races but none in the last 9.