Black Sunday: Big hitters go down swinging

John Force won't be racing Sunday.

The final day of qualifying for the U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis certainly seemed like a Black Sunday.
I've covered NHRA drag racing since 1993 and can't remember a year where so many big names missed the field for the sport's biggest race.
The list is topped by NHRA icon John Force, who missed "The Big Go" for the second consecutive season. He is joined in the Funny Car ranks by four-time champion Gary Scelzi, who also failed to advance to the NHRA "playoffs," and Tommy Johnson Jr., whose first season with Kenny Bernstein's Monster Energy team has been a constant struggle, although they accounted for themselves pretty well on Sunday, making a solid 4.211 on a slippery race track during the final qualifying session. It was one of the better runs of the final session.
Morgan Lucas also saw his chances at making the Countdown to the Championship go up in smoke when he hazed the tires in his final qualifying attempt. HIs disappointment is elation for Doug Kalitta and David Grubnic, who both clinched their spots. The 20 positions for Top Fuel and Funny Car are all now filled.
I wonder what Monday will bring us, but for me expect Tony Schumacher, who struggled during the first two days of qualifying before recapturing the magic Sunday, to win in Top Fuel, with Tony Pedregon completing a Pedregon Racing double by winning in Funny Car, joining brother Cruz, who won Sunday's U.S. Smokeless Showdown, and I'll take Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock. I also see Matt Smith winning Pro Stock Motorcycle.