TAN Chicago

With 27 diggers and 20 flip-tops entered for this race, it's shaping up to be one of the toughest fields all year. The TAD list includes nine of the 2011 Top 10 drivers; TAFC has six of their Top 10 drivers from 2011. Over half of the TAFC entries are capable of running 5.5s. Both classes will have a rookie driver competing; former TAFC driver Greg Hunter in Dragster and former Pro Mod driver Todd Robertson in Funny Car. In this article, we'll look back at past event champions, and preview the drivers who we think have a chance of adding their names to the list.

Previous Final Rounds (Winner first)

TAD
2011 - Reichert/Whiteley
2010 - Guest/Dreher
2009 - Whiteley/B. Lewis
2008 - Reichert/Bayer
2007 - Reichert/ K. Harker
2006 - Datweiler/S. O'Bannon
2005 - Reichert/Wilson
2004 - Wells/Howard
2003 - Lucas/Wells
2002 - Federlin/Perry

TAFC
2011 - Bartone/Lombardo
2010 - Manzo/Ferro
2009 - Manzo/Harker
2008 - Manzo/Bateman
2007 - Ferro/Chesterman
2006 - Newberry/Harker
2005 - Manzo/Snyder
2004 - Snyder/Lee
2003 - Newberry/Gordon
2002 - Payne/Smith

Jegs Allstars Winners (TAD/TAFC)
2011 - Whiteley/Manzo
2010 - Whiteley/Manzo
2009 - Reichert/Manzo
2008 - Bayer/Gordon
2007 - Massey/Manzo
2006 - Thacker/Manzo
2005 - Snow/Manzo
2004 - Howard/Stidham
2003 - Lucas/B. Austin
2002 - Thacker/Payne

Drivers to Watch

TAD

Jim Whiteley - Tied for first place with Chris Demke, Whiteley is having a flawless season on the regional side of things. The head driver at the YNot Racing camp won all three regionals he entered, Las Vegas, Denver, and Tulsa. Jim completed the LV1 sweep by winning the Vegas national event. Another national event win followed in Houston. Can he notch another W in the national event column this weekend? YNot?

Bill Reichert - Five-time world champ Bill Reichert started off his 2012 season with a runner-up finish at the Gatornationals and a win at the 4-Wide Nationals, then experienced a pair of first round losses in his first two regional events. He turned his Rislone A/Fueler back in the right direction, winning his next two regionals at Maple Grove and Joliet. Bill has a good chance of sweeping the Route 66 races.

Meyer and Reichert

Randy Meyer - Past world championship tuner Meyer is due for a win in 2012. Randy tuned Doug Foley to a runner-up finish at the 4-Wide Nationals, the high point of what was supposed to be a run at the 2012 championship with the former Top Fuel driver. Meyer returned to the seat in Houston, lost early, then went to the finals at the Summernationals in Topeka. He fell to Mr. Five-Time in the semifinals here at the regional just a couple weeks ago. A final round appearance at last weekend's Tulsa regional solidifies his status as a Driver to Watch.

Ken Perry - The Iceman returned to competition at the Gatornationals after taking a year off in 2011, reaching the semifinals. He's been spotty after that, with first round losses at the 4-Wide Nationals and Joliet regional. In between those losses, he went to the finals at the Indy and Norwalk regionals, winning the latter.

Duane Shields - The defending world champion had a rough start to his 2012 season. Four first round exits in four races did not back up the #1 on the wing of Shields' Shortline Express A/Fueler. He returned to championship form with a win at the Richmond regional, followed by a runner-up finish at the Houston national. Most recently, Shields followed Reichert across the finish line in the Maple Grove regional final.

TAFC

Mickey Ferro - Ferro has been the most consistent alcohol Funny Car this year, losing no earlier than the semifinals at all five of his races so far. His season started with a runner-up and win at the Gainesville regional and national, respectively. Following success in gator country, Mickey went to the semifinals in his next two national events in Charlotte and Houston. Like Reichert, Ferro has the opportunity to sweep here, as his most recent win was the Joliet regional.

Chris Foster - The combination of driver Foster and tuner Will Hanna has been potent in the past two Midwest regionals. Chris won in Norwalk and Joliet after a pair of second round losses and semifinal exit in Charlotte. The defending Division 3 champions know how to win on hot, Midwestern tracks.

Tony Bartone - Just one point behind Jay Payne in national points, the 2011 national championship runner-up enters Chicago looking for his third national event victory of the year, adding to his wins at Las Vegas and Topeka. Tony reached the semifinals at Pomona and Houston, as well as the finals at the Vegas regional.

Frank Manzo - The undisputed king of the TAFC world enters the midpoint of the 2012 season winless at national events. Manzo was victorious on the regional series, winning at Indy and Maple Grove. He lost in the semifinals at Gainesville and Topeka. The most surprising part of Frank's '12 scorecard? First round losses at the 4-Wide Nationals and right here at the regional. He has the ability to win here; he's done it four times in the past 10 years, plus six Jegs Allstars victories.

Steve Gasparrelli - Just like his ECS-sponsored alcohol funny car, Steve Gasparrelli's season has been picking up speed at every increment. First round exit at Pomona, second round at the Vegas regional, semifinals at the Vegas national, finals at the Houston national, and a win at the Mission regional. Can Gasparrelli keep that streak going and take a national event win?