Unlike in NHRA’s other three Professional classes, the Countdown to 1 for competitors in Pro Stock Motorcycle has just five races, which means that every round is critical, and a single mistake can be devastating. The NHRA.com staff has been taking a look at the points races in each of the four NHRA Professional eliminators, finishing with Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Although there is always room for upsets, the battle for the Pro Stock Motorcycle title is essentially a two-man race, with reigning champ Matt Smith locked in a close duel with second-year Harley-Davidson racer Eddie Krawiec.

Matt Smith
Started playoffs: First
Currently: First
Round-wins: Six

Steady and consistent, Matt Smith has put himself in a position to defend his 2007 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship. Faced with the loss of his sponsor after winning last season’s title, Smith signed an 11th-hour deal with Kenny Koretsky’s Nitro Fish apparel company and hardly skipped a beat on track, riding to four wins and two runner-up finishes.

The top seed when the Countdown to 1 began, Smith has done exactly what he needs to do, backing up his quarterfinal finish in Charlotte with a runner-up in Dallas. Smith had a chance to build a huge lead heading into the final two Pro Stock Motorcycle events in Las Vegas and Pomona when he raced second-ranked Eddie Krawiec in the second round in Memphis, but a rare red-light, his first of the season, has helped keep the points chase interesting.

Eddie Krawiec
Started playoffs: Seventh
Currently: Second (-42)
Round-wins: Eight

He’s still seeking his first victory, but Eddie Krawiec has won more Countdown rounds than anyone except Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel or Tim Wilkerson in Funny Car, and he is pressuring Smith for the top spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Krawiec, in his second year on the Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod, has peaked at the right time, reaching his first two finals of the year in Charlotte and Memphis. He also has a semifinal finish in Dallas.

Krawiec lost the final against Steve Johnson in Charlotte on a red-light and broke in the Memphis final against Craig Treble, whom he had covered. It’s possible that Krawiec could join 1979 Top Fuel world champ Rob Bruins as the only other NHRA Pro racer to win a championship without winning a race, but that isn’t likely to happen. He can overtake Matt Smith, but to do so, he almost certainly will have to win one of the season’s final two events, or possibly both.

Chris Rivas
Started playoffs: Fifth
Currently: Third (-79)
Round-wins: Five

Although he’s admittedly a long shot to win the POWERade world championship, it would be hard for Chris Rivas to term his 2008 season as anything other than a success. Relieved of his duties midway through the season-ending Pomona event last November, Rivas faced an uncertain future but was quickly hired by George Smith to ride the G Squared team’s powerful Drag Specialties S&S Buell. Rivas made the most of that opportunity, winning his first national event in Chicago and returning for a second win in Dallas, a victory that boosted him from eighth to third in the standings.  

Rivas had a chance to make up more ground in Memphis, but a second-round loss against fellow championship contender Krawiec has left him on the fringe of contention, four rounds behind with eight to go. Rivas is capable of running the table and winning both races in Las Vegas and Pomona, but he’d probably need some help to overtake Matt Smith or Eddie Krawiec.

Angelle Sampey
Started playoffs: Fourth
Currently: Fourth (-102)
Round-wins: Four

One of the most shocking story lines to emerge from the 2008 season Angelle Sampey's lack of wins. After joining Karl Klement’s Rush Racing team earlier this season, where she was reunited with crew chief George Bryce and got a chance to ride one of the potent S&S Buell V-Twins for the first time, most insiders expected to see Sampey dominate the class, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Sampey did secure her spot in the Countdown to 1 by reaching final rounds in Brainerd and Reading, but a variety of issues, including several bouts with mechanical breakage, have prevented her from reaching the winner’s circle. Out of first place by five rounds with just eight remaining, Sampey’s focus isn’t on winning her fourth POWERade world championship but rather on making sure that her 12-year streak of winning at least one national event a year remains intact. 

Steve Johnson
Started playoffs: Eighth
Currently: Fifth (-119)
Round-wins: Five

With five round-wins in the first three events of the Countdown to 1, Steve Johnson has been one of the class’ biggest movers, shooting up the charts from eighth to fifth. Using the momentum gained by his surprising Mac Tools U.S. Nationals victory, Johnson rolled to a second title two weeks later at the Countdown kickoff at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Charlotte, a victory that vaulted him to second place.

Johnson has been unable to sustain the pace he set in Indy and Charlotte as he’s endured a round-two loss in Dallas and a bitter first-round defeat in Memphis, both by red-light. Johnson’s last six rounds have been decided by red-lights, four of them falling in his favor and two against. Trailing by 119 points with two to go, it’s unrealistic to expect Johnson to make a run at the POWERade title, but he’s in a position to make life difficult for those who are.

Andrew Hines
Started playoffs: Second
Currently: Sixth (-132)
Round-wins: One

Much like Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson, Andrew Hines is a former world championship favorite who has watched things go horribly wrong since the beginning of the Countdown to 1. Normally one of the steadiest and most consistent riders on the tour, the three-time POWERade world champ has suffered from a case of “scarlet fever” this season, turning on the dreaded red-light at five of the last six races. Hines entered the playoffs ranked second, but back-to-back first-round losses in Charlotte and Dallas severely crippled his chances. Adding fuel to an already budding rivalry, two of Hines’ last three red-lights have been against Matt Smith’s teammate, Angie McBride, including the most recent in Memphis that was preceded by a lengthy pre-race burndown.

Hines trails Smith by a nearly a full race with just two to go, which means that his role has almost certainly changed and he’s become a blocker for his Vance & Hines teammate, Eddie Krawiec. 

Chip Ellis
Started playoffs: Third
Currently: Seventh (-143)
Round-wins: One

With a win in Englishtown and a runner-up finish in Atlanta, Ellis has had his share of great moments in his first season aboard the Schumacher Electric Suzuki, but much like the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels, who were heavily favored to reach Major League Baseball’s World Series yet were unceremoniously swept aside during the first round of the playoffs, he has watched his chances fade during the Countdown to 1.

Ellis has qualified in the top half of the field at every event this season, but like many riders, red-light starts have been his Achilles heel as he’s fouled at six of the last eight races, including critical Countdown events in Charlotte and Memphis. With performances that included a stunning 6.91 during qualifying in Memphis, Ellis has arguably the quickest bike in the field, but even back-to-back wins at the final two Countdown events in Las Vegas and Pomona likely wouldn’t erase his 143 point deficit.

Craig Treble
Started playoffs: Ninth
Currently: Eighth (-152)
Round-wins: Four

After boosting his stock with runner-up finishes in Chicago and Norwalk, Craig Treble made a questionable move when he abruptly left Harry Lartigue’s team and joined Schumacher Racing just prior to the beginning of the Countdown to 1. Many of Treble’s fellow competitors were highly critical of the move, given that Lartigue is one of the most popular team owners in the sport. From a performance standpoint, it’s hard to argue that Treble made a bad call, especially after his recent win at the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals presented by Pennzoil. 

Though impressive, Treble’s victory in Memphis was a classic case of too little too late as he remains well behind the leaders. At best, Treble would do well to match last season’s sixth-place finish.

Matt Guidera
Started playoffs: Sixth
Currently: Ninth (-205)
Round-wins: One

After his dominating performance at the season-opening ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals, which included a win, a low-qualifier award, and a barrage of low 6.9-second runs, it was easy to peg Matt Guidera and his Mohegan Sun team as legitimate championship contenders, and for most of the season, they were. Guidera backed up his Gainesville win with another victory in Sonoma and earned a runner-up finish in Houston, but he has struggled in the season’s second half.

After winning a round in Charlotte, the first event in the Countdown to 1, not much has gone right for Guidera. A round-one loss in Dallas was painful, and a DNQ in Memphis, his first in more than two years, officially ended his title aspirations. Despite the setback, Guidera will likely have a lot of fond memories from the 2008 season.  

Karen Stoffer
Started playoffs: 10th
Currently: 10th (-239)
Round-wins: 0

The GEICO Motorcycle team, which is led by Karen Stoffer’s husband and crew chief, Gary, has a solid qualifying setup that has allowed the fan favorite to start from the top half of the field at 11 of 15 events this season, including a career-best No. 1 in Sonoma. However, success on race day has been hard to come by as Stoffer has banked just seven round-wins this season and has never been ranked higher than eighth.

Stoffer fought her way into the final spot in the Countdown to 1 thanks in large part to a semifinal finish in Reading, but she has struggled to gain ground in the ultracompetitive five-race playoff, posting round-one losses in Charlotte, Dallas, and Memphis. Despite the struggles, Stoffer should be proud of her fifth consecutive top 10 finish.