Reading: Television coverage delayed

ESPN2HD TO RECAP DRAMATIC CONCLUSION TO NHRA REGULAR SEASON

READING, Pa. (Aug. 21, 2007) -- Final eliminations at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals will be televised in a special half-hour presentation on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

The final regular season race before the NHRA POWERade Series embarks on its first-ever playoff, the Countdown to the Championship, has been delayed on three consecutive days by rain, leaving fans, media and, most of all, the eight drivers still in contention for the final four playoff berths, to agonize for yet another day.

Doug Herbert (Top Fuel) and Del Worsham (Funny Car) are seeking their first wins of 2007 and if they got them they would pass Dave Grubnic and Jim Head, respectively, to complete their improbable 11th-hour bids to get in the Countdown. V Gaines (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle) have advanced into the semifinals and are one win away from bumping Larry Morgan and Craig Treble out of the Countdown.

The first race of the Countdown to Four, where the field of championship contenders will be halved from eight to four in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, gets underway Labor Day Weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park near Indianapolis.

-credit: nhra