After a week off to relax, the four professional classes in the NHRA are ready to get back to business this weekend at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, for the Sears Craftsman Nationals.

This will be a crucial event as the season enters its second half. Racers who have not done well over the course of the first 11 races can no longer take comfort in thinking that time is on their side. Every qualifying spot, every round win and every round loss takes on greater importance as the standings reflect opportunities taken and missed.

Here's a look ahead to the race in Madison.

Top Fuel
It is no longer a case of someone other than Larry Dixon getting hot. Things have progressed far beyond that point. Dixon and his Miller Lite blitzkrieg have to create an opening for another driver to take advantage. Simply stated, it's not enough for Kenny Bernstein, Cory McClenathan or Doug Kalitta to start flexing their muscles. Dixon must also become weak in the knees and suffer some early-round losses to change the complexion of the points race.

But the likelihood of that happening seems so improbable when you examine Dixon's first-half stats. Bernstein has said he needs to pick up a handful of points at every race or "this thing will be over." That would mean advancing deeper into eliminations than Dixon at the next stretch of races. But, except for his first-round loss to Mitch King in Houston, Dixon has advanced to every final round of 2002. Should he advance to the final Sunday, he would establish a new Top Fuel record for consecutive final-round appearances -- seven.

If, however, there was ever a race in which the true adaptability and overall superiority of Dixon, tuner Dick Lahaie and the entire Miller Lite team will be put to the test, it's this weekend's event. Temperatures are expected to be in the 90s, the track surface, not usually conducive to hyper-quick times, will be the first real hot-weather test for the new Goodyear slicks, and it's a national event Dixon has never won.

What happens in Madison could be a reliable bellweather of just how uncatchable Dixon may be between now and November.

Funny Car
The big story going into Madison in the Funny Car class? Team Castrol's monopoly of the standings with Gary Densham, John Force and Tony Pedregon 1-2-3, respectively. The multi-car concept as it was designed to be.

None of Force's cars have been beyond the reach of their points pursuers. But when analyzing how the category has gotten to this point, Densham, Force and Pedregon continue to win the rounds they have to win.

At two of the last three races, Force has beaten Whit Bazemore in the first round. Two of the last three times Densham has raced Del Worsham, Densham has won. Pedregon began the year 10th in the points, but has amassed a 15-8 round win record since then to climb into third.

Force is a single point behind Densham for the top spot. Force has already declared that he's racing Densham on the up-and-up whenever they meet. Pedregon is an effective obstacle in interfering with fourth-place Worsham or fifth-place Bazemore. Despite each of the Castrol cars making early exits at the last race in Columbus, Ohio, that isn't a phenomenon we've seen regularly in '02.

With a tricky, hot track to contend with, Funny Car could be an ugly affair this weekend with tire smoke, pedaling contests and the luck factor having a major say in who walks away the happiest. But as history has shown us, even as recently as the first half of this season, Force's three-car fleet is usually somewhere in the program at the end of the day Sunday.

Pro Stock
Even a crystal ball wouldn't have been much help in predicting the ebbs and flows of Pro Stock 2002. The job won't be any easier this weekend on a track that will represent the ultimate wild card.

Power will be hard to make in the heat and humidity expected at Gateway. But, and this is genuine speculation, Jim Yates has been, on balance, the quickest driver on the hottest tracks visited so far this year. His five No. 1 qualifying positions and a series of qualifying sessions in which he has run the quickest time within that frame both indicate that conditions could play into his hands.

Yates leads the points, but hasn't won a race. He is in position to stretch his lead and at least psychologically assume the role of championship frontrunner with a victory this weekend. But, to do that, he'll have to derail the pattern of unpredictability which has defined the category -- nine different winners, only two repeat winners, and several top-notch drivers, including Yates, without a victory over the first 11 races. At some point, Yates will get that first win and if it's Sunday, the second half may take on a whole new look and feel.

Yates was runner-up to Warren Johnson at Gateway last year.

Pro Stock Motorcycle
Could this be Craig Treble's year? For the first time in his Pro Bike career, he has more wins during a season than his adversaries, has won back-to-back races and has led the points. While Angelle Savoies' two victories were as dominating as any we've seen, Treble's win two weeks ago in Columbus has closed him to within less than two rounds-worth of points behind the two-time champion.

You can never discount Antron Brown, last year's runner-up; Matt Hines, the three-time champion; or riders like Shawn Gann, Reggie Showers and Geno Scali. Even newcomers like Mike Berry, Tom Miceli and Sam Hurwitz could drop a bomb on raceday.

But Treble may be on the road to his first championship and a good showing in Madison would be a major step in that direction. Savoie, Brown and Hines understand the threat he poses since he is no longer an unknown. They'll all be keeping an eye on him, and each other, this weekend.