If there's one inescapable conclusion that can be drawn from the first 19 national events of the 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season, it's that there have been dramatic contrasts in the overall performances within the professional categories from the first half into second half of the current campaign.

In Top Fuel, reigning POWERade champion Larry Dixon got off to a scalding start and by the midway mark of the season, had won eight races and built an enormous points lead over Doug Kalitta -- a lead he still enjoys. But he has failed to win a race since Sonoma in August, and the spotlight in the class has been grabbed away by the spectacular elapsed times and speeds turned in by such drivers as Kalitta, Tony Schumacher and Cory McClenathan.

Dixon is well on his way to winning his second straight title, but at the last two races on the schedule -- Memphis and Joliet -- he has lost in the final round to Schumacher and Kenny Bernstein and was soundly outrun both times. He and tuner Dick Lahaie remain the most consistently dangerous duo in the category but the huge numbers being run by other teams with better cool weather combinations have surely stolen much of the limelight from the Miller Lite operation.

The Funny Car rhythm was being heavily influenced by the drumbeat of Tony Pedregon until the Western Swing began in Denver. Then Pedregon went ice-cold, stopped winning rounds and races and finally saw Whit Bazemore take the points lead last week in Memphis. Pedregon's Joliet win on Sunday was a big step toward winning the championship but the Pedregon from February to July vs. the Pedregon from July to September have been two different racers.

	Anderson

Perhaps the most consistent title chases of the 2003 season can be found in the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Bike classes, although they've had their share of contrasts, too. In Pro Stock, the constant has been Greg Anderson, who has led the points for all except five weeks of the season, has won nine races, and is decisively close to clinching this year's championship. The contrast? The driver who had been his most formidable rival, Kurt Johnson, has been overshadowed by reigning champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., whose recent upsurge in performance was highlighted in Joliet by his second win of the year.

Meanwhile, Angelle Savoie appeared to be in position to win her fourth career championship in the opening moments of the 2003 season with victories in three of the year's first five races. But Geno Scali won two of the next three events, took the points lead and is now within a handful of rounds from icing his first bike title. Add to that Reggie Showers' sudden performance upswing since Indy with two consecutive wins and it's obvious that the second half of this year's NHRA battle for supremacy bears little resemblance to the first.

Bill Stephens covers the NHRA for ESPN and ESPN.com.