Last winter, just after the 2002 NHRA POWERade season had ended, the drag racing world stood up and took notice when Scotty Cannon, the fun-loving renegade of a Funny Car driver for the Schumacher/Oakley racing partnership, announced he was returning to the category in which he had won six World Championships, Pro Modified.

Scotty was eager to return to his racing roots and compete in a class of racecar in which he had achieved major successes, taking up with his posse of crew members and mechanics who had enjoyed the good times with him throughout the 1980's and 90's. Then, within days, he announced he had reconsidered after talking to Don Schumacher and Oakley CEO Jim Jannard, and would return to drive his nitro Funny Car for 2003.

This may sound familiar, but Scotty says he's going back to Pro Mod in 2004.

This weekend, he was asked at the 3rd AC Delco Nationals if his decision was final. "I'll be in a Pro Mod next year for sure," he said. "I don't know what style of car it will be but I'll be running with Oakley sponsorship and I'm planning on running the entire NHRA exhibition schedule."

Scotty's Funny Car career has had little in common with his record-breaking run in the IHRA's Pro Mod class in which he was so dominant, the sanctioning body was constantly adjusting the rules to try to level the playing field. It was an ongoing source of frustration for Cannon and was key in his decision to move to the NHRA's F/C category in 1999. He was the NHRA Rookie of the Year in his first season in the fuel coupes but after five campaigns, has yet to ring up his first national event win.

This year he has battled inconsistency, has had friend and crew chief Phil Schuler leave the team, and now splits his driving duties with the task of tuning his Oakley "Mad Professor" machine. It has been a disheartening 2003 for the popular racer wearing his trademark Mohawk haircut, with only four round wins and two DNQ's after 21 events- placing him a distant 14th in the POWERade standings.

"I'd still like to race a Funny Car or a Top Fuel car next year along with the Pro Mod," says Cannon. "If a team is interested in having me drive for them next year in a nitro car, I'd talk to them. I don't know if that'll happen but I think I could race in two classes if I had the chance."

By all indications, Cannon's last race in a fuel Funny Car will be in two weeks in Pomona. But it was one year ago that Scotty's future appeared to be wrapped up in a Pro Modified before the course of his racing career veered back in the other direction. There's quite a bit of time between now and the beginning of the 2004 season next February and the unexpected is always possible.

Could Scotty once again change his mind and come back to Funny Car? Why do you think it's called "Silly Season?"

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