The DHL Kalitta Air team and Shawn Langdon were looking to the NHRA Mile-High Nationals as the chance to move up in the NHRA Camping World Top Fuel point standings and also pick up their first win of the 2021 season. The Gatornationals runner-up team had a successful test session in Indianapolis in advance of the trip out west to Denver and the focus was on making consistent runs and going rounds on race day.
Through three rounds of qualifying the DHL Top Fuel dragster made quicker runs every session with the final run earning the team the No. 8 qualifier spot. Most likely Langdon would have started even higher in the field but on his final qualifying run his engine let go just before the finish line posting a solid 3.973 second run at only just over 250 miles per hour.
In the opening session today racing veteran driver Clay Millican Langdon was giving up lane choice to slightly quicker opponent. Both drivers took off with identical reaction times and both cars are side by side for the duration of the race. Langdon made his quickest and fastest run of the weekend covering the race track in 3.931 seconds at 279.38 mph but it was not enough to get the win light against Millican who also stepped up his performance dramatically.
“We lost a close race in the first round and we will try and take the positives from this weekend to Sonoma in a few days,” said Langdon. “We aren’t making any excuse over here with the DHL Top Fuel dragster and we will look at the next two races on the Western Swing as our two chances to get race wins and pick up some points.”
Statistics:
Qualified: No. 8 (3.973 sec., 251.34 mph)
Bonus points: 0
Race Details:
First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Shawn Langdon 8 .060 3.931 279.38
Clay Millican 7 .060 3.781 309.34 (W)
Kalitta Motorsports PR
