This weekend at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Shawn Langdon will be looking to take home his third Top Fuel Wally from Bristol Dragway. The 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion won the event in 2014 and 2016 and he would like nothing more than to see four win lights on Sunday in his DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster that is tuned by drag racing legend Connie Kalitta. In 2015 Kalitta was recognized as a Thunder Valley Legend for his contributions to growing drag racing in the area as well as setting the NHRA Top Fuel speed record in 1965 at Bristol Dragway at a speed of 209.72 mph.
“It is an honor to drive a race car tuned by Connie,” said Langdon. “He is a living legend, and you know that when you strap in you will be in a fast and quick race car. I know we have the capability to go to the top of the field every time we roll to the starting line.”
The DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel team raced to the final round of the historic Gatornationals to start the season and throughout the rest of the year they have been making solid runs and collecting win lights on Sunday. Four more semifinal finishes throughout the season kept them solidly in the Top Ten heading into the Countdown playoff races. They are looking to add to those win totals over the final three races of the season starting with the Thunder Valley Nationals
“We haven’t had the success we were looking for in the Countdown but there are three races left for us to show what this team is capable of,” said Langdon. “I have won here a couple times and we have all the pieces we need to go rounds. It just needs to line up for us on Sunday. The real key is to get a good run Friday night.”
Each team will get three shots at the track to grab one of the sixteen qualified positions with Funny Car and Top Fuel making their first runs beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. Two more sessions follow on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.
2019 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Highlights (event not contested in 2020): In Funny Car, Qual. No. 2; Beat Jeff Diehl; Lost to Ron Capps
Last Event Recap (2021 Texas NHRA Fall Nationals): Qual. No. 9; Lost to Clay Millican
Career Stats: 284 events, 281 starts, 310 round wins, 17 wins, 35 finals, 19 No. 1 qualifiers; in Top Fuel: 236 events, 233 starts, 15 wins, 32 finals, 271 round wins, 19 No. 1 qualifiers
2021 Season:
Gatornationals: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 6; Beat Doug Foley, Leah Pruett, Antron Brown; Lost to Josh Hart
Las Vegas1: Qual. No. 6; Beat Troy Buff and Rob Passey; Lost to Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence
Atlanta: Qual. No. 11; Beat Leah Pruett, Mike Salinas; Lost to Steve Torrence
Charlotte1: Qual. No. 11; Lost to Antron Brown and Krista Baldwin
Houston: Qual. No. 7; Beat Josh Hart, Justin Ashley; Lost to Doug Kalitta
Epping: Qual. No. 8; Lost to Doug Kalitta
Norwalk: Qual. No. 16; Lost to Steve Torrence
Denver: Qual. No. 8; Lost to Clay Millican
Sonoma: Qual. No. 9; Beat Clay Millican; Lost to Antron Brown
Pomona1: Qual. No. 5; Beat Jim Maroney; Lost to Antron Brown
Topeka: Qual. No. 7; Beat Antron Brown, Billy Torrence; Lost to Clay Millican
Brainerd: Qual. No. 7; Lost to Antron Brown
Indianapolis: Qual. No. 16; Lost to Brittany Force
Reading: Qual. No. 11; Beat Mike Salinas; Lost to Billy Torrence
Charlotte2: Qual. No. 14; Lost to Clay Millican
St. Louis: Qual. No. 14; Lost to Steve Torrence
Dallas: Qual. No. 9; Lost to Clay Millican
Kalitta Motorsports PR
