J.R. Todd Looking for Strong Western Swing Finish in Seattle

photo by Auto Imagery, Inc.

As the Western Swing wraps up this weekend with the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway J.R. Todd and the DHL Toyota GR Supra team would like to close it out with a momentum building win. The team has been consistently quick in Denver and Sonoma qualifying well and racing to the quarterfinals. Todd is in seventh place in the Funny Car point standings and just 32 points out of sixth place which is less than two rounds of racing. Another strong weekend at Pacific Raceway could keep the pressure on the rest of the Funny Car class.
 
“This weekend could be a great momentum starter for the DHL Toyota Supra team,” said Todd, a 10-time Funny Car national event winner. “I have had some success her in Top Fuel and I would love to carry that over with a Funny Car win. This team has been grinding and I think that first win for us in the new GR Supra body is right around the corner.”
 
In 2015 Todd won the Northwest Nationals in Top Fuel over now teammate Shawn Langdon. If Todd can collect a Funny Car win this weekend he would become just the fourth pro driver to have wins in each of the nitro categories at the Northwest Nationals. Todd would join Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson Jr and Del Worsham on that exclusive list.
 
“Any time you can win in the two nitro classes at the same event that is pretty cool,” said Todd. “It is so hard to just get any wins but to have add a Funny Car win to my To Fuel win would be awesome.”
This season Todd and the DHL Toyota team have been breaking in a new Toyota GR Supra body and every race they get more data and more comfortable with the new design. Todd was instrumental in giving feedback throughout the process and bringing this new design to the Seattle area after a two year absence has Todd excited to show off for the fans in the Northwest.
 
“It has been a couple years since we have been up here so I am sure the fans will be super excited,” said Todd. “The real Western Swing has always been Denver, Sonoma and Seattle and to get back to that this season has been great. We have had packed grandstands at the first two races and I am sure it will be the same this weekend.”
 
Todd will kick-off the weekend with a DHL sponsor appearance on Thursday night along with DHL teammate Shawn Langdon. Then the teams will roll into qualifying on Friday night and throughout the day on Saturday. The DHL Toyota GR Supra will be on track for final eliminations at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday.
 
 2019 NHRA Northwest Nationals Highlights: Qual. No. 2, Beat Jeff Diehl; Lost to Ron Capps 
 
Last Event Recap 2022 Sonoma Nationals: Qual 10; Beat Tim Wilkerson; Lost to John Force
 
Career Stats: 267 events, 259 starts, 292 round wins, 19 wins, 40 finals, 14 No. 1 qualifiers; In Funny Car: 115 events, 115 starts, 10 wins, 20 finals, 144 round wins, 5 No. 1 qualifiers
 
2022 Results
Winternationals: Qual 8; Beat Bobby Bode; Lost to Ron Capps
Arizona Nationals: Qual 8; Lost to Alexis DeJoria
Gatornationals: Qual 11; Lost to Blake Alexander
Las Vegas1: Qual 9; Beat Tim Wilkerson and Jason Rupert; Lost to Ron Capps and Matt Hagan
Houston: Qual 13; Beat Bob Tasca III, Jim Campbell; Lost to Matt Hagan
Charlotte1: Qual 6; Beat Dale Creasy Jr, Chad Green; Lost to Ron Capps, Mike McIntire
Richmond: Qual 5; Lost to John Force
Epping: Qual 10; Beat Blake Alexander, Cruz Pedregon; Lost to Matt Hagan
Bristol: Qual 11; Lost to Cruz Pedregon
Norwalk: Qual 7; Beat Blake Alexander, John Force; Lost to Robert Hight
Denver: Qual 6; Beat Cruz Pedregon; Lost to John Force
Sonoma: Qual 10; Beat Tim Wilkerson; Lost to John Force

Kalitta Motorsports PR

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