The competition for the 2022 NHRA Top Fuel championship has never been fiercer but 2013 Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon feel he is up to the task of adding another world title to his resume. The two-time 2022 Top Fuel finalist entered the Countdown driving the DHL Toyota Top Fuel dragster with confidence. In addition to the two runner-up finishes Langdon has also posted two semifinal finishes and a handful of quarterfinal finishes. The veteran driver knows these races are critical to his championship hopes.
“At the start of the season you want to put yourself in position to race for the championship,” said Langdon. “We did that and now we need to just keep fighting to move up in the points. These first three races will set the tone. We didn’t get off to the start we wanted but we can correct that this weekend in Charlotte with a good race.”
Langdon has had a wide variety of success at zMax Dragway. He won the 2012 Betway Nationals in Top Fuel and then seven years later he won his first Funny Car career title taking the win at the spring Four-Wide Nationals. He also has a runner-up finish in Top Fuel at the Four-Wide Nationals from 2014 and a Top Fuel runner-up from 2009 at the Betway Nationals. In 2012 and 2014 he scored No. 1 qualifiers at the fall and spring races respectively.
“The Charlotte track has been pretty good to me and I would like to get another win in the fall,” said Langdon. “We have a lot on the line as a team but also we are racing for Feeding America with our sponsor DHL.”
For every win light Langdon or either of his teammates Doug Kalitta or J.R. Todd turn on during eliminations Kalitta Motorsports and DHL will donate 20,000 meals to Feeding America. A Top Fuel win by Langdon on Sunday would equal an 80,000 meal donation in addition to moving him right into the middle of title consideration.
The DHL Toyota Top Fuel dragster will be on track for one qualifying run on Friday night and return for two more qualifying passes on Saturday. The quickest 16 Top Fuel dragsters will battle it out starting at noon ET on Sunday. NHRA fans can tune into watch all the action on FS1 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.
2021 Betway Carolina Nationals Highlights: Qual. No. 14; Lost to Clay Millican
Last Event Recap 2022 Pep Boys Nationals: Qual. 12; Lost to Steve Torrence
Career Stats: 304 events, 300 starts, 326 round wins, 17 wins, 37 finals, 19 No. 1 qualifiers; in Top Fuel: 256 events, 252 starts, 15 wins, 34 finals, 287 round wins, 19 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Results
Winternationals: Qual 8; Lost to Josh Hart
Arizona Nationals: Qual 7; Beat Antron Brown; Lost to Mike Salinas
Gatornationals: Qual 21; DNQ
Las Vegas1: Qual 11; Beat Doug Kalitta and Rob Passey; Lost to Steve Torrence and Brittany Force
Houston: Qual 10; Beat Leah Pruett; Lost to Brittany Force
Charlotte1: Qual 14; Lost to Clay Millican, Josh Hart
Richmond: Qual 12; Beat Doug Foley; Lost to Brittany Force
Epping: Qual. No. 12; Beat Josh Hart, Doug Kalitta; Lost to Justin Ashley
Bristol: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 9; Beat Spencer Massey, Mike Salinas, Antron Brown; Lost to Justin Ashley
Norwalk: Qual. No. 9; Lost to Tripp Tatum
Denver: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 12; Beat Greg Carrillo, Mike Salinas, Josh Hart; Lost to Leah Pruett
Sonoma: Qual. 9; Beat Antron Brown, Leah Pruett; Lost to Brittany Force
Seattle: Qual. 6; Beat Mike Salinas; Lost to Tony Schumacher
Topeka: Qual. 9; Beat Clay Millican; Lost to Mike Salinas
Brainerd: Qual. 11; Beat Leah Pruett; Lost to Justin Ashley
Indianapolis: Qual. 15; Lost to Justin Ashley
Reading: Qual. 12; Lost to Steve Torrence
Kalitta Motorsports PR
