Through two days of qualifying at the 57th Auto Club Finals Shawn Langdon and the DHL Toyota Top Fuel dragster made four qualifying runs looking for a strong combination to bring into race day. Their quickest effort of 3.751 seconds at 324.83 mph was enough to qualify them No. 12 at the final event of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The 2013 NHRA Top Fuel world champion was looking for his fifth win at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In 2015 and 2013 Langdon took the final win light of the season into the off-season and the veteran driver was hoping to add a third trophy today.
Langdon was paired with No. 5 qualifier Austin Prock in the opening session. The duo of Top Fuel specialist had never faced each other in eliminations and the match-up would pit two of the best drivers off the starting line against each other. Langdon was first off the starting line with a strong .051 reaction time but his DHL Toyota Top Fuel dragster raced into tire smoke, Langdon tried to regain the lost momentum but Prock was on a smooth pass and made the second quickest pass of the session for the win light.
“This season was tough, but we never gave up and I know we will get better over the off-season,” said Langdon. “We hosted a great group of veterans on Friday with our sponsor Clean Harbors. It was great to show off our operation and our DHL team to those men and women. We made some strides this season and this DHL Toyota team will be ready for the 2023 season.”
The season will wrap up for Langdon and the DHL Toyota Top Fuel team with another Top Ten finish and the goal of improvement over the off-season and into 2023 season.
Statistics:
Qualified: Qual. 12 (3.751 sec, 324.83 mph)
Bonus points: 0
Race Details:
First Round
Qual Driver RT ET MPH
12 Shawn Langdon .051 7.377 87.80
5 Austin Prock .055 3.711 329.34 (W)
Kalitta Motorsports PR
