Kalitta had quite a weekend in New England claiming his third No. 1 qualifier in the last four races, winning the race by defeating the likes of Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher and moving to second in points, but what meant perhaps more was winning the day after Eddie’s Lobsterfest, the team’s annual tribute to Kalitta’s cousin, the late Scott Kalitta.
“Getting this win was the goal going into Epping because it was the last place I hadn’t won,” Kalitta said. “We tried not to put too much attention on it, but we showed up and Joe Poulin and all the guys that set up Eddie’s Lobsterfest, our tribute to Scott Kalitta, were here. We really had a lot of fun with that because a lot of the teams and people who worked with Scott over the years migrate over. It’s great to have an opportunity to hang out and have a good meal. It really means a lot to Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta). To be able to pull off the win was something I really wanted, and it’s obviously a tribute to Scott.”
In September of last year, Kalitta won his 50th race ending a nearly three-year winless streak when he won in Reading, Pa. In the next 13 races, including the Reading win and last weekend’s New England Nationals, Kalitta has five wins including two this season. That’s quite a turnaround from almost three years without a win, and it was a long time coming.
“With the team I have behind me, my car is really good,” Kalitta added. “Alan and Brian (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Kalitta Air Careers Crew Chief Brian Husen), and now we have Mac (Mac Tools Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage), we’ve changed everything about our cars. It took us a while. Alan and the guys, with Connie and (General Manager) Chad Head, worked methodically to put this thing together. I just feel very fortunate to be in this position because it’s a dream come true. I’m just trying to drive the thing and make sure I’m not the weak link because the car’s so good. It’s added pressure because you know you have a good-running car and that you have to step up to the plate. It’s a hell of an opportunity. I just want to play this out and see what I can do with it.
“Connie Kalitta has had my back for 27 years – to have a guy like him, who’s as passionate about doing what we’re doing as he was when he started back in the 50s. He’s 86 and still having fun coming to the races. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have accomplished that goal. I’m pretty fortunate to have him in my corner. He’s brought in a lot of younger guys like J.R. Todd and Troy Coughlin, who once drove one of our Top Fuel cars, so it’s been a lot of fun watching what Connie’s trying to do. He’s not driving the cars now, and he’s not tuning the cars now, but he’s still in the game promoting the sport. He loves the NHRA. He’s trying to help it grow and he’s out here having fun trying to beat these guys.”
And now it’s on to Thunder Valley in the Tennessee mountains for a shot at win No. 55. Currently tied with Steve Torrence for 13th on the NHRA’s all-time win list, Kalitta’s next win will put him 13th by himself and just one win shy of 12th. Kalitta has three wins in six Bristol final rounds and will look for his fourth this weekend.
“We’re hoping! My car has been running very well,” Kalitta said. “We qualified first at three of the last four races so the guys really have the Mark III dragster dialed in. We really look forward to going to each of these things to get in the mix, try to qualifying low and be in the mix at the end. Bristol is one of those places I remember going when I was working for Connie. Actually, when I was first there, the track had a curve to it. I started working for Connie in 1982 so I’ve worked for him for more than 40 years. That place has special memories because of when I started and what was going on at that time and that the facility has been completely redone. Now the track’s been repaved so I’m sure it’ll be a great race. Looking forward to getting there.”
When Kalitta advanced to last week’s semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge next week. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions in Bristol, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Epping, N.H., will re-run the semifinals and final earning additional purse and championship bonus points.
Race Information:
Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Thunder Valley Dragway; Bristol, Tenn.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
- Finals: 7-10 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
2023 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 6; defeated Clay Millican and Steve Torrence before losing to Antron Brown in the semifinals.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 594 events, 54 wins, 60 runner-up, 779 round wins, 56 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gatornationals: Qualified No. 7; defeated Clay Millican; lost to Steve Torrence.
Pomona: Qualified No. 6; defeated Jasmine Salinas; lost to Billy Torrence.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 3; defeated Terry Totten; lost to Justin Ashley.
Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 1; defeated Shawn Langdon in the first round, Brittany Force and Josh Hart in the semifinals followed by Justin Ashley, Steve Torrence and Tony Stewart in the final round.
Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 1; defeated Shawn Reed and Cody Krohn in the first round, Billy Torrence and Jasmine Salinas in the semifinals before beating Antron Brown but losing to Justin Ashley and Clay Millican in the final round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; lost to Justin Ashley.
Epping: Qualified No. 1; defeated Scott Farley, Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher.
Shawn Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team continue to compete at a high level, and with a third of the season now complete and Langdon currently third in points, it’s safe to say this team is poised for great things ahead. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Season resumes June 7-9, 2024 at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
Langdon reached the semifinals at last week’s NHRA New England Nationals where he ran into a buzz saw also known as Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools team. All three Team Kalitta cars advanced to the semifinals with Kalitta going on to win the race. Langdon reached at least the semifinals at four of the seven races this season and four of the five two-wide races.
“All three cars had a good weekend in New Hampshire,” Langdon said. All three went rounds, and it was warm out there so I feel pretty confident in the hot weather setup we have and pretty confident for the next couple of races. The air temperature wasn’t that hot (in New Hampshire), but it all kind of correlates a little bit. The track temperature gets warm when the sun’s out, and you have a high UV so it can show a little bit more track temperature on a really sunny day.”
Langdon’s early-season success is buoyed by his teammate’s success. With Kalitta second in points and Langdon third, both teams are performing at a consistently high level. That means a lot psychologically and for the team’s tune-up decisions.
“It’s great when both cars are running good,” Langdon added. “They can work off each other and bounce ideas off each other. It’s a pretty good package deal we have going right now. After one team runs, the other team can learn from the first team’s run so that’s a really big positive when a team has two cars that can make good, strong runs consistently.
“Brian (Crew Chief Brian Husen) and all the guys have done a great job getting the car prepared, and Brian’s done a great job making some really good calls. We definitely have some small areas where we can improve, but for the most part, we have a competitive car every week. It always feels good to have a good car under you. We’re only a third of the way through the season, but I’d say we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”
This weekend, Langdon returns to a track on which he’s won twice, but it’s a track that has its challenges – especially when the track temperature soars under bright, sunny skies in the Tennessee mountains.
“Bristol has great scenery, but the track can be really tricky. The track has some bumps in it so when it gets really hot, the bumps don’t do you any favors. It’s one of those tracks where Friday night, you have to haul ass to get a good qualifying spot and then the rest of the weekend, you have to figure out how to get your car down the track. They repaved the track – that definitely helps so we’ll see how things change when we get there this weekend.”
When Langdon advanced to last week’s semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge next week. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions in Bristol, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Epping, N.H., will re-run the semifinals and final earning additional purse and championship bonus points.
Race Information:
Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Thunder Valley Dragway; Bristol, Tenn.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
- Finals: 7-10 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
2023 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 14; lost to Steve Torrence.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 337 events, 19 wins, 22 runner-up, 359 round wins, 20 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified No. 1; defeated Cody Krohn, Justin Ashley, Antron Brown and Billy Torrence.
Pomona: Qualified No. 7; defeated Krista Baldwin; lost to Tony Schumacher.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 5; defeated Josh Hart, Antron Brown, Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley.
Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 8; lost to Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence in the first round.
Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 7; lost to Antron Brown and Brittany Force in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 4; defeated Cody Krohn, Shawn Reed and Dan Mercier before losing to Antron Brown.
Epping: Qualified No. 4; defeated Shawn Reed and Billy Torrence before losing to Doug Kalitta.
For J.R. Todd, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge is a barometer for how the team is running, and after a one-race hiatus, Todd and the DHL GR Supra team are back in the special event. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Season resumes June 7-9, 2024 at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
Todd won the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in Florida and advanced to at least the semifinals at each of the season’s first six races including a final round at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals near Charlotte. After a first-round loss in Chicago, Todd advanced to the semifinals last weekend in New Hampshire putting him back in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Saturday at Thunder Valley Dragway. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Epping, N.H., will re-run the semifinals and final earning additional purse and championship bonus points.
“It’s nice to see all three Kalitta cars working late on Sunday and Dougie (Mac Tools Driver Doug Kalitta) and Shawn (Kalitta Air Careers Driver Shawn Langdon) in contention on a regular basis,” Todd said. “The DHL car has been to every semifinal this season except one so that’s a good trend; we just need to keep that momentum going and not get complacent. I’ve been saying it all season – as long as we keep making those Mission Foods races, we’ll be in pretty good shape. That’s what I said after we won that first race of the season. If we can make all of those, we should be in a good points position because you know you’re making to semifinals each week, but at the end of the day, we’re out there to win, not just go to the semifinals.”
Todd qualified third last weekend equaling his best qualifying showing of the season. It was a welcome showing powered by strong runs in three of the four qualifying sessions followed by solid runs on race day. That said, the DHL GR Supra team was a bit behind the John Force Racing entries in qualifying and on race day.
“We definitely have to capitalize on the Friday night run like we did last race, but we have to be better in the heat,” Todd said. “Typically, that’s where we’ve excelled, but the Force teams have definitely figured something out this year. They have the upper hand by probably five hundredths (of a second) or so, and that’s something we have to figure out because we went to the semis again which is good, but we managed to lose ground to them so we can’t afford to keep losing to those guys.”
The racing surface at Thunder Valley Dragway was repaved this year making the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals the first premier series event on the new track. The bumps in the track that perplexed teams in the past will hopefully be gone.
“Anytime a track they don’t race on a lot is repaved, it usually takes a couple runs for the rubber to get worked in so hopefully that’s not an issue going into the weekend,” Todd added. “Bristol is kind of a neat place on its own with some characteristics of the track there before the repave so we’ll see how it shakes out. It’s definitely a place I like racing. We’ve run well there in the past but haven’t picked up a win so hopefully we can change that this weekend.”
Race Information:
Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Thunder Valley Dragway; Bristol, Tenn.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 7 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
- Finals: 7-10 p.m. Sunday, June 9 on FS1
2023 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 7; lost to John Force.
Funny Car Career Stats: 305 events, 21 wins, 25 runner-up, 338 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca and Austin Prock.
Pomona: Qualified No. 11; defeated Cruz Pedregon and Paul Lee; lost to Matt Hagan.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 5; defeated Cruz Pedregon and John Force before losing to Austin Prock.
Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 3; defeated D. Wilkerson, D. Richards before losing to M. Hagan and R. Capps
Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 12; defeated Ron Capps and Buddy Hull in the first round, Cruz Pedregon and John Force in the semifinals before beating John Force but losing to Matt Hagan and Daniel Wilkerson in the final round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 12; lost to Alexis DeJoria.
Epping: Qualified No. 3; defeated Dave Richards and Bob Tasca before losing to John Force.
Kalitta Motorsports PR
