SHAWN LANGDON HAS ONE PRIORITY: WIN IN ‘N OUT BURGER NHRA FINALS
YPSILANTI, Mich. (Nov. 12, 2024) – To say Shawn Langdon had an interesting weekend in Las Vegas two weeks ago would be quite the understatement, yet he enters the final race of the season with a legitimate chance to win his second-career Top Fuel title. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs conclude Nov. 15-17, 2024 at the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., the last of six playoff races.
Most things went quite well for Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team in Las Vegas with one glaring exception: his semifinal run against teammate Doug Kalitta. Langdon was the No. 2 qualifier. He defeated Jasmine Salinas in the first round and then took out points leader Justin Ashley by .0027 seconds after leaving the starting line before Ashley which is quite an accomplishment.
In his semifinal matchup with Kalitta, he was cruising to an easy win because of Kalitta’s mechanical failure when the Kalitta Air Careers car veered towards the centerline. Langdon did all he could to correct it, but he still crossed the centerline, took out some scoring pylons, cut a rear tire and then veered towards the retaining wall. He did a masterful job keeping the car off the wall but was disqualified for his centerline violation.
“We were able to win a good race against Justin on the hole shot and give our team an opportunity to continue to make a run at the championship, but in the next run, the car got away from me a little bit and hit the cone and blew the tire,” Langdon remembered. “It’s long process to get the car back together. We got the car in the trailer and left Las Vegas the next morning; the guys drove straight through to Indy.
“Luckily, the guys at Precision Built Race Cars are an awesome group of guys. They had everything ready and were waiting for us when the car arrived. It took them just 51 hours to front half and back half the car. When we got it back, we were over at Josh Hart’s shop, Ron Douglas opened up the shop and Jason McCulloch and a couple other crew chiefs were over there helping – it was actually pretty cool, pretty humbling how great the sport is in times like that.
“It was a lot of work for a lot of people which was unfortunate. We have a great group of guys and a great team. Nobody said anything other than, ‘we’ll get this car ready for Ponona to go win that championship!’ That’s some incredible support from my Kalitta Air Careers team. I still can’t help feeling like crap that I put them in this position, but we are all 100 percent focused on going to Pomona and winning the championship. There’s no other option.”
Langdon trails second-place Antron Brown by one point and first-place Justin Ashley by 45 points entering the last race of the season. He leads the drivers tied for fourth place, his teammate, Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence, by 40 points. With 30 points per round win at stake in the season’s final race rather than the normal 20 points, Langdon is very much in contention for his second Top Fuel title.
“If we can gain 16 points on Justin (Ashley) in qualifying, we can cut it within one round going into race day,” the 2013 Top Fuel champion said. “We’ll do the best we can. If we can get an opportunity to nip it down less than a round, we’re gonna try to take full advantage of it. If we can’t, then we’ll just have to go two more rounds on Sunday. Like Brian (Crew Chief Brian Husen) says, ‘we just have to trust the process.’
“I honestly feel, not to sound arrogant or anything like that, but I really feel like we’ve had the best car on the property for these last few races. That’s just a testament to this Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team of how hard these guys have worked this year and how good a job they’ve done. I honestly feel that way, but we have to take it one day at a time and not really think about everything that’s going on. We just have to do our jobs like we’ve been doing all season. It would make for a great story if we could win this championship, that’s for sure. Probably one of the greatest stories ever told, but we’ll have to wait and see. I just have one priority: win the race and the championship at Pomona and leave everything else in the past.”
Race Information:
In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals
In ‘n Out Burger Drag Strip, Pomona, Calif.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 10 a.m.-Noon Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Post Show: 7-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
2023 In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No. 10; lost to Billy Torrence.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 348 events, 19 wins, 25 runner-up, 375 round wins, 21 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
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.
Bristol: Qualified No. 4; defeated Shawn Reed; lost to Tony Schumacher.
Richmond: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon, Steve Torrence & Antron Brown before losing to Doug Kalitta.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 6; lost to Clay Millican.
Seattle: Qualified No. 13; defeated Justin Ashley, Josh Hart and Clay Millican; lost to Steve Torrence.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 4; lost to Tony Stewart in the first round.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 5; defeated Shawn Reed, Doug Kalitta and Ida Zetterstrom; lost to Justin Ashley.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 16; lost to Brittany Force.
Reading: Qualified No. 5; defeated Ida Zetterstrom, Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley; lost to Antron Brown.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; defeated Josh Hart; lost to Doug Kalitta.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 5; defeated Doug Kalitta; lost to Justin Ashley.
Dallas: Qualified No. 4; defeated Jasmine Salinas, lost to Justin Ashley.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 2; defeated Jasmine Salinas and Justin Ashley; lost to Doug Kalitta.
DOUG KALITTA, MAC TOOLS TEAM “NEVER SAY NEVER”
YPSILANTI, Mich. (Nov. 12, 2024) – Doug Kalitta enters the season’s final race with a shot at successfully defending his 2023 NHRA Top Fuel championship. He’ll need a nearly perfect weekend to make it happen, but come-from-behind championship wins have happened before. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs conclude Nov. 15-17, 2024 at the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., the last of six playoff races.
One year ago, Kalitta entered this race 15 points behind points leader Steve Torrence. He would win the 2023 title in a “winner-take-all” final round against Leah Pruett. Kalitta enters this year’s final race tied with Torrence for fourth place in the NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings. He and Torrence trail third-place Shawn Langdon by 40 points, second-place Antron Brown by 41 points, points leader Justin Ashley by 85 and lead sixth-place Clay Millican by eight points.
Trailing Ashley by 85 points, repeating as NHRA Top Fuel champion is definitely a tall task – Kalitta must have a phenomenal weekend and get some significant help from not only Ashley but also the other drivers ahead of him in the standings. While multiple scenarios in which Kalitta could repeat as champion exist, the bottom line is the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer needs to win the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals and hope the rest of the chips fall in his favor. With points-and-a-half being awarded this weekend, a round win is worth 30 points instead of 20 adding extra intrigue to the different scenarios.
“I know that I never say never, and that’ll be our attitude this weekend,” Kalitta said. “It’s kind of interesting with points and a half going into the last race. I think we’re going to have to get a little bit lucky to pull this thing off, but it’s definitely still mathematically possible. We’ll go there to collect as many points as we can and let it let it be what it’ll be. Pomona has been a great track for me over the years, so we’ll see what happens.”
Indeed. Kalitta enjoys prolific Pomona stats. He has seven wins in 14 final-round appearances along with six No. 1 qualifiers. In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip is also Crew Chief Alan Johnson’s home track, and the legendary tuner has won countless races and clinched multiple championships with race wins at the historic track. Kalitta experienced the thrill of winning the Top Fuel title last year but also knows the agony of the near miss with six runner-up finishes before winning his first-career championship last year.
“We really have the car to do it so that’s the interesting part of this whole scenario,” Kalitta added. “It would be awesome to get the win this weekend and see how this all shakes out. We have an opportunity to win it, and that’s what it’s all about. Obviously, the team effort and the camaraderie that goes along with it, working with my team and then being able to do it together make it really special. I definitely have the best guys in the business, and nothing they do will be surprising. This Mac Tools Toyota team is hungry to get it done.”
Race Information:
In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals
In ‘n Out Burger Drag Strip, Pomona, Calif.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 10 a.m.-Noon Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Post Show: 7-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
2023 In ‘n Out NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No 5.; defeated Dan Mercier, Josh Hart, Justin Ashley and Leah Pruett to win the race and clinch the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel championship following a winner-take-all final round.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 605 events, 55 wins, 62 runner-up, 794 round wins, 58 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
Gainesville: 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.
Bristol: Qualified No. 14; defeated Antron Brown, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force; lost to Tony Schumacher.
Richmond: Qualified No. 2: after first-round bye, defeated Josh Hart, Tony Stewart and Shawn Langdon.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 1; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, Billy Torrence and Steve Torrence; lost to Antron Brown.
Seattle: Qualified No. 4; defeated Billy Torrence and Jasmine Salinas; lost to Steve Torrence.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 1; lost to Ron August, Jr.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 4; defeated Antron Brown; lost to Shawn Langdon.
Indianapolis: Did not qualify.
Reading: Qualified No. 3; lost to Dan Mercier
Charlotte: Qualified No. 3; defeated Tony Stewart and Shawn Langdon; lost to Antron Brown.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 12; lost to Shawn Langdon.
Dallas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Clay Millican.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 3; defeated Ida Zetterstrom, Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon; lost to B. Force.
TWO TIME POMONA WINNER J.R. TODD, DHL TEAM LOOK TO BOOKEND SEASON
YPSILANTI, Mich. (Nov. 12, 2024) – After a nearly perfect start to the season eight months ago, J.R. Todd and his DHL team look to close the season the way it began. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs conclude Nov. 15-17, 2024 at the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., the last of six playoff races.
Todd won the season-opening race in Gainesville, Fla., winning the historic NHRA Gatornationals with his teammate, Shawn Langdon, winning the Top Fuel title in the first “double-up” win in Kalitta Motorsports history. Todd is a two-time Pomona winner – he swept the southern California races in 2018 on his way to the NHRA Funny Car championship. Winning his third-career Pomona race this weekend would bookend the season in perfect fashion.
The DHL GR Supra team definitely had some highlights in 2024. Todd won the opening race and advanced to at least the semifinals at 10 of the season’s first 13 races. In addition, he claimed three titles in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge featuring a rematch of the semifinals and finals from the previous race. Yet the DHL team enters the season’s final race in eighth place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. Following a Monday test session after the most-recent race in Las Vegas, Todd and team hope to put a bow on the season with the season’s final Funny Car trophy.
Race Information:
In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals
In ‘n Out Burger Drag Strip, Pomona, Calif.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 10 a.m.-Noon Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Post Show: 7-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
2023 In ‘n Out NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No. 9; lost to Chad Green.
Funny Car Career Stats: 316 events, 21 wins, 26 runner-up, 348 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
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.
Bristol: Qualified No. 11; defeated Terry Haddock, Ron Capps, John Force; lost to Austin Prock.
Richmond: Qualified No. 7; lost to Matt Hagan.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 2; defeated Chris King; lost to Ron Capps.
Seattle: Qualified No. 4; defeated Buddy Hull and Bob Tasca; lost to Austin Prock.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 6 defeated Jason Rupert, lost to Ron Capps.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 8; defeated Paul Lee, Austin Prock; lost to Matt Hagan.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 10; lost to Ron Capps.
Reading: Qualified No. 11; defeated Matt Hagan, lost to Jack Beckman.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; lost to Dan Wilkerson.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 13; lost to Jack Beckman.
Dallas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Cruz Pedregon.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 8; lost to Cruz Pedregon.
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