ALBALOOSHI TAKES TOYOTA TO CHARLOTTE NHRA FINALS

ENNIS, TX – Khalid alBalooshi advanced to today’s Top Fuel final before falling to Tony Schumacher at the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals in an event that began at the zMAX Dragway in Charlotte a week ago, but was concluded in Ennis, Texas, Saturday in conjunction with Sunday’s AAA Texas Fall Nationals.

AlBalooshi defeated fellow Toyota drivers Shawn Langdon in the first round and Morgan Lucas in the second round today.  He then advanced to the semi-finals where he knocked off Steve Torrence before his match-up with Schumacher in the final.

“Our team had a good day today,” said alBalooshi, who climbed up to fourth in points.  “Everybody on our team really wanted to win the race.  We thought we had a chance even being in the right lane – the right lane is not as good as the left – but Tony made a very good run.  We are happy to race in the final in the Charlotte race.  On Sunday, we will try to win the Dallas race.”

It marked the fourth time this season that alBalooshi had reached a final round, winning at Pomona and Sonoma, and finishing as the runner-up at Houston.

Lucas was the only other Toyota-sponsored driver to move past the opening round last week in Charlotte, where temperatures dropped more than 20 degrees from Friday to Sunday leading to difficult track conditions with rain eventually forcing the postponement to this weekend in Texas.

Langdon, Antron Brown and Richie Crampton all lost in the opening round last weekend in Top Fuel, while top qualifier Alexis DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, Del Worsham and Chad Head all lost in their first match-up in Funny Car with the changing conditions.

Today’s second and semi-final rounds were run as a part of Dallas qualifying with a third round added for the finals.  The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals finals will be run here Sunday as the second round of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.