Kalitta Motorsports
LANGDON, KALITTA AIR CAREERS TEAM STILL IN THE BATTER’S BOX, WILL KEEP SWINGING
YPSILANTI, MI – As the regular season begins to wind down towards the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, Shawn Langdon 
and his Kalitta Air Careers team need to get moving in hopes of finishing the regular season on a high note – and earning his first-career race win at Brainerd International Raceway would be a great way to get that done. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season continues this weekend with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 18-20 in Brainerd, Minn.
Despite flashes of brilliance, the 2023 NHRA season is not playing out as planned for Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team, but anyone who’s spent significant time in Motorsports fully understand that things can change rapidly. With just this week’s race in Minnesota and the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend remaining before the Countdown begins, the Kalitta Air Careers team simply needs to win rounds.
“We’re still in the batter’s box, and we’ll keep swinging until as long as the pitches keep coming,” the 2013 Top Fuel champion said. “We’re excited to get to Brainerd because it’s our next opportunity to go some rounds and get our season headed back in the right direction. We made some progress on the Western swing, but we have to keep working to get better. We’d love to have a couple of good races here at the end of the regular season to make our jobs a little easier in the Countdown. I know our guys are working as hard as they can to get us where we need to be.
DOUG KALITTA, MAC TOOLS DRAGSTER READY FOR ANOTHER SHOT AT NO. 50
YPSILANTI, MI – Doug Kalitta has been through it before. He knows the highs and lows of a sport that arguably produces more thrills for 
competitors and spectators alike than just about any other, and he knows hard work will eventually pay off. He and his Mac Tools Toyota team are hoping it will happen this weekend, in front of some of the sport’s most rabid fans. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season continues this weekend with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 18-20 in Brainerd, Minn.
Another thing Kalitta knows about is the Wally – the trophy given to each NHRA winner. He’s received 49 of them and wants another as soon as possible. With two wins in four final-round appearances at Brainerd International Raceway and a team capable of producing winning performance, it could happen this weekend. Kalitta enters the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals following two final round appearances in the last four races. The trick is posting more of the former less of the latter.
“We’ve definitely had our highs and lows this season,” Kalitta said. “We’ve had some really good races that made everyone at Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem and all our partners proud, and we’ve had some that weren’t as good. I know Alan, Brian (co-crew chiefs Alan Johnson and Brian Husen) and all my guys are doing everything they can every day to keep us moving in the right direction, and I’m super proud of them. We just need to get back to winning rounds so the race wins can follow. This Mac Tools team is an awesome group of guys with a great work ethic. That 50th win is out there – we just have to go get it.”
J.R. TODD ENJOYS SECOND HALF OF SEASON, LOOKS TO KEEP ROLLING FORWARD
YPSILANTI, MI – J.R. Todd’s season has undergone quite an evolution. He and his DHL GR Supra team went from pre-season title 
contender through a rough patch, and now, Todd has advanced to at least the semifinals at five of the last six races including a win and a runner-up finish. With two races remaining in the regular season, Todd is closing in on title-contender status. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season continues this weekend with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 18-20 in Brainerd, Minn.
Todd won the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals in California last month; it was his first win in some two years, and it followed multiple semifinal showings and a runner-up finish. Last week’s semifinal finish in Topeka, Kan., was another step forward in the team’s resurgence. In stifling heat followed by a six-hour race-day rain delay, the team forged ahead. Despite his recent upward mobility, Todd is eighth in the NHRA Funny Car point standings, but with tight point totals all around, he could definitely make significant strides in the regular season’s final two races.
“It was a hot one in Kansas, and my guys continued to rise to the occasion,” Todd said. “We lost a close one (to Matt Hagan) in the semis, but we get to do it all over again in a few days – time to fight it out! It’s getting harder and harder to win in this class. The car is definitely turning the corner and going to the later rounds consistently. Our points don’t really reflect what we’ve done over the last month, but that doesn’t take anything away from the progress we’ve made.”
Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster, Topeka Re-Cap
TOPEKA, KS – Qualifying: Shawn Langdon was the No. 9 qualifier at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor; Langdon’s best 
qualifying attempt was also in the third and final session when the Kalitta Air Careers car made a 3.826-second pass at 318.54 mph Saturday afternoon.
Eliminations: After a six-hour rain delay, Langdon and Brittany Force were the first pair down the track. Langdon left first and was on a good pass when the Kalitta Air Careers car dropped a cylinder allowing Force to reach the finish line first and win the round.
Unofficial Point Standings: Langdon leaves Topeka in 11th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails 10th-place Clay Millican by 60 points and leads 12th-place Tony Schumacher by 100 points.
Langdon on Topeka: “The Kalitta Air Careers team definitely didn’t have the results we were looking for this weekend. The car dropped a cylinder during the run today, and that was all Brittany needed to get the win light. It’s disappointing because we’ve been making some progress, but we’ll be back at it next week in Brainerd and hope to get the job done for Kalitta Air, Revchem, Toyota and all the great companies that support us.”
Doug Kalitta, Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, Topeka Re-Cap
TOPEKA, KS – Qualifying: Doug Kalitta was the No. 3 qualifier at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor. Kalitta needed just 
3.799 seconds to reach the finish line at 316.45 mph in the final qualifying session Saturday afternoon.
Eliminations: Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster and Austin Prock both smoked the tires early in their first-round run, both pedaled, but Kalitta’s car had problems allowing Prock to race to the win light.
Unofficial Point Standings: Kalitta leaves Topeka in seventh place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails sixth-place Austin Prock by 56 points and leads eighth-place Mike Salinas by 22 points.
Kalitta on Topeka: “That first-round was pretty disappointing with how our Mac Tools Toyota team has been running, but like I’ve said, this sport can be humbling. Just when you think you’re making good progress, it can knock you down, but I know my guys will get back up and be ready to jump back in the fight next week in Brainerd.
J.R. Todd, DHL Funny Car Topeka Re-Cap
TOPEKA, KS – Qualifying: J.R. Todd was the No. 7 qualifier at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor; his best qualifying 
attempt came during the third and final session when the DHL GR Supra reached the finish line in 4.011 seconds at 319.52 mph.
Eliminations: Todd defeated Chad Green and Ron Capps before losing to Matt Hagan in the semifinals after the DHL Funny Car dropped a cylinder. With his win in Sonoma two weeks ago and today’s semifinal finish, Todd and the DHL Toyota team won six-consecutive eliminations rounds.
Unofficial Point Standings: Todd leaves Topeka in eighth place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails seventh-place Tim Wilkerson by 12 points and leads ninth-place John Force by 78 points.
AFTER POSITIVE WESTERN SWING, LANGDON LONGING FOR MORE HEADWAY IN THE HEARTLAND
YPSILANTI, MI – After a difficult spring, Shawn Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team appear to be headed in the right direction 
this summer as the team looks to Topeka’s final ride for the team’s next step. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season resumes with the final race at Heartland Motorsports Park Aug. 11-13 in Topeka, Kan.
Langdon has one win in two final rounds at Heartland Motorsports Park, and the team heads to Topeka on the strength of semifinal appearances in two of the last three races. Improved qualifying and more consistent runs appear to show co crew chiefs Jason McCulloch and Kurt Elliott are getting a handle on the Kalitta Air Careers car. The two semifinal berths are an impressive improvement on the races just prior. Race wins, no, but going rounds and mining data are two of the basic building blocks that can lead to more win lights and a return to the winner’s circle.
“Things are definitely looking up for the Kalitta Air Careers team,” the 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion said. “We made some progress on the Western swing, and that felt really good. I know the crew chiefs and the team have been working hard to get us where we need to be, and it’s nice for everyone to have a little success –consistency and win lights just help everything and motivate all of us to keep getting better. I know I said it after Sonoma, but we’re really looking forward to Topeka because we feel really good about the progress we made on the western swing. We’ll keep working at it until we can make everyone at Kalitta Air, Revchem, Toyota and everyone else that supports us proud of what we’re doing.”
DOUG KALITTA, MAC TOOLS DRAGSTER SURGING TO SUCCESS, LOOK TO CLOSE OUT TOPEKA TRACK WITH LAST WALLY
YPSILANTI, MI – Like he did at the NHRA race in Denver, Colo., last month, 49-time NHRA race winner Doug Kalitta will go to Toepka, Kan., this weekend hoping to win the final NHRA race at Heartland Motorsports Park. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season resumes with the final race at Heartland Motorsports Park Aug. 11-13 in Topeka, Kan.
Kalitta has two wins in five Topeka final rounds, but his cousin, the late Scott Kalitta, won six races in Topeka. Countless stories of the Kansas race track and from the greater Topeka area litter NHRA history. Many memories were made in the Topeka community, but the final chapter of its NHRA history will be written this weekend.
“Topeka’s been a good track for Team Kalitta over the years,” Kalitta said. “My cousin (Scott) won multiple times and always ran so well there, and we’ve always looked forward to racing in Topeka. It’s been a key part of the NHRA schedule for a long time, but it’s good to know we’ll still get to race in the area with that new track coming on line in Kansas City. We’re definitely hoping to go Topeka and win the last one.”
SONOMA WINNER J.R. TODD ROLLING INTO TOPEKA ON A HOT STREAK
YPSILANTI, MI – J.R. Todd is still basking in the glow of his win two weeks ago in the Denso Sonoma NHRA Nationals in California, but the 
DHL Funny Car driver rolls into Topeka hoping to keep the roll going. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season resumes with the final race at Heartland Motorsports Park Aug. 11-13 in Topeka, Kan.
After experiencing multiple challenges in an emotional rollercoaster of a season, the DHL Toyota team was trending towards and finally delivered Todd’s first win since Gainesville, Fla., two years ago at Sonoma, Calif., two weeks ago, the final race of NHRA’s western swing. As luck would have it, the win came prior to an off week giving Todd time to savor the win.
“Being on the road for three weeks and then getting to come home after a win was definitely rewarding,” Todd said. “It was nice to sit back, enjoy the texts and calls and do the different media interviews, and it’s been nice to reflect on the great western swing we had. In the past, we haven’t had the best western swings with the DHL Funny Car, but this one was the best we’ve had since 2006 when we had a shot at sweeping the swing after winning the first two.”
Shawn Langdon, Kalitta Air is Hiring Top Fuel Dragster Races to Quarter-Finals
Sonoma, CA – Qualifying: Shawn Langdon was the No. 5 qualifier at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals; it was his best qualifying effort 
since he was the No. 2 qualifier in Epping. His best qualifying attempt came in the Friday evening session when he ran 3.740 at 330.55 mph.
Eliminations: Langdon defeated Leah Pritchett before losing to Josh Hart in the second round of eliminations.
Unofficial Point Standings: Langdon leaves Sonoma in 11th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails 10th place Clay Millican by 16 points and leads 12th place Tony Schumacher by 103 points.
Langdon on Sonoma: The Kalitta Air Careers car did great this weekend,” Langdon said. “We made a lot of progress this weekend and on the Western swing. We came in here after two semifinals looking to keep improving. We didn’t get to the semifinals today, but we’re really looking forward to Topeka because we feel really good about the progress we made in the last couple of weeks. Good job to the team and the crew chiefs – everybody at Kalitta Air, Revchem, Toyota – it’s good to be going rounds!”
