Four Toyota Drivers Advance To Second Round At Norwalk 

NORWALK, OH  –Toyota drivers Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd and Shawn Langdon each advanced to the second round at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Sunday.

Brown came into the weekend as the top Toyota qualifier after earning bonus points in two of the four qualifying sessions and opened up with Scott Palmer in round one in Top Fuel. The three-time world champion had thestarting line advantage before beginning to haze the tires around 300 feet and was forced to pedal it. He got it to hook up enough to earn the victory as Palmer struggled to get down the track. That set up a second round match-up with Leah Pritchett whereBrown had a huge advantage at the tree (.042 to .112), but dropped a cylinder early, giving the win to Pritchett.

Kalitta also went to round two in Top Fuel after winning an opening round match-up against Clay Millican where Kalitta left first and and never trailed despite smoking the tires before half-track and having to pedal it. In round two, Kalitta again had the advantage at the starting line, but Steve Torrence took the lead by half-track on the way to the victory as Kalitta started to haze the tires.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd’s DHL Camry team made the decision to go to their back-up car on race day and it paid off with a big win over point leader Robert Hight in round one. Todd had the advantage at the tree and went on to victory on a solid 3.978 pass. The reigning Funny Car champ registered another impressive pass in round two against John Force where he took the lead at the light and led through 800 feet before Force chased him down at the finish line, winning by just .003 seconds or approximately 18 inches.

Todd’s Kalitta Motorsports Camry teammate Langdon also turned in a strong performance on Sunday. In his opening pass, he had an advantage on the tree and never trailed in defeating Blake Alexander. That set up a second round match-up with Jack Beckman. Langdon again had a starting line advantage, but Beckman caught him early and earned the victory, despite Langdon going straight down the track with a 4.015-second pass.

Toyota Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton lost to Billy Torrence in round one after laying down an impressive 3.764-second pass. Ironically, Crampton’s run would have beaten both of his Toyota teammates in the round.

After four races over the last four weeks, the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is off next weekend before heading to Epping, New Hampshire, for the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, July 5-7.