Toyota NHRA Bristol Preview
TOYOTA DRIVERS LOOK FOR MILESTONES IN BRISTOL – A pair of Toyota Top Fuel drivers will be looking for 
career milestones this weekend.
Antron Brown has won 32 Top Fuel races over the past five-plus seasons and has registered 47 career Top Fuel wins (good for fourth all-time) overall. In addition, the three-time world champion has won at least one race on every track on the NHRA circuit — except Bristol Dragway. If he can take home the Wally this weekend, he would become the only active Top Fuel driver to have won at every venue on the circuit. Brown enters the Thunder Valley Nationals as the series point leader with two 2017 victories.
Doug Kalitta also will be seeking a somewhat similar milestone this week as he tries to become the only active Top Fuel driver to earn a number one qualifier at every track on the schedule. Kalitta has 45 career poles to go along with his 42 career wins.
LANGDON EYES THIRD BRISTOL WIN IN FOUR YEARS – Defending race champion Shawn Langdon will be looking for his third victory at the Bristol Dragway in the last four years. Making it even more impressive is that should the 2013 world champ claim the trophy this weekend, he will have accomplished the feat with three different teams. Langdon won with Alan Johnson Racing in 2014, with Don Schumacher Racing in 2016 and will try to earn this weekend’s win with Kalitta Motorsports. Despite missing the season’s first four races before joining Kalitta, Langdon is currently just one spot out of the final playoff berth in Top Fuel.
PEDREGON TRENDING UPWARD – After a number of off-season changes, Cruz Pedregon has been trending upward in recent weeks. After defeating John Force in the opening round in Englishtown, Pedregon has now climbed to 11th in the Funny Car point standings, just seven points out of the final berth in the Countdown. Not only has he earned round wins in each of the past two races, but he’s showing the speed to be able to compete for even better finishes in the future. The two-time Funny Car world champ has qualified in the top seven in three of the last six races and has qualified seventh and fifth in the last two events.
TALKING BRISTOL:
Antron Brown: “It would be incredible to win at Bristol. We’ve always run well there, but we just haven’t been able to finish it off. Hopefully, it will go our way this year. We’re definitely going to put the work in. A win at Bristol is absolutely on our bucket list.”
Del Worsham: “There are a lot of cool things about Bristol. There’s a lot of heritage with the track, but the biggest thing that stands out to me about Bristol are the fans. The fan-base down there is just unreal. Thunder Valley is just a unique experience for both the fans and the drivers with the noise, the way the grandstands are built up high and the amazing scenery.”
