because you want to SEE it

Toyota NHRA Norwalk Preview

SURGING LANDON LOOKS FOR REPEAT IN NORWALK – A surging Shawn Langdon will be looking to repeat his 2016 race win in Norwalk this weekend.  Langdon missed the season’s first four events, but is starting to make up for lost time, having advanced to the semi-finals twice in the last three races.  The strong showings have allowed him to close in on the final playoff berth for the Countdown to the Championship. In fact, the 2013 Top Fuel world champion is now just 120 points (six rounds) behind eighth place.

Langdon defeated J.R. Todd in an all-Toyota Top Fuel final to win the 2016 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. He opened the day defeating Troy Buff and then followed by beating Antron Brown in round two and Brittany Force in the semi-finals before matching up with Todd. Coincidentally, this weekend Langdon will be competing in the very car that he defeated in the finals last year after joining Kalitta Motorsports earlier this season.


PEDREGON TAKES OVER FINAL FC PLAYOFF BERTH – After a number of off-season changes, Cruz Pedregon has been trending upward in recent weeks – vaulting from 13th in the Funny Car point standings after Topeka into tenth place following this past weekend’s event in Bristol.  Pedregon is currently in a battle with fellow Toyota driver Del Worsham for the final playoff berth, with Worsham just three points behind with seven races remaining in the regular season.

WINNING IN NORWALK – Current Toyota drivers have won the last three events at the Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park with Shawn Langdon (2016), Doug Kalitta (2015) and Antron Brown (2014) each having taken home a Wally in Ohio. Toyota’s success at the track goes much further, though, with Khalid al-Balooshi (2013), Del Worsham (2011) and Larry Dixon (2009 and 2010) each earning victories as Toyota Top Fuel drivers.

TALKING NORWALK:

Antron Brown: “We always enjoy going to Norwalk – winning there in 2014 was incredible. They have some of the greatest fans we see all year. It’s Matco’s headquarters and a number of the guys on the team are from there. So it’s a little bit like a family re-union for us. There’s a lot going on, but when we get to the track, we always keep our heads down. These Top Fuel cars will show you there’s only a few ways to win and a thousand ways to lose.”

Shawn Langdon: “The Bader family does a great job drawing in the fans in Norwalk. It’s always a packed house. I’m excited to get back after winning there last year. The car I’m driving right now is the car we faced in the finals last year, so I know what it’s capable of – and we’re coming. We’re making moves. We’re learning every weekend. When we get this thing right, it’s going to be a bad hot rod.”

Share
  • MBE Button 290x
Team/Series News
Follow Us On Facebook
Facebook Pagelike Widget