YPSILANTI, MI – J.R. Todd and his DHL GR Supra team qualified well in Las Vegas and advanced to the semifinals, but only time will tell if more race-day success is near. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues April 25-27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

Todd made good qualifying runs in very hot conditions and qualified fourth in Las Vegas two weeks ago. It was his best qualifying effort in the four races comprising the season so far. In fact, the DHL team’s qualifying results have improved with each race. Qualifying consistency appears within reach, but the task at hand is continuing that consistency on race day.

“Any drag racer has a short attention span; patience is tough,” Todd said. “I told myself, before the season even started, that once we brought Dickie (Crew Chief Dickie Venables) on, and I learned about all the changes that we made, I knew it’s gonna take some time so just be patient and don’t get frustrated. My job is to go out there and do the best I can, and when things click, hopefully the driver and the car are in sync and then we can go out there and start clicking off wins.” Continue reading →

YPSILANTI, MI – After an unexpected stumble one race ago, Shawn Langdon is looking for a strong rebound. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues April 25-27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

Langdon and his Future Energy Solutions team enjoyed a win, a runner-up and a semifinal run in the season’s first three races. The points leader entered the four-wide race in Las Vegas two weeks ago looking to extend his ultra-hot season start. Instead, the team suffered its weakest showing of the season ending in a first-round loss. Opportunity knocks this weekend with a chance to win NHRA’s 1,000th Top Fuel race and claim the special race-winner trophy signifying the historic event.

“You don’t get historic opportunities like that all the time,” Langdon said. “To be able to win that race this weekend would be pretty cool, and it would feel good to put your name in alongside some of the greats of the sport. Continue reading →

YPSILANTI, MI –This weekend’s historic 1,000th Top Fuel race winner will accept a special NHRA “Wally” trophy as the 1,000th Top Fuel winner in NHRA history, and the 2023 Top Fuel champion wants to hoist that trophy. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues April 25-27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

A Top Fuel driver won in NHRA competition at 999 different races. Don Garlits won the inaugural Top Fuel race at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. Four hundred, ninety-nine races later, Doug Kalitta won NHRA’s 500th Top Fuel title at the 2002 NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex near Dallas. The Kalitta family represents a significant portion of NHRA history, and Kalitta milestones are sprinkled throughout. A Kalitta win in the 1,000th Top Fuel race would be a fitting chapter in the rich history of both the Kalitta family and the NHRA.

“Winning the 1,000th Top Fuel race would be pretty exciting – especially with my family history,” Kalitta said. “With Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta) being out here as long as he’s been doing this and all he’s done in this sport, that would be really cool. We’re all trying hard to win these things. We try not to have too many distractions on different things so we can stay focused and work as a team to get it done. We definitely have a good shot at it, too, so our Mac Tools team is definitely looking forward to the opportunity.” Continue reading →

YPSILANTI, MI – Future Energy Solutions (FES) Lighting, a national “Lighting-As-A-Service” provider, extended its Kalitta Motorsports agreement as a primary partner on Shawn Langdon’s Top Fuel dragster, the team announced today. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series resumes April 25-27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

FES will be the primary partner on Langdon’s car at next week’s race and a full-season associate partner on the Top Fuel dragsters driven by Langdon and Doug Kalitta. FES completed the lighting upgrades at both Kalitta Motorsports and Kalitta Air. Now, they are working on projects for multiple Kalitta Motorsports partners around the country.

“We are thrilled to have completed the lighting upgrades at Kalitta Air and Kalitta Motorsports,” FES Acting Chief Executive Officer Marcus Brodin said. “Both are realizing the energy and maintenance savings FES’ zero upfront cost Lighting-As-A-Service model provides. We’re now working with Kalitta partners to generate the same cost and maintenance savings Kalitta is already enjoying. We are quite happy with this program and look forward to making additional impact with more companies in the future.” Continue reading →

YPSILANTI, MI – Kalitta Motorsports announced today that SoundGear has joined the team as its official hearing protection partner. The partnership kicks off as the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series resumes April 25-27 at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

SoundGear will have major associate branding on Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, Shawn Langdon’s Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster (Langdon’s car will be the Future Energy Solutions dragster in Charlotte.) and J.R. Todd’s DHL GR Supra Funny Car at next week’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte and the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 15-17, 2025. SoundGear guests will enjoy the Kalitta Motorsports VIP hospitality area at both races, and its executives will attend the Kalitta Motorsports Business-to-Business summit in late June.

SoundGear represents the latest advancements in hearing protection and enhancement products. Their technology is ideal for safe listening in loud environments including motorsports, construction and many more. SoundGear products are manufactured by Starkey, global leader in hearing technology and premier provider in hearing health care headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn. Continue reading →

YPSILANTI, MI — New Image Building Services joins Kalitta Motorsports this year as its newest corporate partner, the team announced today. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series resumes April 25-27 at the American Rebel Beer NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte.

New Image will be an associate sponsor on Shawn Langdon’s Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel dragster at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, June 27–29, 2025. In addition, New Image clients and guests will enjoy the Team Kalitta trackside hospitality area during the race weekend, and New Image executives will attend Team Kalitta’s annual Business-to-Business Summit prior to the Norwalk race weekend.

“Kalitta Motorsports represents speed, precision and excellence—qualities we value deeply at New Image Building Services,” New Image President Jim Wallace shared. “Our team operates with the same mindset as a race team: highly coordinated, highly trained and committed to delivering peak performance under pressure. We’re proud to support a Michigan-based organization with a world-class reputation, and we’re excited to bring that championship spirit to our clients, our culture and our brand.” Continue reading →

Qualifying: Shawn Langdon was the No. 11 qualifier at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. His best qualifying attempt came in the first session Saturday afternoon when he reached the finish line in 3.952 seconds at 286.98 mph.

Eliminations: Langdon raced Antron Brown, Jasmine Salinas and Scott Palmer in the first round. The Kalitta Air Careers car was on a good run when it smoked the tires down track allowing Brown and Salinas to advance to the four-wide semifinals. It was Langdon’s first opening-round loss of the season.

Unofficial Point Standings: Langdon leaves Las Vegas in first place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He leads second-place Tony Stewart, today’s race winner, by 16 points.

Langdon on Las Vegas: “We didn’t qualify well, and we lost first round for the first time this year. We wanted to do better for everyone that supports us – Kalitta Air, Revchem, SealMaster, Dayco and Toyota. We hope to do better for them at the Charlotte four wides next race.”

Langdon Photo Courtesy: Krista Zivic/Kalitta Motorsports

Las Vegas, NV – Qualifying: J.R. Todd was the No. 4 qualifier at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals; it was his best qualifying result of the young season. He made four strong qualifying attempts, but his best one was the first pass Friday afternoon when he made the second-quickest run of the session with a 3.970-second effort at 323.66 mph.

Eliminations: After four strong runs in qualifying, Todd raced past points leader Jack Beckman and Bobby Bode to advance into the second round. In the semifinals, the DHL GR Supra was on a strong pass looking good to advance when the car smoked the tires, and Todd was eliminated.

When Todd advanced to the Las Vegas semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte April 25-27, 2025. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Las Vegas will re-run the semifinals in the four-wide format with the four winners advancing to the “finals” earning additional purse and championship bonus points.

Unofficial Point Standings: Todd leaves Las Vegas in 10th place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails ninth-place Bob Tasca by seven points and leads 11th-place Bobby Bode by 29 points. Continue reading →

Las Vegas – Qualifying: Doug Kalitta was the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Kalitta’s best qualifying attempt was during the final session Saturday afternoon when he won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with a 3.730-second run at 331.04. It was his second No. 1 qualifier in the season’s first four races, his second-straight at this event, his sixth on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the 60th of his career.

Eliminations: As the No. 1 qualifier and the winner of Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Kalitta had a chance to score the Las Vegas hat trick, but it was not to be. He defeated Justin Ashley and Clay Millican with the quickest run of the first round to advance to the semifinals. There, he faced Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart and Steve Torrence. Kalitta left the starting line too early and was eliminated. Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley advanced to the final round.

When Kalitta advanced to the Las Vegas semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte April 25-27, 2025. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Las Vegas will re-run the semifinals in the four-wide format with the four winners advancing to the “finals” earning additional purse and championship bonus points. Continue reading →

LAS VEGAS, NV – Doug Kalitta saved his best for the last qualifying session when the Mac Tools Toyota team won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. At the same time, the 2023 Top Fuel champ grabbed the No. 1 qualifier for tomorrow’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The drivers who advanced to the quarterfinals in Pomona, Calif., two weeks ago raced in today’s Mission Foods Challenge in a four-wide rematch of the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals from the last race. Kalitta raced Tony Stewart, his teammate, Shawn Langdon and Josh Hart in the semifinals. Kalitta and Stewart advanced to the final round.

In the final, Kalitta made a brilliant 3.730-second pass at 331.04 mph to win the Mission Foods Challenge over Stewart, Brittany Force and Clay Millican. With Shawn Langdon’s wins in the Phoenix and Pomona Mission Foods Challenges, Team Kalitta is 3-0 in this season in the special Saturday races. With the final run, Kalitta claimed the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals No. 1 qualifier. It was Kalitta’s second No. 1 qualifier of the season, his sixth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the 60th of his career. One year ago, Kalitta was the No. 1 qualifier for this race and went on to win it the next day. Continue reading →