JOLIET, IL — J.R. Todd’s day at Route 66 Raceway ended earlier than he would have liked Sunday, but the 2018 Funny Car champion leaves Joliet in a first-place tie in the NHRA Funny Car points standings after the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

Todd, who qualified sixth with a 3.942-second run at 332.26 mph from his opening session on Friday, opened eliminations with a win over Daniel Wilkerson before running into trouble in the second round against Austin Prock. Todd was first off the starting line, but his DHL GR Supra smoked the tires almost immediately. Prock also encountered tire smoke further down the track, but Todd could not recover in time, and Prock advanced.

Points Position

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JOLIET, IL — Shawn Langdon delivered another dominant performance Sunday at Route 66 Raceway, driving his Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster to a final-round victory over four-time champion Antron Brown to win the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK. It was Langdon’s second consecutive win, his third of the 2026 season, and the 25th of his career.

Langdon entered eliminations as the No. 9 qualifier after posting his best run of the weekend in the final qualifying session — a 3.770-second pass at 336.57 mph that also earned him the Mission Foods Challenge bonus.

Four Rounds, Four Wins

Langdon worked his way through a tough side of the ladder, defeating Shawn Reed in the opening round before taking down his own teammate Doug Kalitta in the second round. He then eliminated Josh Hart in the semifinals to set up a championship-caliber final against Brown.
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Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster Driver Sits Second in Points as Team Kalitta Locks Up Both Pro Standings

JOLIET, Ill. — Doug Kalitta heads to Route 66 Raceway this weekend with a track record that speaks for itself: three wins in Joliet, and not a single final-round loss. The two-time and defending NHRA Top Fuel champion arrives second in the championship standings, one spot behind teammate Shawn Langdon, as Kalitta Motorsports extends its grip on the 2025 season.

The 1-2 positioning of Kalitta and Langdon in Top Fuel — combined with J.R. Todd’s lead in Funny Car — gives Team Kalitta something rare in professional drag racing: simultaneous control of both pro category standings. The consistency that produced that standing has been on full display all season. Through five events, at least one Kalitta dragster has appeared in every round of Top Fuel competition, with the lone exception being the Pomona final — which was itself an all-Kalitta affair, Langdon edging Kalitta for the win.

Kalitta’s own season résumé through five races reads: one win, two runner-up finishes, and two semifinals. It’s a body of work that keeps him squarely in title contention, even as he freely acknowledges that Langdon and crew chief Brian Husen have set a blistering pace with a pair of record-setting runs topping 345 mph.
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DHL GR Supra Funny Car Driver Leads Championship Standings as Team Kalitta Tops Both Pro Categories

JOLIET, IL — J.R. Todd arrives at Route 66 Raceway this weekend leading the NHRA Funny Car championship standings for the first time in 2025, part of a Team Kalitta surge that has the organization atop the points in both Top Fuel and Funny Car heading into the season’s sixth event.

Todd’s rise to the top of the Funny Car standings comes on the strength of a remarkably consistent start to the year — a runner-up finish, three semifinal appearances, and two No. 1 qualifiers through five races. His most recent outing at the NHRA Southern Nationals included a run to the final round that pushed him past Ron Capps into the championship lead. With Shawn Langdon leading Top Fuel, Team Kalitta finds itself in a position few organizations achieve: controlling both professional categories simultaneously.

The foundation for that success, Todd is quick to point out, was built before the season ever started. Two brand-new PBRC (Precision Built Race Cars) entries, new parts and components, and the return of crew chief Todd Smith alongside Dickie Venables represent a significant off-season investment by team owner Connie Kalitta and general manager Chad Head — one that is paying visible dividends on the timing sheets.
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Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster Driver Sits Atop Points Standings with Record-Setting Speed

JOLIET, IL — Shawn Langdon arrives at Route 66 Raceway this weekend as the hottest driver in NHRA Top Fuel — sitting first in the championship standings, holding the two fastest speeds in the history of the sport, and leading a Team Kalitta operation that has dominated the 2025 season from the opening round.

Langdon’s Kalitta Air Careers dragster enters the Route 66 NHRA Nationals with the points lead in hand, and his teammate Doug Kalitta sits second — giving Kalitta Motorsports a 1-2 grip on the Top Fuel standings. The dominance extends beyond a single category: with J.R. Todd leading Funny Car, Team Kalitta currently tops the championship standings in both professional categories.

The story that made headlines across sports media this season came at the NHRA Southern Nationals, where Langdon reached 345.00 mph to shatter the NHRA speed record. The following day, he ran 344.91 mph — meaning Langdon now owns the two fastest speeds in the history of professional drag racing. The feat landed coverage in Yahoo Sports and the New York Times, a reminder of what top-level Top Fuel performance can mean for the visibility of the sport.
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ADEL, GA – Doug Kalitta powered the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster to the No. 1 qualifying position and advanced to the final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

Kalitta secured his first No. 1 qualifier of the 2026 season — and the 67th of his illustrious career — with a blistering 3.657-second, 342.37 mph pass in the final qualifying session. That run stands as the quickest elapsed time of the season and the fifth-fastest in NHRA Top Fuel history.

In eliminations, Kalitta earned a first-round bye, then defeated Leah Pruett and Justin Ashley to reach an all-Kalitta Motorsports final against teammate Shawn Langdon. In the championship round, both drivers left together, but Kalitta dropped a cylinder almost immediately, allowing Langdon to take the win with a 3.808-second, 333.16 mph pass.

The semifinal appearance earned Kalitta a spot in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the upcoming Chicago event. Along with teammate Shawn Langdon’s victory and J.R. Todd’s Funny Car final appearance, the weekend marked the first time since 2014 that three Kalitta Motorsports cars reached final rounds on the same day.
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ADEL, GA – J.R. Todd drove the DHL GR Supra Funny Car to the final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals, securing his second No. 1 qualifier in the last three races and extending his lead in the 2026 Funny Car championship standings.

Todd earned the No. 1 qualifying position with a career-best and season-best 3.887-second, 339.28 mph pass on Friday afternoon — the quickest Funny Car run of the 2026 season and the fourth quickest in NHRA history. He remained at the top of the qualifying sheet through all three sessions.

In eliminations, Todd defeated Daniel Wilkerson, received a second-round bye, and powered past Alexis DeJoria in the semifinals before facing rookie Jordan Vandergriff in the final. Todd left first but spun the tires past half track, handing the victory to Vandergriff.

The semifinal appearance earned Todd a berth in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the next national event. With teammate Shawn Langdon winning Top Fuel, the weekend marked the first time since 2014 that three Kalitta Motorsports entries reached final rounds on the same day.
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ADEL, GA – Shawn Langdon piloted the Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster to victory Sunday at the NHRA Southern Nationals, defeating teammate Doug Kalitta in an all-Kalitta Motorsports final round at South Georgia Motorsports Park. Langdon’s win marks his second of the young 2026 season and the 24th of his NHRA career.

Langdon was the story of qualifying, setting the fastest run in NHRA history with a 3.683-second, 345.00 mph pass in the second session on Friday. He followed that up with another outstanding run of 3.683 seconds at 344.91 mph in the final qualifying session, securing the No. 2 starting position and now owning the two quickest passes in NHRA Top Fuel history.

In eliminations, Langdon methodically advanced by defeating Cameron Feree, Antron Brown, and Clay Millican before facing teammate Doug Kalitta in the final. Langdon left strong and clocked a winning 3.808-second, 333.16 mph pass when Kalitta dropped a cylinder early in the run. The victory improves Langdon’s head-to-head final-round record against Kalitta to 4-2.
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2018 Funny Car Champion Sits Third in Points

ADEL, GA – J.R. Todd and the DHL GR Supra Funny Car team will compete in the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals this weekend at South Georgia Motorsports Park, currently ranked third in the NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car point standings.

Despite a dramatic weekend at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte — where Todd reached the semifinals before a parachute failure sent the car into the sand pit — the team showed impressive resilience. They switched to their backup car for the final round and now return with their primary DHL GR Supra for this weekend’s event.

Todd has recorded three semifinal finishes in the first four races of 2026 and earned the No. 1 qualifier spot three weeks ago in Pomona — the 15th of his career. His strong performance in Charlotte also qualified him for this weekend’s Mission Foods Challenge, where final-quad drivers will compete for additional purse and championship points.
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2013 Champion and Kalitta Teammate Looks to Capitalize on Strong Start

ADEL, GA – Shawn Langdon and the Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster arrive at the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals ranked second in the NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings, just behind teammate Doug Kalitta.

The duo’s one-two positioning after four races gives Team Kalitta early dominance in the 2026 championship chase. Langdon comes to South Georgia Motorsports Park with strong recent momentum, including a runner-up finish at last weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, where he earned the No. 1 qualifier position for the second time this season.

In the first four races of 2026, Langdon has posted qualifying positions of 2nd, 1st, 3rd, and 1st. His consistency has delivered a win, a runner-up, and a semifinal finish across the last three events. Advancing to the final quad in Charlotte also qualified him for this weekend’s Mission Foods Challenge, offering additional purse money and championship points during Saturday’s special qualifying sessions.

“I’ve always liked going to South Georgia – cars always seem to run really well there,” said Langdon. “It was always fast, and that’s why we always enjoyed going there.”
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