Kalitta Motorsports
Arizona Nationals Title Up For Grabs for J.R. Todd and DHL Toyota GR Supra Team
Phoenix, AZ – With a brand-new DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car 2018 world champion J.R. Todd is looking to add NHRA Arizona 
Nationals Funny Car winner to his list of accomplishments to start the season. In 2019 he recorded a runner-up finish after a bizarre final round. Heading into the last session with lane choice after an impressive 3.919 second run in the semifinals Todd’s racecar backfired as soon as he stepped on the throttle pedal and immediately deployed the parachutes.
“We had one get away from us a few years ago,” said Todd. “I am looking forward to getting back to Phoenix. We had a good test session with the new Supra and every run I feel like we get better.”
The Toyota GR Super Funny Car was unveiled at the season finale in 2021 and received rave reviews on its stylish design. Over the off-season Kalitta Motorsports and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America spent a weekend in Florida shaking the race car down in advance of the 2022 NHRA season. Their hard work paid off with daily improvements during the PRO Nitro Spring Training event two weeks ago. Todd and the DHL Supra posted some of the quickest times in the category.
Doug Kalitta and Mac Tools Team Make Positive Strides at Winternationals
Pomona, CA – Coming into the season opening race Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools Top Fuel team were ready for another championship 
run. The addition of world champion crew chiefs Alan Johnson and Brian Husen had Kalitta eager to get the season started. The past five seasons the NHRA season has begun in Pomona, California, Kalitta has raced to the final round and the perennial championship contender has a three-race win streak at the most recent February Winternationals. With a new team this season Kalitta knew he had a good chance of extending that streak.
Through two days of qualifying the Mac Tools dragster continued to improve and entered race day as the No. 5 qualified Top Fuel team in a tough, experienced field. His best time in qualifying was a strong 3.720 second pass at 326.87 mph. As the first round began right before Kalitta made his run there was a lengthy delay to clean the track. The track continued to warm up while Kalitta and his team made adjustments to give the 49-time Top Fuel national event winner the best chance of success.
Kalitta was racing the No. 12 qualifier but from top to bottom the Top Fuel field was stacked with former national event winners and world champions. The Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster made a strong run of 3.730 seconds at 327.11 mph a near duplication of his best qualifying effort, but his opponent was slightly quicker to the finish line and by about 16 feet he was edged out of victory.
Shawn Langdon and DHL Top Fuel Leave Pomona Focused on Success in Phoenix
Pomona, CA – In a rematch of the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals final round Shawn Langdon and the DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster took on 
Josh Hart in the first round today at the NHRA Winternationals. Langdon battled through two days of qualifying at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to qualify No. 8 in a tough Top Fuel field. During the last session of three Langdon ran to the No. 6 qualifying position with a 3.740 second run at 325.22 mph. By the end of qualifying, he was shuffled back to the No. 8 spot. He earned lane choice in the first round against the No. 9 qualifier.
This season the team added crew chief Jason “Jake” McCulloch to the DHL Top Fuel team led by Connie Kaliita and Kurt Elliott. With the drag racing legend Connie Kalitta making the tuning decision this season is set to be a strong one for Langdon, the 2013 Top Fuel world champion. Langdon worked with McCulloch when they were teammates during his championship run. He is excited to see the progress the team will make over the course of the season.
“This is going to be my fourth season with Connie and I started working with Kurt when I was driving Funny Car. I am very familiar with them and I raced with Jason years ago,” said Langdon. “We have a really good chemistry and we understand each other. We have a lot if similar philosophies and our racing mentality is on the same path. This is a great group of guys and we have a great DHL Kalitta Air team over here. This is a team that is ready to win. We just have to keep putting in the work.”
J.R. Todd Starts Season with Quarterfinal Finish at Pomona
Pomona, CA – Racing a brand-new Toyota GR Supra J.R. Todd and the DHL Funny Car team were looking to repeat as season opening 
winners on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Last year Todd won the NHRA Gatornationals, which for the first time in NHRA history was the season-opener. This year Todd was driving a completely new body style which was already turning heads when it was unveiled at the 2021 Auto Club Finals in November.
Over two days of qualifying Todd and his DHL Toyota Funny Car team worked on fine tuning his race car to give them the best chance of success on race day. Their best qualifying effort lit up the scoreboard with a time of 3.985 seconds at 324.59 mph. The run was quick enough to position Todd as the No. 8 qualifier and give him lane choice over second generation driver Bobby Bode.
The DHL GR Supra and Todd were not taking Bode lightly in the opening round of racing today at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Crew chiefs Todd Smith and Jon Oberhofer loaded up the tune-up and Todd blasted down the track with his best run of the weekend a winning 3.957 second run at 325.22 mph. The win was a great first step for the new Supra program and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America.
Revchem Composites Relationship with Kalitta Motorsports Continues to Come Together
YPSILANTI, MI – Kalitta Motorsports and Revchem Composites are entering the third year of their marketing and technical support 
sponsorship with the beginning of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, February 18-20, at the NHRA Winternationals. The relationship continually grows as Revchem utilizes Kalitta Motorsports’ VIP hospitality and B2B program to increase brand awareness. As an industry leading composite materials distributor and technical resource Revchem is involved with many industries, from surfing to aerospace and everything in between. They have entertained existing and potential customers in the race team’s VIP hospitality area throughout the racing season across the country. Revchem’s increased branding will be recognizable across all three Kalitta Motorsports racecars during the 2022 season.
“We have seen our relationship grow with Revchem over the past two years. Their sponsorship has helped the Revchem brand become recognized as the composite distributor of choice in the NHRA. We are their primary promotional tool,” said Chad Head, Kalitta Motorsports general manager. “We have introduced them to teams and sponsors with the understanding that anyone can utilize their materials in any sport or industry. In addition, their relationship and input with our fab shop have been a huge plus to our technical development.”
Revchem has expanded its customer base with Kalitta Motorsports’ other partners through the twice-a-year B2B events. An example of this cross-over led to their involvement both, on the product and materials sides, with the development and design of the new Toyota GR Supra Funny Car body. They have also helped educate and provide products to the Kalitta Motorsports fabrication department, making the team’s racecars lighter and stronger.
Kalitta Motorsports Extends and Expands DHL Sponsorship
YPSILANTI, MI – Heading into the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Kalitta Motorsports and DHL will be extending 
their partnership with another multi-year extension on one of the longest running and most successful motorsport marketing programs. The upcoming season will be the fifteenth year the two globally successful companies have worked together both on and off the track. 2018 NHRA Funny Car champion J.R. Todd will drive the familiar red and yellow DHL Toyota Funny Car while 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon will once again be behind the wheel of the DHL Top Fuel dragster.
The two successful businesses have built their partnership on excellence and an uncompromising pursuit of category leadership. Together they have won two NHRA Funny Car world championships with Del Worsham in 2015 and in 2018 with J.R. Todd behind the wheel of DHL Toyota Funny Cars. In addition to the on-track exposure, DHL utilizes the Kalitta Motorsports VIP hospitality track-side experience for their customers and clients. This season, the two companies will be recognizing and celebrating 15 memorable moments throughout the season on social media and through media opportunities.
Alan Johnson Highlights Crew Chief Additions at Kalitta Motorsports
YPSILANTI, MI – Kalitta Motorsports today announced their crew chief and driver line-ups for the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing 
Series which kicks off with the 62nd NHRA Winternationals, February 18-20 in Pomona, California. World champion crew chiefs Alan Johnson, Brian Husen and Jason McCulloch will all join the Mac Tools and DHL/Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster teams. They will work with team owner and crew chief Connie Kalitta and current crew chiefs Kurt Elliot and Ronnie Thompson while Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon will return as drivers. The DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car will once again be driven by J.R. Todd and tuned by Todd Smith and Jon Oberhofer.
Johnson and Husen will lead the tuning efforts along with Ronnie Thompson for Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. McCulloch will work alongside Elliot on the DHL/Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster for Langdon with drag racing legend Connie Kalitta making the final tuning decisions.
KALITTA MOTORSPORTS AND CMR CONSTRUCTION & ROOFING ANNOUNCE MAJOR PROGRAM FOR 2022
YPSILANTI, MI – Moving into the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Kalitta Motorsports is once again expanding its 
marketing and business-to-business (B2B) relationship with Dallas-based CMR Construction & Roofing. Over the last seven months of 2021, the program grew from a major associate relationship to ultimately CMR sponsoring the Kalitta Motorsports B2B Summit in advance of the Charlotte NHRA national event in September and Shawn Langdon running a fully branded CMR Construction & Roofing Top Fuel dragster at the Las Vegas NHRA National event in October. This season, CMR will be the primary sponsor on Langdon’s 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragster for six races beginning with the historic Gatornationals and including full branding at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals, Bristol, Sonoma, Brainerd, and during the Stampede of Speed NHRA National event in Dallas. Additionally, CMR will continue to be the presenting sponsor at each of the Kalitta Motorsports B2B Summits.
“We got off to a great start in 2021 with CMR Construction & Roofing, and the momentum just kept building,” said Chad Head, Kalitta Motorsports General Manager. “This program is a textbook example of how our business-to-business model shows immediate returns for our sponsors. We, CMR, and especially its CEO, Steve Soule, took advantage of every opportunity to network with our sponsors and NHRA partners over the back half of the season. They saw results and are growing their program with us.”
Kalitta Motorsports Celebrates Successful 2021 with ThorSport Racing
SANDUSKY, OH – Kalitta Motorsports team executives Chad Head, Bob Lawson and Luke Fath spent the day in Sandusky, Ohio, celebrating 
a successful season as part of the ThorSport Racing contingent. Throughout the day, which kicked off with a parade through Sandusky, ThorSport Racing hosted an open house and championship celebration for all their respective racing teams. The free event was open to the public and provided the opportunity for the whole community to join in the celebration.
“This was a great day to celebrate the amazing success that Duke and Rhonda Thorson as well as the ThorSport Racing teams achieved in 2021,” said Head. “We were glad we contributed a win and some runner-up finishes this season to the SealMaster and ThorSport Racing operation. We are already working to add more championship trophies to the shelf in 2022. This whole community supports ThorSport Racing so it was cool to be able to give something back to them today.”
J.R. Todd’s DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car that featured SealMaster branding all season, won the season opening Gatornationals and raced to two additional final rounds, was on display. In addition to Todd’s Funny Car ThorSport also had their SealMaster branded Indy Car and Lexus GT3 race cars on-site. ThorSport Racing was also celebrating 2021 Camping World Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and ThorSport Racing drivers Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton, Ty Majeski and Johnny Sauter were at the event.
DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel Dragster and Shawn Langdon End Season in Pomona
Pomona, CA – Shawn Langdon was hunting his third win at the NHRA Finals driving his DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. In 2015 and 
during his Top Fuel championship season of 2013 Langdon closed out the season with a win at the fabled Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. This year the Gatornationals finalist was looking to close out the season with one final win. Langdon has also made two runner-up appearances and was No. 1 qualifier in 2012.
This weekend Langdon powered the DHL Top Fuel dragster to the top half of the qualified field entering race day as the No. 8 qualifier. His best run of qualifying was a solid 3.746 second pass at 324.83 mph. In the first round be matched up with Tripp Tatum in a very tight No. 8 versus No. 9 race.
Langdon took a dominant starting line advantage leaving with a .041 reaction time against Tatum’s .090 but as the dragsters closed in on the finish line Langdon’s dragster hazed the tires while Tatum was making an unblemished 3.704 second pass.
