Langdon and DHL Ready To Make Noise at Heartland Motorsports Park

Topeka, KS – With three races remaining in the NHRA regular season Shawn Langdon and the DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel team are in control of their destiny in the Top Fuel standings. The 2013 Top Fuel champion will be returning to Heartland Motorsports Park back behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster for the first time in three years. This season Langdon and his DHL team have been working on consistency and preparing for the seven race Countdown which will begin right after the historic U.S. Nationals. The two races preceding that event including this weekend’s NHRA Topeka Nationals will be excellent opportunities to build momentum.

“We fought through a tough Western Swing and now we have a couple races to get ready for the U.S. Nationals and the Countdown,” said Langdon. “It was good to have a weekend off after three in a row but I am ready to get back on track this weekend in Topeka. You can put up some good numbers there and I know the fans will be ready to see us.”

Last year the event was not contested but the passion of the Kansas area fans will return in full strength this weekend. The competition has been very strong in Top Fuel with multiple winners and a tight point battle near the top of the leader board. Langdon is currently fifth in points just a little over three rounds out of fourth place. Exiting the U.S. Nationals the points will be reset and all the top ten teams compacted together for the final seven races.

“The regular season is important, but your goal at the beginning of the year is to get into the Countdown and give yourself a shot at the championship,” said Langdon. “We are on track to do just that. Anyone can win the championship once the Countdown starts but I definitely want to be in the top half of the top ten going in. I have a lot of confidence in this DHL Top Fuel team that we can do just that.”

Langdon opened the season with a runner-up finish at the Gatornationals and has shown flashes of dominance over the next nine races. Back to back quarterfinal finishes in Sonoma and Pomona, California have given the team some direction and with hot track conditions potentially coming back into play at Heartland Motorsports Park this weekend Langdon knows he could have a quick race car.

“Every time I get into this DHL Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster I know Connie Kalitta and Kurt Elliott are giving me a race car that could go to the No. 1 spot or win the round,” said Langdon. “I just need to do my job to work with the team and give us all a chance to win. This is a total team effort and I am excited to be getting to Topeka to see what we can do.”

The reigning U.S. Nationals winner won the Menard NHRA Nationals in 2013 from the No. 1 qualifier position and then followed it up with a runner-up finish in 2014. This weekend qualifying will begin on Friday night with two more sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin on Sunday at 11 a.m. with the race being televised on a Fox national broadcast.

2019 NHRA Menards Nationals Highlights (event not contested in 2020): In Funny Car – Qual. No. 8; Lost to Robert Hight

Last Event Recap (2021 NHRA Winternationals):  Qual. No. 5; Beat Jim Maroney; Lost to Antron Brown

Career Stats: 277 events, 274 starts, 307 round wins, 17 wins, 35 finals, 19 No. 1 qualifiers; in Top Fuel: 229 events, 226 starts, 15 wins, 32 finals, 268 round wins, 19 No. 1 qualifiers

2021 Season:
Gatornationals: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 6; Beat Doug Foley, Leah Pruett, Antron Brown; Lost to Josh Hart
Las Vegas1: Qual. No. 6; Beat Troy Buff and Rob Passey; Lost to Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence
Atlanta: Qual. No. 11; Beat Leah Pruett, Mike Salinas; Lost to Steve Torrence
Charlotte1: Qual. No. 11; Lost to Antron Brown and Krista Baldwin
Houston: Qual. No. 7; Beat Josh Hart, Justin Ashley; Lost to Doug Kalitta
Epping: Qual. No. 8; Lost to Doug Kalitta
Norwalk: Qual. No. 16; Lost to Steve Torrence
Denver: Qual. No. 8; Lost to Clay Millican
Sonoma: Qual. No. 9; Beat Clay Millican; Lost to Antron Brown
Pomona1: Qual. No. 5; Beat Jim Maroney; Lost to Antron Brown