LANGDON EXCITED FOR “AWESOME” TWO-RACE WEEKEND AT THUNDER VALLEY
YPSILANTI, MI – Shawn Langdon has two wins at Thunder Valley, and due to last weekend’s rainout in Epping, N.H., the Kalitta Air Toyota 
driver has a chance to double his win total this weekend. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series resumes this weekend with the NHRA New England Nationals and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals June 9-11 at Thunder Valley Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.
With Epping eliminations happening during Bristol qualifying, this weekend is literally two races in one:
Qualifying Session No. 1 Friday: Bristol Qualifying Session One.
Qualifying Session No. 2 Friday: Bristol Qualifying Session Two and Epping Eliminations Round 1.
Qualifying Session No. 3 Saturday: Bristol Qualifying Session Three and Epping Eliminations Round 2.
Between Qualifying Sessions 3 and 4: Epping Semifinals (does not count for Bristol qualifying).
Qualifying Session No. 4 Saturday: Bristol Qualifying Session 4 and Epping Finals.
“I like it,” Langdon said. “It’s gonna put a lot more at stake. Every qualifying run will matter, and every eliminations run will matter. How they intertwined the (Mission Foods) #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge which will also be intertwined with the Epping race and the Bristol race qualifying – I think it’s awesome, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
“The situation in Epping was tough; there’s really no right or wrong answer to it because any way you do it, some people will agree, and some people won’t. In my opinion, they made the best-possible decision. Epping has one of the best fan bases on tour, but logistically, it would be very difficult to get back up there to put on a great show for them. There are minimal options moving forward, so when I heard what the plan was, I liked it and knew I could get behind it. It raises the stakes for everything, and I think it was the right decision.”
That right decision created what some consider a dilemma: racing during qualifying. Should the team focus on New England Dragway racing, Bristol qualifying or both, and if it’s both, how would that work?
“You’re racing to win the round,” the 2013 Top Fuel champion added. “The qualifying run will be a residual effect of you trying to win the round. Anytime I sit in a race car, whether its testing, qualifying, eliminations or racing in the finals for a championship, I have the same mentality. Nothing changes on my end, and I don’t think much changes as far as the tune-up goes. The team goes up there to make the best run possible, and I go up there to cut the best light possible. I don’t think that much changes.”
Race Information:
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals and NHRA New England Nationals
Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying 1: 7-8 p.m. Friday, June 9 on FS1
Epping Eliminations Round 1: 8-9:30 Friday, June 9 on FS1
Epping Eliminations: 10:30-Midnight Saturday, June 10 on FS1
Qualifying 2: 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, June 11 on FS1
Finals: 7-10 p.m. Sunday, June 11 on FS1
2022 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Recap: Qualified ninth; defeated Spencer Massey, Mike Salinas and Antron Brown before losing to Justin Ashley in the final round.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 314 events, 337 round wins, 17 wins, 38 final rounds, 19 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified 11th and lost to Antron Brown by two 10 thousandths of a second.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 8; defeated Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Pomona: Qualified No. 7; defeated Tony Schumacher, lost to Brittany Force.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 6; defeated Krista Baldwin and Clay Millican before losing to Steve Torrence and
Josh Hart in the semifinals.
Charlotte: Qualified 11th, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Epping: Qualified No. 2; eliminations TBD.
Point Standings: Langdon enters Bristol in ninth place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails eighth-place Mike Salinas by 44 points and leads his teammate, 10th-place Doug Kalitta, by three points.
