Toyota NHRA Houston Preview

BAYTOWN A SPECIAL PLACE FOR BROWN – Ten years ago at Royal Purple Raceway, Antron Brown drove his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to his first career Top Fuel victory. Now Brown returns to the track looking for another milestone – to become just the fourth driver in NHRA history to win 50 Top Fuel events along with Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon and Joe Amato. The three-time world champion has advanced to three semi-finals in the season’s first four events.

TODD EYES FOURTH WIN IN LAST 15 RACES– J.R. Todd will head to Houston fresh off a victory in Las Vegas and looking for his fourth win in the last 15 Funny Car events. The DHL Camry driver is tied with Robert Hight for the most wins in Funny Car dating back to last year’s Toyota Nationals in Sonoma in July. One of just 16 drivers to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, he would join Del Worsham as the only drivers to win in both classes with a win at Baytown this weekend.

THREE DOWN, ONE TO GO FOR KALITTA– No team has won more races through the season’s first four events than Kalitta Motorsports, which has seen three of its four Toyota drivers earn victories in 2018. J.R. Todd became the most recent when he won the Four Wides at Las Vegas, joining Doug Kalitta (Pomona) and Richie Crampton (Gainesville). Shawn Langdon, who made the move from Top Fuel to Funny Cars this season, is looking to become the fourth Kalitta driver to win this season. Langdon has already reached two semi-finals in his first season behind the wheel of the Global Electronic Technology Camry.

TOYOTA DRIVERS EXCEL IN HOUSTON – Five of the seven Toyota-sponsored drivers competing this weekend have previously won at Royal Purple Raceway in Nitro competition. In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta has won three times (2016, 2015 and 2003) and Antron Brown twice (2014 and 2008).  Three Funny Car drivers have combined for seven Houston victories, although two of those came in Top Fuel (Del Worsham 2011 and J.R. Todd 2007).  Cruz Pedregon has three Funny Car wins (2013, 2007, 1997) to his credit, while Worsham has a pair (2008, 2001).

Talking Houston:

Antron Brown: Houston has always been a great place to race. It’s an old school, big-time race track. The Houston area is a hot bed for our sport. They love it. There’s so much history to it. For me, I remember 2008 like it was yesterday. It was David Powers (Antron’s original Top Fuel team owner) hometown track and we were driving our original Matco Tools/Toyota dragster and we got our first Top Fuel win there in just our fourth race. It was a phenomenal deal. That was the start of the legacy for our Matco/U.S. Army/Toyota team, it’s a combination that’s been together a long time.  Now we’ve won three championships and competed for a championship every year in the Top Fuel ranks. We have an incredible team at DSR.  Houston always sticks out to me because it’s where I was able to live out my dream and win in a Top Fuel car.  I never imagined all of this back in 2008. It’s far more than I ever dreamed. I’ve been very fortunate, very blessed.”

J.R. Todd:”All of our Kalitta Motorsports teams across the board have just come out swinging this year, so we’re looking forward to getting down to Baytown and try to keep it going. The track is definitely a challenge, but I’ve won there and anyplace you win at, you enjoy and want to go back and win again. One thing’s for sure, if the weather cooperates, there’s always going to be big crowd in Houston.”