Toyota U.S. Nationals Preview
LANGDON SET TO CLINCH TOP SPOT IN COUNTDOWN – With a 121-point lead heading into Indianapolis, Shawn Langdon 
can clinch the top spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs by simply qualifying for this weekend’s U.S. Nationals. Langdon has four victories this season and has advanced to the semi-finals or finals in 11 of the last 13 Top Fuel events. In addition, he’s registered the quickest run of the season with a 3.721-second pass to open the year in Pomona. By capturing the top seed in the playoffs, Langdon would receive a 20-point bonus and begin the Countdown with a 30-point lead over second.
can clinch the top spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs by simply qualifying for this weekend’s U.S. Nationals. Langdon has four victories this season and has advanced to the semi-finals or finals in 11 of the last 13 Top Fuel events. In addition, he’s registered the quickest run of the season with a 3.721-second pass to open the year in Pomona. By capturing the top seed in the playoffs, Langdon would receive a 20-point bonus and begin the Countdown with a 30-point lead over second.FIVE TOYOTAS IN THE COUNTDOWN –Shawn Langdon, Khalid alBalooshi, Antron Brown and Morgan Lucas have each already clinched a berth in the Top Fuel Countdown, while Cruz Pedregon has earned his way into the Funny Car playoffs with one race remaining in the regular season. Del Worsham enters this weekend’s action just outside of the top 10, but only 31 points behind 10th-place and 36 points behind ninth.
INDY CAR EXEC TURNED FUNNY CAR RACER – Like most of the drivers in this weekend’s Nitro fields, Chad Head has spent a lot of time in Indianapolis, but Head’s experience extends beyond Lucas Oil Raceway Park and over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Head was the Indy Car series’ Director of Operations from 2006-2008 before returning to NHRA as the Director of Racing Operations for Al-Anabi Racing from 2009-2012. He returned home to Columbus, Ohio, last December to become more involved in the family concrete business, as well as take over full ownership and driving duties in the Head Racing Toyota Camry.
U.S. NATIONALS WINNERS – Three current Toyota drivers can make the claim of being U.S. Nationals champion. Cruz Pedregon is three-time winner, having won Funny Car in 1992, ‘94 and ‘95. Both Antron Brown and Del Worsham also have won in Indy. Worsham also holds the rare distinction of having made a U.S. Nationals finals in both Funny Car, where he won in 2005, and Top Fuel, having lost in the final to Brown in 2011.
