J.R. Todd and his DHL GR Supra team need more performance, and the time is now. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs resumes Sept. 27-29, 2024 at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill., the third of six playoff races.
The first two playoff races were frustrating for the DHL GR Supra team. With one round win in two races, the team is now sixth in points – its lowest points position of the season. This team needs a trip to the later rounds of this weekend’s race to stay in the conversation.
“We just need to go out there, figure out how to perform with the front runners and do our thing,” Todd said. “We don’t need to worry about where we are in the points or what we need to do there – just focus on our performance. It’s not hard to do that at this point because we need a miracle to get back in the championship hunt. I don’t need to change my approach as far as how I drive the car; there’s only so much you can do in the seat, but it would be nice to go out there and win another race before the season’s over.”
That said, 16 of the 24 rounds making up the NHRA Playoffs remain. St. Louis is one of the tracks on which Todd has never won, and the old saying, “there’s no time like the present” appears to apply.
“Anything can happen – especially with how the points work in Pomona (points and a half), but the position we’re in – we’re more than two races out of first place so it’s definitely a long shot. We definitely have chance to finish in the top five – I haven’t done that since I won the championship so that’s a realistic goal for us.”
A win this weekend could certainly change that outlook and make more goals realistic while potentially propelling the DHL Toyota team closer to the top of the standings.
“Each track is different, and St. Louis has its own characteristics with some bumps here and there. When it’s cool and the conditions are right, it can definitely be fast. It’s another track that’s somewhat close to Indy so it draws in that Indy crowd of people. It’s somewhat of a home race for a lot of people in our sport that live there. It’s another track where we haven’t won that I’d like to check off the list.”
This story was originally published on September 25, 2024. 
