A first-round exit at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals didn’t shake J.R. Todd’s confidence heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The 2018 Funny Car world champ remains focused on making moves before the Countdown to the Championship begins.
Todd qualified 11th in the DHL GR Supra with a 3.945-second pass at 332.43 mph on Friday afternoon. Despite the solid speed, consistency proved elusive for the Kalitta Motorsports team throughout qualifying and into eliminations.
On race day, Todd grabbed the starting line advantage against Hunter Green and was out front early, but his car overpowered the track and lost traction, allowing Green to drive around for the win.
“I definitely enjoyed being out here in Sonoma – it’s easily my favorite track on tour,” said Todd. “The DHL GR Supra team struggled with consistency this weekend. Looking ahead at Brainerd and Indy, with the points reset, we’ve got a good shot at figuring this car out and entering the Countdown being one of the top-five cars.”
Todd leaves Sonoma sixth in the Funny Car point standings, trailing Paul Lee in fifth by 114 points and leading Daniel Wilkerson in seventh by just four points.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues at Brainerd International Raceway with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, August 15–17.
This story was originally published on July 27, 2025. 
