Shawn Langdon has a rare opportunity this weekend: a shot at winning his third-consecutive race. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues May 16-18 at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago.
Langdon has two wins in five races this season, including the most recent race two weeks ago. Last weekend, he won the title at the TV Promotions Twin $50K at Worldwide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, and this weekend, he’ll look for wins in three straight starts. Langdon enters Route 66 Raceway as the Top Fuel points leader, enjoying a 60-point advantage over second-place Tony Stewart.
“It’s definitely been a really good start to the season with two race wins and a runner-up and then winning the bracket race last weekend,” Langdon said. “The Kalitta Air Careers car’s been running great; the guys are doing a really good job getting the car ready, and we’ve had some strong success in the early part of the season. We’re just hoping to continue that heading into the summer months.”
One race ago, Langdon won the American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals near Charlotte; it was the 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history, and its significance is starting to sink in for the 2013 Top Fuel champion.
“It just feels good that the Kalitta Air Careers team is a bigger part of the history of our sport,” Langdon added. “With Connie Kalitta owning our team, with the history of this sport and all the times that Connie was a part of that history, it really means a lot. I look back at me just being a kid going to the races, getting all their autographs and just loving sport and being a part of it so it was pretty gratifying. We’re all really happy about the 1,000th Top Fuel win, but racing for the championship is our ultimate focus. We still have a lot of racing and a lot of work to do to try to make that happen.
“We have to keep doing what we’re doing. We do that by going through the car to double-check everything – every part. We need to do everything we can do to make sure we don’t make mistakes. We have a great team and a great car, but the key is mistake-free racing. The car’s been good and making great runs; the consistency is there. Chicago’s always been a track where I’ve struggled a little bit so it would be nice to actually get a win there.”
Race Information:
Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Route 66 Raceway; Joliet, Ill.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 9:30-11 p.m. Friday, May 16 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 11-Noon Sunday, May 18 on FS1
- Finals: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, May 18 on FS1
This story was originally published on May 14, 2025. 
