The Team Kalitta Top Fuel dominance continued into Epping, N.H., this weekend when Shawn Langdon took his second-straight No. 1 qualifier, and Doug Kalitta won his third Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge of the season. The NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto is set for tomorrow; the race broadcast is scheduled for 3 p.m. eastern time on FOX.
Kalitta won the Mission Foods Challenge five times last season along with the overall season title. Interestingly, he won his third Mission Foods Challenge of the season today – just like he did on Saturday of last year’s New England Nationals. Today’s final round was an all-Team Kalitta affair; Langdon defeated Billy Torrence and Kalitta dispatched Leah Pruett to reach the final. Kalitta was off the line first and leading Langdon when the Kalitta Air Careers car smoked the tires and the Mac Tools dragster cruised to victory.
“Having a race for the fans on Saturday with the Mission Foods Challenge was a great idea,” Kalitta said. “Shawn and I have been fortunate enough to win these things on occasion. It was nice to get the win. The track was tricky, and we were fortunate enough to keep it hooked up.
“We’re both very hungry to make it happen; both our cars are on the same side of the (Kalitta Motorsports) shop so there’s a lot of bragging rights going on. The Mac Tools car left well, and I never saw Shawn, so it was a good run for us. Hats off to Alan (Crew Chief Alan Johnson) and all my guys on the Mac Tools car. We have this lobster fest tonight (Eddie’s Lobsterfest, an annual Team Kalitta tradition); we’re going to celebrate my cousin Scott’s legacy with all his friends tonight. We’re looking forward to that and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Langdon made strong runs in three of the four qualifying attempts, but his best effort came in the Friday night session when he reached the finish line in 3.709 seconds at 334.98 mph to claim his second-straight No. 1 qualifier, his fourth of the season and the 26th of his career, but in the final qualifying session, the Mission Foods Challenge final round, his teammate turned the tables.
“They earned that one; they did a good job,” Langdon said. “Knowing how well their car runs, we were trying to press it a little bit, and it was a little too fast, not too tasty, but that’s okay. We kept the win in the Kalitta house; that’s good, and we got that number one qualifier. With the first-round bye on Sunday, the main focus is outrunning the winner of the eight-nine pairing to maintain lane choice in the second round. We’ll be able to regroup and get the car back where we know it should be.”With 15 Top Fuel cars in Epping, Langdon will have a first-round bye on Sunday. Kalitta is the No. 4 qualifier and will race No. 13 qualifier Will Smith.
In Funny Car, J.R. Todd is the No. 4 qualifier and will race No. 13 qualifier Spencer Hyde, a rematch of last year’s New England Nationals final round which Todd won, in Sunday’s opening round.
