Shawn Langdon’s Top Fuel final-round victory at the American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals has been officially overturned following a post-race disqualification due to a technical violation. The NHRA announced Monday that Langdon’s run did not comply with SFI Spec 6.2, which mandates a minimum of 12 bolts securing the bellhousing inspection cover.
A post-run inspection revealed the cover on Langdon’s Kalitta Motorsports dragster was missing bolts, triggering the disqualification. In accordance with NHRA rules, runner-up Justin Ashley has been awarded the event win – his first of the 2025 season and the 16th of his Top Fuel career.
Ashley’s road to the final at Virginia Motorsports Park included wins over Doug Foley, Steve Torrence, and Doug Kalitta, further solidifying his return to form after a slow start to the season. The win also catapulted him to third in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings, marking his fifth final-round appearance in the last six races.
Kalitta Motorsports issued a statement Monday acknowledging the disqualification and offering an explanation for the infraction.
“Some of the bolts rattled loose during the run and fell into the belly pan,” said Chad Head, General Manager of Kalitta Motorsports. “The bolts were in place before the run, but some were not in place after because they came loose and fell into the belly pan. That’s on us.”
Head emphasized the team’s respect for NHRA’s safety regulations and accepted the ruling, stating:
“We respect NHRA as the sanctioning body and understand that safety is always the most-important thing. We certainly apologize to our corporate partners, the race fans, and our fellow competitors. We did not win yesterday’s race, but we’re moving on and are now focused on the next race.”
The team noted that this would be its only comment on the issue.
Langdon, a former Top Fuel world champion, appeared to have secured his first victory of the 2025 campaign in what was shaping up to be a momentum-building result for Kalitta Motorsports. Instead, the team is left regrouping as the series turns toward its next stop on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule.
For Ashley and the Davis Motorsports team, the unexpected win marks a major turning point in their season, as they aim to continue climbing the championship ladder during the heart of the summer stretch.
This story was originally published on June 23, 2025. 
