Post-Race #Heartlandnats

Langdon Falls to No. 1 Qualifier At Menard’s Nationals

The DHL Toyota Top Fuel dragster and Shawn Langdon raced into the quarterfinals today at the 33^rd Menard’s NHRA Nationals presented by Pet Armor before No. 1 qualifier Mike Salinas ended his bid for a second victory at Heartland Motorsports Park.
 
Langdon, who won the Menard’s Nationals in 2013, took out Clay Millican in a virtual dead heat first round decided by one ten thousandth of a second before his yellow dragster lost traction against Salinas.
 
When qualifying begins for the Brainerd Nationals this Friday at Brainerd, Minn., the former world champion will start 27 points out of fifth place with just two races remaining before the totals are adjusted for the Countdown to the Championship.
 
“Tough conditions to run a fuel car,” Langdon said, “but that was a great race with Clay in round one.  I don’t think either of us knew who won it.  I just wish we had had a little more for Salinas.  We need to make up as much ground as we can at Brainerd and Indy (the Labor Day US Nationals) to give use the best starting spot in the playoffs.  We’re not that far out of fifth so we’ll be trying to close that gap this week.” 
 
Statistics:
Qualified: No. 8 (3.817 sec, 313.22 mph) 
Bonus points: 0

Race Details:
 
First Round
Qual    Driver                                                  RT        ET    MPH
9        Shawn Langdon                                .062    3.814  314.68 W
8        Clay Millican                                       .057    3.819  318.09
 
Second Round
Qual    Driver                                                  RT        ET     MPH
9        Shawn Langdon                                 .063    4.544 171.51  
1        Mike Salinas                                        .009    3.802  324.83

Doug Kalitta Drops Narrow Decision In KalittaAir.com/careers Dragster

n a classic battle between two of the sport’s heavyweights, Doug Kalitta came up .011 of a second short against eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher in the first round of the 33^rd Menard’s NHRA Nationals today at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.
 
The result denied the veteran driver of the Mac Tools/Toyota a chance to take a specialty design KalittaAir.com/careersdragster to the winners’ circle in a race in which he had won two times previously and in which cousin Scott won a record six times for Kalitta Motorsports.
 
“We had a really cool-looking race car this weekend promoting KalittaAir.com/careers,” Kalitta said.  “I wish we could have put it in the winners’ circle.  The guys gave me a really good car and we made a good run.  It just didn’t go our way today.”
 
The 49-time tour winner enters this week’s Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd, MN, in eighth place in Camping World points with just two events in which to improve his standing and his starting position in the Countdown to the Championship. 
 
Statistics:
Qualified: No. 5 (3.795 sec, 318.69 mph) 
Bonus points: 1 for third quickest time in Q2, 3.871 seconds, 315.34 mph.

Race Details:
 
First Round
Qual    Driver                                                      RT        ET  MPH
5        Doug Kalitta                                        .059   3.779    316.23
12      Tony Schumacher                                .043   3.774    320.81 (W)  

J.R. Todd Turns Focus to Brainerd

Through two days of qualifying J.R. Todd and the DHL Toyota GR Supra battled hot temperatures and tricky track conditions. At the conclusion of Saturday’s two qualifying sessions Todd posted runs quick enough to land him just outside the top half of the qualified field sitting in the No. 8 spot out of fourteen Funny Cars at Heartland Motorsports Park. His quickest elapsed time of qualifying 3.986 seconds at 323.50 mph set him up with a first round match-up against Toyota teammate Alexis DeJoria.
 
On Sunday morning looking to advance to his second consecutive final round of the season and at Heartland Motorsports Park Todd, last year’s Topeka finalist, was eager to get the first round underway. The two Toyota GR Supras executed their burnouts and they rolled in to stage their 11,00 horsepower racecars. In advance of the tree flashing DeJoria leapt off the starting line -.049 early triggering a redlight disqualification. Todd made a smooth quick pass in his lane. Unfortunately, during the post-race technical inspection process, NHRA officials disqualified Todd’s run due to one of the headers being out of tolerance by a small margin.
 
Todd and the DHL Toyota GR Supra will be back on track in one week at the Brainerd Nationals. Todd will remain in sixth place in the Camping World Drag Racing Series point standings with two races remaining in the regular season.

Statistics:
Qualified: No. 8 (3.986 sec, 323.50 mph)
Bonus points: 0

Race Details:
 
First Round
Qual    Driver                                                  RT        ET        MPH
8          J.R. Todd                                            DQ                                         
7        Alexis DeJoria                                       Foul   (W)