Team Kalitta Strives for Southwest Success at NHRA Arizona Nationals
J.R. TODD, DHL FUNNY CAR TEAM LOOK FOR CONTINUED CONSISTENCY AT SEASON’S SECOND RACE
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
YPSILANTI, Mich. (March 21, 2023) – J.R. Todd didn’t win the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals - he made it to the final round, and that’s an extremely solid way for the DHL Funny Car team to start the season. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Season resumes March 24-26, 2023 at the NHRA Arizona Nationals set for Chandler, Ariz., just outside Phoenix.Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
Todd was the No. 6 qualifier, but on race day, the DHL Toyota Supra was a model of consistency with Todd recording elapsed times of 3.891, 3.913 and 3.903 to reach the final round – all within three hundredths of a second. In the final round, Todd was ahead of race winner Matt Hagan until late in the round when the DHL Funny Car spun the tires causing the engine to backfire allowing Hagan to surge ahead and win the race.
“Considering how last year went, it was a really good way to start off the season,” the 2018 NHRA Funny Car champion said. “It’s always a bummer going to the final round but not winning, but I’ll take that for sure heading into Phoenix. It would have been really cool to celebrate a win with all the guests we had with us from DHL, CMR, Toyota, Clean Harbor, Revchem, Fifth Third and Mac Tools, but it definitely felt good to give them a reason to cheer.”
The next step is to take the consistency the DHL team enjoyed in Gainesville and replicate it in Phoenix and beyond. Easier said than done? Perhaps, but should the consistency become common, this team would be headed for great things as the season unfolds.
“The consistency is the big thing we’ve been lacking so as long as we can maintain that, we should be in good shape,” Todd added. “It all starts there in qualifying; make some good, hard runs in qualifying, hopefully top five. That’s step one; step two is to repeat our race-day consistency and turn on win lights. With the changes Todd (co-crew chief Todd Smith) and John-O (co-crew chief John Oberhofer) made over the off season with the new chassis, parts and pieces, the car is definitely responding to the adjustments they’re making, and I definitely felt like our car was deadly consistent on race day. I know it didn’t make it down the track in the final round, but up until it blew up, it was right on pace to make another 3.90-run which is where we were all day on race day.”
When Todd advanced to the semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at this week’s race. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions in Phoenix, the drivers who reached the Gainesville semifinals will re-run the semifinals and final earning additional purse and bonus points. Todd will race Chad Green in Saturday’s first qualifying round, and if he wins, he could have a rematch with Hagan in the final qualifying attempt with the winner taking home a $10,000 bonus.
This weekend’s race will reportedly be the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Following this season of events, the facility will be replaced by an overpass and Interstate 10 extension.
“I’ve heard about it going away and not going away - I hope it doesn’t; you never want to lose a race track,” Todd said. “I haven’t won there but definitely want to so I hope we can keep going there for years to come. Losing a race track is always a bummer; it’s never fun when it’s the last event, but there’s big crowd to give it its farewell which is nice but not the reason you want a big crowd. I definitely hope this Phoenix race isn’t our last.”
GAINESVILLE CAREER-BEST SHOWS WHAT MIGHT BE AHEAD FOR DOUG KALITTA, MAC TOOLS TEAM
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
YPSILANTI, Mich. (March 21, 2023) – One run definitely doesn’t make a season, but when one run is a career best and a track record, it could be a harbinger of things to come - that’s exactly what Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools team hope it was. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Season resumes March 24-26, 2023 at the NHRA Arizona Nationals set for Chandler, Ariz., just outside Phoenix.Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
It was the first round of eliminations Sunday morning, March 12, and Kalitta was paired with Spencer Massey. The Mac Tools car blistered the Gainesville Raceway track with a 3.646-second pass at 333.82 mph. The career best time also set the track record getting the day that would end in the semifinals off to a brilliant start.
“We are super excited about our performance at the first race,” Kalitta said. “It really showed how hard all my guys have been working to get things ready for this season, and it makes us eager to see how good our team can be. We are very optimistic and really excited to get to Phoenix to see what we can do there! My entire team is really hungry to run well and go rounds so it should be a very interesting year.”
That said, it was nice to make great runs and reach the semifinals, but winning races is the key to success and the most-efficient way to get the team in position for a title run. The timing of a return to a track on which Kalitta has one win in five final rounds could be perfect.
“Everyone’s job is very vital to winning these races, and Connie (team owner Connie Kalitta) definitely gives us everything we need to win races,” the 49-time race winner added. “I have an incredible team again this year so we just need to continue doing what we all do best, and hopefully the Mac Tools car will do the talking. Phoenix is a fast facility, and the fans are always great and excited to see some great racing; it would be awesome to leave there with the win! Phoenix is a great racing town, and I have some great memories from racing sprint cars and drag racing there over the years. We’ve all heard this week’s race could be the last Wild Horse, but I’m hopeful they will keep the track alive.”
When Kalitta advanced to the Gainesville semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, a new program that debuts this weekend. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the semifinals in Gainesville will re-run the semifinals and final earning additional purse and bonus points. Kalitta will race Steve Torrence in Saturday’s first qualifying round, and if he wins, he would race Mike Salinas or Leah Pruett in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty finals during the final qualifying attempt with a chance to win a $10,000 bonus.
"This new program brings a new level of excitement to our sport," Kalitta said. "We appreciate what Mission Foods is doing and look forward to being among the first to participate in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Our Mac Tools team is definitely hoping to beat Stevie and his boys on Saturday!"
LANGDON, DHL TOP FUEL TEAM SEE POTENTIAL, LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT LIES AHEAD
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
YPSILANTI, Mich. (March 21, 2023) – Entering the season’s first race in Gainesville, Fla., 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion, Shawn Langdon, talked about getting the process in place to win races and challenge for championships. Early in the process is making good runs, and that is something the DHL Top Fuel team checked off its to-do list. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Season resumes March 24-26, 2023 at the NHRA Arizona Nationals set for Chandler, Ariz., just outside Phoenix. Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase/Kalitta Motorsports
Langdon and his Team Kalitta DHL Top Fuel team did, indeed, make some good runs at the first race with a top qualifying run at 3.776 seconds at 326.16 mph. In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Langdon raced three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown in the first round. The two drivers had nearly identical reaction times (.066-.088) and nearly identical elapsed times (3.704 – 3.706), but Brown reached the finish line first. His margin of victory was .0002 seconds – or two 10 thousandths of a second.
“The car ran well first round which was a good thing – it ran a big speed which is one of the things we were trying to accomplish in the off season,” Langdon said. “That’s an indication of horse power – 3.70 at 333 mph in the first round was an excellent run so we’ll definitely be looking to improve that when we get to Phoenix. Last year we were able to make some good runs there so we’re looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this week.
“Gainesville was a really good start; With what we ran in the first round, Doug’s 3.64 in his first round and J.R. making it to the final, it shows Team Kalitta is headed in the right direction even after just one race. The DHL Top Fuel team didn’t get the results we were looking for, but we just lost a good race in the first round so there’s nothing to hang out heads about there. We’re definitely looking forward to what’s ahead this year – better results and getting Team Kalitta back into the winner’s circle.”
This weekend’s race could be the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Following this season of events, the facility will be replaced by an overpass and Interstate 10 extension.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Phoenix,” Langdon added. “I’ve raced there since my junior dragster days in the late 1990s so I have a lot of memories at that track. I enjoy going there – I love the area; it’s an awesome area with great golf courses, and I definitely enjoy going to that track. This could potentially be the last time, but I hope we get to race there in the future.”
