ADEL, Ga. (May 2, 2026) – – For the first time since 2016 and just the fourth time in team history, Kalitta Motorsports scored a rare double No. 1 qualifier in a single race. Both Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd will start from the No. 1 position in tomorrow’s inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The race broadcast is set for 7 p.m. Sunday, May 3 on FS1.
Due to persistent rain, qualifying was reduced to three sessions from the normal four. The third and final session was delayed more than five hours, but that was no problem for the Mac Tools team. In the second-to-last pair of the final qualifying session, Kalitta blasted down the track with a 3.657-second effort at 342.37 mph to claim the No. 1 spot. Kalitta’s run was NHRA’s quickest elapsed time of the season and the fifth-fastest run in NHRA history.
Shawn Langdon, who reached 345.00 mph and made the fastest run in NHRA history yesterday and was the provisional No. 1 qualifier, was in the last pair. Langdon made another brilliant pass, a 3.683-seconds at 344.91 mph, just .09 mph slower than yesterday’s record-setting pass, and took the No. 2 qualifying position for tomorrow’s race. Langdon now owns the two fastest runs in NHRA history.
“The Mac Tools car left, and it quivered the tire, and I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, this thing is not gonna make it,’” Kalitta said. “And then it just hooked up and really got going. So, just hats off to Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all my guys. Thanks to everybody that waited it out – the fans were awesome. We’re just happy to get the win in the first round of the Mission Foods Challenge.”
Kalitta, Langdon and Todd all won their opening pairs in the Mission Foods Challenge, the rematch of the semifinals and finals from the last race. With the final round of qualifying canceled, the drivers will split the money, but no points will be awarded.
In Funny Car, Todd took the provisional No. 1 qualifier with yesterday’s 3.887-second pass at 339.28 mph making the fastest Funny Car run of the season, the fourth fastest Funny Car run all time and the fastest of Todd’s career. Todd was in the final pair today, and the DHL team was going for another record-setting run. The DHL GR Supra’s tires lost traction during the run, and Todd slowed to a 4.261-second effort at 219.07 mph. Still, his run from Friday held up for Todd’s second No. 1 qualifier in the last three races.
“I like these yellow hats (for No. 1 qualifier),” Todd said. “It’s nice not to have to wait another five years between No. 1 qualifiers, and that’s a testament to the guys, the yellow fellas, working on that thing. They had their work cut out for them after the Charlotte event, getting that primary car back together. We knew going into that final session that we had the opportunity to throw down. I hit the throttle and that thing was all over the place; about the time I got it straightened up, it pulled the tires loose. Thank you to the fans for sticking it out – I wish we could have put on a little better show, but they got to see some amazing runs.”
With only 15 Top Fuel cars in the field, Kalitta will have a first-round bye and will race the winner of the first-round matchup between Leah Pruett and Josh Hart in the second round. Langdon is the No. 2 qualifier and will race Cameron Ferre in the opening round. With fewer than 16 cars in the Funny Car field, Todd will face No. 14 qualifier Daniel Wilkerson in the first round with the winner getting a bye in the second round.
Photos Courtesy: NHRA
The post DOUG KALITTA AND J.R.TODD CLAIM DOUBLE NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT NHRA SOUTH GEORGIA NATIONALS first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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Due to persistent rain, qualifying was reduced to three sessions from the normal four. The third and final session was delayed more than five hours, but that was no problem for the Mac Tools team. In the second-to-last pair of the final qualifying session, Kalitta blasted down the track with a 3.657-second effort at 342.37 mph to claim the No. 1 spot. Kalitta’s run was NHRA’s quickest elapsed time of the season and the fifth-fastest run in NHRA history.
Shawn Langdon, who reached 345.00 mph and made the fastest run in NHRA history yesterday and was the provisional No. 1 qualifier, was in the last pair. Langdon made another brilliant pass, a 3.683-seconds at 344.91 mph, just .09 mph slower than yesterday’s record-setting pass, and took the No. 2 qualifying position for tomorrow’s race. Langdon now owns the two fastest runs in NHRA history.
“The Mac Tools car left, and it quivered the tire, and I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, this thing is not gonna make it,’” Kalitta said. “And then it just hooked up and really got going. So, just hats off to Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all my guys. Thanks to everybody that waited it out – the fans were awesome. We’re just happy to get the win in the first round of the Mission Foods Challenge.”
Kalitta, Langdon and Todd all won their opening pairs in the Mission Foods Challenge, the rematch of the semifinals and finals from the last race. With the final round of qualifying canceled, the drivers will split the money, but no points will be awarded.
In Funny Car, Todd took the provisional No. 1 qualifier with yesterday’s 3.887-second pass at 339.28 mph making the fastest Funny Car run of the season, the fourth fastest Funny Car run all time and the fastest of Todd’s career. Todd was in the final pair today, and the DHL team was going for another record-setting run. The DHL GR Supra’s tires lost traction during the run, and Todd slowed to a 4.261-second effort at 219.07 mph. Still, his run from Friday held up for Todd’s second No. 1 qualifier in the last three races.
“I like these yellow hats (for No. 1 qualifier),” Todd said. “It’s nice not to have to wait another five years between No. 1 qualifiers, and that’s a testament to the guys, the yellow fellas, working on that thing. They had their work cut out for them after the Charlotte event, getting that primary car back together. We knew going into that final session that we had the opportunity to throw down. I hit the throttle and that thing was all over the place; about the time I got it straightened up, it pulled the tires loose. Thank you to the fans for sticking it out – I wish we could have put on a little better show, but they got to see some amazing runs.”
With only 15 Top Fuel cars in the field, Kalitta will have a first-round bye and will race the winner of the first-round matchup between Leah Pruett and Josh Hart in the second round. Langdon is the No. 2 qualifier and will race Cameron Ferre in the opening round. With fewer than 16 cars in the Funny Car field, Todd will face No. 14 qualifier Daniel Wilkerson in the first round with the winner getting a bye in the second round.
Photos Courtesy: NHRA
The post DOUG KALITTA AND J.R.TODD CLAIM DOUBLE NO. 1 QUALIFIER AT NHRA SOUTH GEORGIA NATIONALS first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
Continue reading...
