INDIANAPOLIS. (Aug. 30, 2025) – – Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd captured a double win in the final Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season. With a total of 23 championship bonus points in the special event this season, Kalitta also won the Top Fuel season championship in the special event. The Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals is set for Monday, Sept. 1 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race broadcast is set for 2-5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1 on FOX.
Kalitta and his teammate, Shawn Langdon, dominated the Top Fuel Mission Foods Challenge, taking a total of 10 wins in the 13 races at which it was contested. Kalitta advanced to the Mission Foods final round with a 3.749-second run at 338 mph to defeat Jordan Vandergriff and advance to the final round against Clay Millican. In the final, Kalitta made a brilliant 3.730-second pass at 332.92 mph to get the win.
“That was really cool, especially having Mr. Gonzalez (Mission Foods CEO Juan Gonzalez) there at the end,” Kalitta said. “We definitely appreciate what Mission Foods does for the NHRA, it’s just super cool. I hope it’s working for them because we appreciate what they do for us. The cool part is being able to race before race day during qualifying. It’s cool for the fans, and it’s good for the drivers to have an opportunity to race on Saturday.
“With the conditions, it didn’t seem like a lot of cars were getting down the track, and I’m thinking, ‘if anybody could get my car down track, it’s Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all the Mac Tools Toyota guys on my car.’ The thing went straight down through there; very, very happy to see that win light come on. Shawn and I had a good string of winning these things, and Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta) is here, hanging with us and supporting what we’re doing.”
Kalitta also won the Challenge in Las Vegas, Charlotte, New Hampshire and Norwalk, Ohio. Langdon won at Phoenix, Pomona, Chicago, Seattle and Brainerd, Minn., two weeks ago. Langdon finished second in the Mission Foods Challenge season standings with 18 championship bonus points. After Monday’s race ending the regular season, the points will be reset prior to the start of the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, and the Mission Foods Challenge points will then be added to each driver’s point total prior to the playoffs.
Todd and his DHL GR Supra team raced Jack Beckman in the Mission Foods opening round. Todd was off the starting line first and making a great run when his DHL GR Supra smoked the tires during the run. Backman’s car did the same, but Todd won the round and advanced to the final round against Beckman’s teammate, Funny Car points leader Austin Prock. After both cars staged for the final round, Prock left the starting line before the green light immediately turning on Todd’s win light despite the DHL Funny Car smoking the tires. It was Todd’s second Mission Foods Challenge win of the season and his second-straight at the U.S. Nationals.
“It’s good to have some racing luck pointed in our direction on a weekend like this,” Todd said. “We definitely had some luck on our side racing two JFR cars and not make it to the finish line under power but getting two win lights. I heard him go, and I was about to go at the same time and caught myself. Then I thought, ‘I think he red lit’ and saw the win light come on. That’s pretty wild, but I wish it was Monday when this happened. Our goal is to win three races in one weekend, and that was step one.”
Todd races in the Play NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, a race among the top-qualifying Funny Car teams over the last year, tomorrow followed by the U.S. Nationals on Monday. With today’s Mission Foods Challenge win, he is the only driver with a chance to win three races in three days this weekend.
“Man, I would love to do that,” Todd added. “It’s nice to get the Mission Foods win; now we can focus on racing for the money tomorrow and learning at the same time with our eyes on the big picture on Monday. I kind of like it (three races in three days). It kind of gets you in that racing mentality all weekend long and gets you ready for Monday.
“It’s good to get some bonus money, and bonus points are the biggest thing heading into the countdown. It’s awesome having to Mr. Gonzalez (Mission Foods CEO Juan Gonzalez) here from Mission Foods and giving us a chance to put on a race for the fans on a Saturday. I want to thank them for supporting us. Thanks also to DHL, SealMaster, Dayco, Superior/PJH and Revchem for making it possible for us to do what we do.”
After three of the five U.S. Nationals qualifying sessions, Kalitta is the provisional No. 4 qualifier, Langdon is sixth and Todd is sixth in the Funny Car order with two Sunday qualifying sessions remaining.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post DOUG KALITTA, J.R. TODD WIN U.S. NATIONALS MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE; KALITTA ADDS SEASON TITLE first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
Continue reading...
Kalitta and his teammate, Shawn Langdon, dominated the Top Fuel Mission Foods Challenge, taking a total of 10 wins in the 13 races at which it was contested. Kalitta advanced to the Mission Foods final round with a 3.749-second run at 338 mph to defeat Jordan Vandergriff and advance to the final round against Clay Millican. In the final, Kalitta made a brilliant 3.730-second pass at 332.92 mph to get the win.
“That was really cool, especially having Mr. Gonzalez (Mission Foods CEO Juan Gonzalez) there at the end,” Kalitta said. “We definitely appreciate what Mission Foods does for the NHRA, it’s just super cool. I hope it’s working for them because we appreciate what they do for us. The cool part is being able to race before race day during qualifying. It’s cool for the fans, and it’s good for the drivers to have an opportunity to race on Saturday.
“With the conditions, it didn’t seem like a lot of cars were getting down the track, and I’m thinking, ‘if anybody could get my car down track, it’s Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all the Mac Tools Toyota guys on my car.’ The thing went straight down through there; very, very happy to see that win light come on. Shawn and I had a good string of winning these things, and Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta) is here, hanging with us and supporting what we’re doing.”
Kalitta also won the Challenge in Las Vegas, Charlotte, New Hampshire and Norwalk, Ohio. Langdon won at Phoenix, Pomona, Chicago, Seattle and Brainerd, Minn., two weeks ago. Langdon finished second in the Mission Foods Challenge season standings with 18 championship bonus points. After Monday’s race ending the regular season, the points will be reset prior to the start of the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, and the Mission Foods Challenge points will then be added to each driver’s point total prior to the playoffs.
Todd and his DHL GR Supra team raced Jack Beckman in the Mission Foods opening round. Todd was off the starting line first and making a great run when his DHL GR Supra smoked the tires during the run. Backman’s car did the same, but Todd won the round and advanced to the final round against Beckman’s teammate, Funny Car points leader Austin Prock. After both cars staged for the final round, Prock left the starting line before the green light immediately turning on Todd’s win light despite the DHL Funny Car smoking the tires. It was Todd’s second Mission Foods Challenge win of the season and his second-straight at the U.S. Nationals.
“It’s good to have some racing luck pointed in our direction on a weekend like this,” Todd said. “We definitely had some luck on our side racing two JFR cars and not make it to the finish line under power but getting two win lights. I heard him go, and I was about to go at the same time and caught myself. Then I thought, ‘I think he red lit’ and saw the win light come on. That’s pretty wild, but I wish it was Monday when this happened. Our goal is to win three races in one weekend, and that was step one.”
Todd races in the Play NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, a race among the top-qualifying Funny Car teams over the last year, tomorrow followed by the U.S. Nationals on Monday. With today’s Mission Foods Challenge win, he is the only driver with a chance to win three races in three days this weekend.
“Man, I would love to do that,” Todd added. “It’s nice to get the Mission Foods win; now we can focus on racing for the money tomorrow and learning at the same time with our eyes on the big picture on Monday. I kind of like it (three races in three days). It kind of gets you in that racing mentality all weekend long and gets you ready for Monday.
“It’s good to get some bonus money, and bonus points are the biggest thing heading into the countdown. It’s awesome having to Mr. Gonzalez (Mission Foods CEO Juan Gonzalez) here from Mission Foods and giving us a chance to put on a race for the fans on a Saturday. I want to thank them for supporting us. Thanks also to DHL, SealMaster, Dayco, Superior/PJH and Revchem for making it possible for us to do what we do.”
After three of the five U.S. Nationals qualifying sessions, Kalitta is the provisional No. 4 qualifier, Langdon is sixth and Todd is sixth in the Funny Car order with two Sunday qualifying sessions remaining.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post DOUG KALITTA, J.R. TODD WIN U.S. NATIONALS MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE; KALITTA ADDS SEASON TITLE first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
Continue reading...
