BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 22, 2026) – – Doug Kalitta and J.R. Todd are on a roll. They entered this weekend’s NHRA Brainerd Nationals after a double win three weeks ago in Seattle and picked up right where they left off. Kalitta took the No. 1 qualifier while Kalitta and Todd doubled up again, in the Mission Foods Challenge, for the second time this season. The NHRA Brainerd Nationals is set for tomorrow; the race broadcast is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. eastern time on FSI.
Kalitta made the quickest run in each of the four qualifying sessions en route to his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season, his second straight at Brainerd and the 70th of his career. The reigning and two-time Top Fuel champion made his best run of the weekend during the third round of qualifying early Saturday afternoon when the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster reached the finish line in 3.673 seconds at 332.30 mph.
“The Mission Foods race on Saturday is just a good opportunity for us to kind of keep racing – it’s great to be able to race somebody on Saturday,” Kalitta said. “The Mac Tools guys have me running well, and I just couldn’t be prouder of Alan (Crew Chief Alan Johnson), Alan Johnson Performance Engineering, Mac (Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all my guys. We’re digging hard. We’re just trying to stay with Shawn (Langdon) – he’s been kicking our butts for a while, but that’s what it’s all about. This place is special – my family’s done really well here over the years. Getting a win here last year, the expectations are high to try to do it again. With the momentum we have going on and whatever mojo we have going on, we’re hoping we can just keep it rolling.”
With the qualifying sweep and the resulting 12 bonus points, Kalitta took the points lead from Langdon for the first time since the second race of the season. Kalitta also won his fifth Mission Foods Challenge race of the season in a rematch of the semifinals and finals from the last race in Seattle three weeks ago. Kalitta defeated Antron Brown in the semifinal rematch and then dispatched Josh Hart in the final round.
Todd won both the semifinal and final on the starting line when the DHL GR Supra won despite not being the quickest car. In the semifinal, Matt Hagan made a quicker run, but Todd left the starting line first and won by .0395 seconds. In the final, Austin Prock made a quicker run, but Todd left the starting line first again and won his second Mission Foods Challenge of the season by 11 thousandths of a second.
“J.R. saved us on both runs,” Crew Chief Dickie Venables said. “We made decent runs, but he won both runs today on a hole shot. Right now, points are super critical. We’re not to a point to where we can run, 87 or 8 (3.87 or 3.88 seconds) right now. We’re just trying to stay within our window, make some runs and learn, but we’re happy.”
“I’ve had confidence in the Yella Fellas, Dickie and Todd (Crew Chiefs Dickie Venables and Todd Smith) all year long,” Todd said. “It’s good to rack up some bonus points and bonus money. We stubbed our toe here and there in the summer, but I feel like we’re turning things around, and it’s nice to get these bonus points on Saturday. Thank you to Mission Foods and NHRA for allowing us to do this. Everything that’s happened today, I would rather do tomorrow; that’s when it really counts, but it’s good momentum heading to race day, Indy and then the Countdown to the Championship. This is definitely the time to start rolling – I’m excited!”
Kalitta will race No. 16 qualifier Cameron Ferre in the first round; Shawn Langdon is the No. 3 qualifier and will race No. 14 qualifier Keith Murt in the opening round. In Funny Car, Todd is the No. 5 qualifier and will race No. 12 qualifier Spencer Hyde in Sunday’s opening round.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post DOUG KALITTA SWEEPS NHRA BRAINERD NO. 1 QUALIFIER, MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE; J.R. TODD WINS FUNNY CAR MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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Kalitta made the quickest run in each of the four qualifying sessions en route to his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season, his second straight at Brainerd and the 70th of his career. The reigning and two-time Top Fuel champion made his best run of the weekend during the third round of qualifying early Saturday afternoon when the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster reached the finish line in 3.673 seconds at 332.30 mph.
“The Mission Foods race on Saturday is just a good opportunity for us to kind of keep racing – it’s great to be able to race somebody on Saturday,” Kalitta said. “The Mac Tools guys have me running well, and I just couldn’t be prouder of Alan (Crew Chief Alan Johnson), Alan Johnson Performance Engineering, Mac (Crew Chief Mac Savage) and all my guys. We’re digging hard. We’re just trying to stay with Shawn (Langdon) – he’s been kicking our butts for a while, but that’s what it’s all about. This place is special – my family’s done really well here over the years. Getting a win here last year, the expectations are high to try to do it again. With the momentum we have going on and whatever mojo we have going on, we’re hoping we can just keep it rolling.”
With the qualifying sweep and the resulting 12 bonus points, Kalitta took the points lead from Langdon for the first time since the second race of the season. Kalitta also won his fifth Mission Foods Challenge race of the season in a rematch of the semifinals and finals from the last race in Seattle three weeks ago. Kalitta defeated Antron Brown in the semifinal rematch and then dispatched Josh Hart in the final round.
Todd won both the semifinal and final on the starting line when the DHL GR Supra won despite not being the quickest car. In the semifinal, Matt Hagan made a quicker run, but Todd left the starting line first and won by .0395 seconds. In the final, Austin Prock made a quicker run, but Todd left the starting line first again and won his second Mission Foods Challenge of the season by 11 thousandths of a second.
“J.R. saved us on both runs,” Crew Chief Dickie Venables said. “We made decent runs, but he won both runs today on a hole shot. Right now, points are super critical. We’re not to a point to where we can run, 87 or 8 (3.87 or 3.88 seconds) right now. We’re just trying to stay within our window, make some runs and learn, but we’re happy.”
“I’ve had confidence in the Yella Fellas, Dickie and Todd (Crew Chiefs Dickie Venables and Todd Smith) all year long,” Todd said. “It’s good to rack up some bonus points and bonus money. We stubbed our toe here and there in the summer, but I feel like we’re turning things around, and it’s nice to get these bonus points on Saturday. Thank you to Mission Foods and NHRA for allowing us to do this. Everything that’s happened today, I would rather do tomorrow; that’s when it really counts, but it’s good momentum heading to race day, Indy and then the Countdown to the Championship. This is definitely the time to start rolling – I’m excited!”
Kalitta will race No. 16 qualifier Cameron Ferre in the first round; Shawn Langdon is the No. 3 qualifier and will race No. 14 qualifier Keith Murt in the opening round. In Funny Car, Todd is the No. 5 qualifier and will race No. 12 qualifier Spencer Hyde in Sunday’s opening round.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post DOUG KALITTA SWEEPS NHRA BRAINERD NO. 1 QUALIFIER, MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE; J.R. TODD WINS FUNNY CAR MISSION FOODS CHALLENGE first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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