2025 NHRA Gatornationals Recap: Qualified No. 11; lost to Bobby Bode.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 337 events, 22 wins, 27 runners-up, 364 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers.
Pre-Race Notes:
Pre-Race Quotes:
“Entering the new season, I’m definitely more optimistic than years past. It seems like we’ve had somewhat of a clean reset. We have a new look on the car, two brand new cars that we tested to start the season and some different parts and pieces. We brought Todd Smith back on board to work with Dickie (Crew Chief Dickie Venables). I think if you put two smart minds together like that, you’re bound for success. I hope the early indications we had in testing are a sign of what’s to come throughout the season.
“Pre-season testing went really well; that’s probably the most successful preseason test I’ve been a part of; the guys had a lot of work this season in preparing two brand new cars. For us to unload both of them in a span of three days and have them pretty much run identical down to a few thousands of a second speaks a lot to the preparation. That shows what those guys did at the race shop over the winter – those guys are awesome!
“I hope we can get the results they deserve because that’s the best way to pay them back for all their hard work. Conditions during testing were good, track conditions were good and the air conditions were good so it yielded some really good runs – some of my career-best speeds, but none of that really means a whole lot in preseason testing. Hopefully, it’s a good indicator of things to come during the season.
“Gainesville is a race that’s always one you want to check off the list. Running one of our “majors” to begin the season is always at the top list; it brings in big crowds and a lot of legends. We’ll have even more legends there this year with the 75th anniversary. You always wanna start the season strong, and I’ve been lucky enough to win the Gatornationals a couple times now. I’d love to add another one.”
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J.R. Todd Career Stats: 337 events, 22 wins, 27 runners-up, 364 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers.
Pre-Race Notes:
- J.R. Todd enters the 2026 season with renewed optimism. Prior to the 2025 season, four-time NHRA Funny Car Championship crew chief Dickie Venables joined the DHL GR Supra team. Following last season, longtime Funny Car Crew Chief Todd Smith returned to the team and joined Venables in the tuning lounge. The two will lead the DHL Funny Car charge in 2026.
- Last season, Todd won the New England Nationals, reached the final round at Brainerd, Minn., and added wins in the #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Bristol, Tenn., and Indianapolis.
- Todd has two wins (2021 and ‘24) in three final-round appearances at Gainesville Raceway. His runner-up finish came in 2023 giving him three final rounds in the last five Gainesville races.
- Two years ago at this event, Todd and his teammate, Shawn Langdon, achieved the first “double-up” win in Kalitta Motorsports history. It was the team’s 18th attempt to win the Top Fuel and Funny Car titles at the same event.
- Todd is the 2018 NHRA Funny Car Champion
Pre-Race Quotes:
“Entering the new season, I’m definitely more optimistic than years past. It seems like we’ve had somewhat of a clean reset. We have a new look on the car, two brand new cars that we tested to start the season and some different parts and pieces. We brought Todd Smith back on board to work with Dickie (Crew Chief Dickie Venables). I think if you put two smart minds together like that, you’re bound for success. I hope the early indications we had in testing are a sign of what’s to come throughout the season.
“Pre-season testing went really well; that’s probably the most successful preseason test I’ve been a part of; the guys had a lot of work this season in preparing two brand new cars. For us to unload both of them in a span of three days and have them pretty much run identical down to a few thousands of a second speaks a lot to the preparation. That shows what those guys did at the race shop over the winter – those guys are awesome!
“I hope we can get the results they deserve because that’s the best way to pay them back for all their hard work. Conditions during testing were good, track conditions were good and the air conditions were good so it yielded some really good runs – some of my career-best speeds, but none of that really means a whole lot in preseason testing. Hopefully, it’s a good indicator of things to come during the season.
“Gainesville is a race that’s always one you want to check off the list. Running one of our “majors” to begin the season is always at the top list; it brings in big crowds and a lot of legends. We’ll have even more legends there this year with the 75th anniversary. You always wanna start the season strong, and I’ve been lucky enough to win the Gatornationals a couple times now. I’d love to add another one.”
The post J.R. Todd, DHL GR Supra Funny Car first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
Continue reading...
