Photo NHRA – YPSILANTI, Mich. (Oct. 8, 2024) – The last few races were not kind to J.R. Todd and his DHL GR Supra team, yet the team continues to work as hard as it can to win a race in the closing stage of the season. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs resumes Oct. 11-13, 2024 at the Texas NHRA FallNationals in Ennis, Texas, the fourth of six playoff races.
Todd enters Dallas in sixth place in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series point standings. He trails fifth-place Matt Hagan by 58 points and leads seventh-place Alexis DeJoria by 46 points with three races remaining. The team had visions of challenging for its first championship since Todd hoisted the championship trophy in 2018, but the first half of the playoffs did not evolve as hoped,
“You wait all season long for this part of the year,” Todd said. “It’s what you gear up for and earn all those points for, and then to going in the Countdown fourth is kind of where you want to be. But you have to make up some ground on the championship favorites early in the Countdown to get in position to challenge for the championship. We didn’t make that happen so it’s frustrating, but you can’t quit or give up. You go out there and do the best you can.”
Todd has one win in three final-round appearances at Texas Motorplex; he was runner-up at this race on the way to his 2018 championship. While the 2024 title is most likely out of reach, opportunities for improvement definitely remain.
“It’s not over until someone tells us it’s over,” Todd said. “We just need to go out there and try to win – that’s always the gameplan. With a strong finish in these last three races, we have an excellent chance of making the top five – that’s something we haven’t done in a long time so that would be a good result at this point.”
Race Information: Texas NHRA FallNationals Texas Motorplex; Ennis, Texas
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
2023 Texas NHRA FallNationals Recap: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander and Terry Haddock; lost to John Force.
Funny Car Career Stats: 312 events, 21 wins, 26 runner-up, 347 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
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Todd enters Dallas in sixth place in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series point standings. He trails fifth-place Matt Hagan by 58 points and leads seventh-place Alexis DeJoria by 46 points with three races remaining. The team had visions of challenging for its first championship since Todd hoisted the championship trophy in 2018, but the first half of the playoffs did not evolve as hoped,
“You wait all season long for this part of the year,” Todd said. “It’s what you gear up for and earn all those points for, and then to going in the Countdown fourth is kind of where you want to be. But you have to make up some ground on the championship favorites early in the Countdown to get in position to challenge for the championship. We didn’t make that happen so it’s frustrating, but you can’t quit or give up. You go out there and do the best you can.”
Todd has one win in three final-round appearances at Texas Motorplex; he was runner-up at this race on the way to his 2018 championship. While the 2024 title is most likely out of reach, opportunities for improvement definitely remain.
“It’s not over until someone tells us it’s over,” Todd said. “We just need to go out there and try to win – that’s always the gameplan. With a strong finish in these last three races, we have an excellent chance of making the top five – that’s something we haven’t done in a long time so that would be a good result at this point.”
Race Information: Texas NHRA FallNationals Texas Motorplex; Ennis, Texas
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 on FS1
- Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13 on FS1
2023 Texas NHRA FallNationals Recap: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander and Terry Haddock; lost to John Force.
Funny Car Career Stats: 312 events, 21 wins, 26 runner-up, 347 round wins, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
- Gainesville: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca and Austin Prock.
- Pomona: Qualified No. 11; defeated Cruz Pedregon and Paul Lee; lost to Matt Hagan.
- Phoenix: Qualified No. 5; defeated Cruz Pedregon and John Force before losing to Austin Prock.
- Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 3; defeated D. Wilkerson, D. Richards before losing to M. Hagan and R. Capps
- Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 12; defeated Ron Capps and Buddy Hull in the first round, Cruz Pedregon and John Force in the semifinals before beating John Force but losing to Matt Hagan and Daniel Wilkerson in the final round.
- Chicago: Qualified No. 12; lost to Alexis DeJoria.
- Epping: Qualified No. 3; defeated Dave Richards and Bob Tasca before losing to John Force.
- Bristol: Qualified No. 11; defeated Terry Haddock, Ron Capps, John Force; lost to Austin Prock.
- Richmond: Qualified No. 7; lost to Matt Hagan.
- Norwalk: Qualified No. 2; defeated Chris King; lost to Ron Capps.
- Seattle: Qualified No. 4; defeated Buddy Hull and Bob Tasca; lost to Austin Prock.
- Sonoma: Qualified No. 6 defeated Jason Rupert, lost to Ron Capps.
- Brainerd: Qualified No. 8; defeated Paul Lee, Austin Prock; lost to Matt Hagan.
- Indianapolis: Qualified No. 10; lost to Ron Capps.
- Reading: Qualified No. 11; defeated Matt Hagan, lost to Jack Beckman.
- Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; lost to Dan Wilkerson.
- St. Louis: Qualified No. 13; lost to Jack Beckman.
The post J.R. TODD, DHL TEAM WORKING FOR LATE-SEASON WIN first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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