J.R. Todd, DHL GR Supra Funny Car
2025 NHRA New England Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 10; defeated Cruz Pedregon, Phil Burkart, Alexis DeJoria, Spencer Hyde.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 344 events, 22 wins, 28 runners-up, 376 round wins, 16 No. 1 qualifiers.
Current Points Position: 2
Pre-Race Notes:
“Anytime you win, it’s good. The 2025 season was definitely a struggle for us with all the changes that we made, but it was nice too to win there in Epping. Dickie (Crew Chief Dickie Venables) has a good track record there, so it obviously shows he has a good read on the conditions; that gives us conference going back there this year, but we’ll wait to see what the conditions are compared to what we dealt with in the past. The competition is way too tough to think you’re gonna roll into a race and think you have an advantage over everybody else.
“Nothing’s guaranteed by any means but knowing that you have a car that can win against anybody out there gives you more confidence as a driver. We haven’t had that in a while so it’s just a different feeling, a different mentality in the whole DHL pit area. You never count your chickens before they hatch; we haven’t won yet, but I feel like if we keep doing what we’re doing, wins will come eventually.
“The competition in Funny Car is so tight this year – seems like every first-round race is tough, and then, the day doesn’t get any easier as you get to the later rounds. I try not to look past first round, but you know, if you get past first round, it’s just going to be harder from there on out. That’s how you want it. You have to earn these things, and when you win at the end of the day, you feel like you beat the best in the world. We have yet to hold one of those 75th anniversary trophies, but hopefully, our day comes this weekend.
“We’ve been doing Eddie’s Lobsterfest for a long time now. It started in Englishtown (NJ) and it’s all to honor Scott Kalitta. It’s a good time. A lot of the teams are invited to come out, toast Scott and have some lobster and cocktails in his memory.”
Todd Photo Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
For J.R. Todd’s 2026 race-by-race results, please click here.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
The post J.R. Todd Wants Another Lobster Trap Chair first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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2025 NHRA New England Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 10; defeated Cruz Pedregon, Phil Burkart, Alexis DeJoria, Spencer Hyde.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 344 events, 22 wins, 28 runners-up, 376 round wins, 16 No. 1 qualifiers.
Current Points Position: 2
Pre-Race Notes:
- J.R. Todd enters the NHRA New England Nationals in second place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails first place Ron Capps by 16 points, less than one round of racing.
- Todd is the New England Nationals defending champion; last summer’s win was his first in New Hampshire and his first with Crew Chief Dickie Venables. After the win, Todd posed for pictures in a chair made of lobster traps that was awarded to the team following the race.
- DHL GR Supra Crew Chief Dickie Venables has five race wins at New England Dragway.
- Todd has a runner up and three semifinal finishes along with two No. 1 qualifiers in the season’s first seven races. He qualified in the top six positions four times this season.
- Todd is the 2018 NHRA Funny Car Champion and has 22 race wins in his career.
- Pre-Race Quotes:
“Anytime you win, it’s good. The 2025 season was definitely a struggle for us with all the changes that we made, but it was nice too to win there in Epping. Dickie (Crew Chief Dickie Venables) has a good track record there, so it obviously shows he has a good read on the conditions; that gives us conference going back there this year, but we’ll wait to see what the conditions are compared to what we dealt with in the past. The competition is way too tough to think you’re gonna roll into a race and think you have an advantage over everybody else.
“Nothing’s guaranteed by any means but knowing that you have a car that can win against anybody out there gives you more confidence as a driver. We haven’t had that in a while so it’s just a different feeling, a different mentality in the whole DHL pit area. You never count your chickens before they hatch; we haven’t won yet, but I feel like if we keep doing what we’re doing, wins will come eventually.
“The competition in Funny Car is so tight this year – seems like every first-round race is tough, and then, the day doesn’t get any easier as you get to the later rounds. I try not to look past first round, but you know, if you get past first round, it’s just going to be harder from there on out. That’s how you want it. You have to earn these things, and when you win at the end of the day, you feel like you beat the best in the world. We have yet to hold one of those 75th anniversary trophies, but hopefully, our day comes this weekend.
“We’ve been doing Eddie’s Lobsterfest for a long time now. It started in Englishtown (NJ) and it’s all to honor Scott Kalitta. It’s a good time. A lot of the teams are invited to come out, toast Scott and have some lobster and cocktails in his memory.”
Todd Photo Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
For J.R. Todd’s 2026 race-by-race results, please click here.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 8-9:30 p.m. Friday, June 5 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 10-11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 on FS1
- Finals: 3-6 p.m. Sunday, June 7 on FOX
The post J.R. Todd Wants Another Lobster Trap Chair first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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