YPSILANTI, Mich. (Sept. 24, 2024) – For a baseball guy, it’s a perfect description for the third race of the playoffs: “it’s anybody’s ballgame.” The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs resumes Sept. 27-29, 2024 at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill., the third of six playoff races.
Shawn Langdon played a lot of baseball and passed on a career in America’s pastime to focus on his passion: drag racing. His assessment after the first two races is perfect. The top-four Top Fuel drivers are separated by just 67 points, and second through fourth are separated by only 14 points. Antron Brown leads second-place Justin Ashley by 53 points with Langdon nine points back in third followed by Doug Kalitta just five points behind Langdon.
“We’ve done ok so far,” Langdon said. “We went to the final at the first (Countdown) race and are still third in points so we’re still in contention – we’re good so far. Super excited to have the opportunity to race with the best of the best in NHRA Drag Racing. We don’t really need to change anything – we just need to start winning races again. We don’t have any issues – the Kalitta Air Careers car is running well. We just have to win.”
Langdon won two races early in the season, and since that time, he has five runner-up finishes. He’s been in the top-three in points all season and is a legitimate threat to win at any time. The 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion has two St. Louis wins in three final-round appearances, and he knows winning championships requires winning races. The points are tight – a win this weekend could shake things up…in a good way.
“It’s anybody’s ballgame,” Langdon said. “It’s not over till Pomona so we’re going to St. Louis, try to do the best we can and try to make up some ground. It’s nice going to a track like St. Louis that does a nice job promoting their race and filling the stands. Racing in front of full grandstands is always good.”
Race Information: NHRA Midwest Nationals World Wide Technology Raceway; Madison, Ill.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
2023 NHRA Midwest Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 9; lost to Leah Pruett.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 344 events, 19 wins, 25 runner-up, 369 round wins, 21 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
The post Shawn Langdon Knows NHRA Title is Still “Anybody’s Game” first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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Shawn Langdon played a lot of baseball and passed on a career in America’s pastime to focus on his passion: drag racing. His assessment after the first two races is perfect. The top-four Top Fuel drivers are separated by just 67 points, and second through fourth are separated by only 14 points. Antron Brown leads second-place Justin Ashley by 53 points with Langdon nine points back in third followed by Doug Kalitta just five points behind Langdon.
“We’ve done ok so far,” Langdon said. “We went to the final at the first (Countdown) race and are still third in points so we’re still in contention – we’re good so far. Super excited to have the opportunity to race with the best of the best in NHRA Drag Racing. We don’t really need to change anything – we just need to start winning races again. We don’t have any issues – the Kalitta Air Careers car is running well. We just have to win.”
Langdon won two races early in the season, and since that time, he has five runner-up finishes. He’s been in the top-three in points all season and is a legitimate threat to win at any time. The 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion has two St. Louis wins in three final-round appearances, and he knows winning championships requires winning races. The points are tight – a win this weekend could shake things up…in a good way.
“It’s anybody’s ballgame,” Langdon said. “It’s not over till Pomona so we’re going to St. Louis, try to do the best we can and try to make up some ground. It’s nice going to a track like St. Louis that does a nice job promoting their race and filling the stands. Racing in front of full grandstands is always good.”
Race Information: NHRA Midwest Nationals World Wide Technology Raceway; Madison, Ill.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 on FS1
- Finals: 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 on FS1
2023 NHRA Midwest Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 9; lost to Leah Pruett.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 344 events, 19 wins, 25 runner-up, 369 round wins, 21 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
- Gainesville: Qualified No. 1; defeated Cody Krohn, Justin Ashley, Antron Brown and Billy Torrence.
- Pomona: Qualified No. 7; defeated Krista Baldwin; lost to Tony Schumacher.
- Phoenix: Qualified No. 5; defeated Josh Hart, Antron Brown, Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley.
- Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 8; lost to Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence in the first round.
- Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 7; lost to Antron Brown and Brittany Force in the first round.
- Chicago: Qualified No. 4; defeated Cody Krohn, Shawn Reed and Dan Mercier before losing to Antron Brown.
- Epping: Qualified No. 4; defeated Shawn Reed and Billy Torrence before losing to Doug Kalitta.
- Bristol: Qualified No. 4; defeated Shawn Reed; lost to Tony Schumacher.
- Richmond: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon, Steve Torrence & Antron Brown before losing to Doug Kalitta.
- Norwalk: Qualified No. 6; lost to Clay Millican.
- Seattle: Qualified No. 13; defeated Justin Ashley, Josh Hart and Clay Millican; lost to Steve Torrence.
- Sonoma: Qualified No. 4; lost to Tony Stewart in the first round.
- Brainerd: Qualified No. 5; defeated Shawn Reed, Doug Kalitta and Ida Zetterstrom; lost to Justin Ashley.
- Indianapolis: Qualified No. 16; lost to Brittany Force.
- Reading: Qualified No. 5; defeated Ida Zetterstrom, Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley; lost to Antron Brown.
- Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; defeated Josh Hart; lost to Doug Kalitta.
The post Shawn Langdon Knows NHRA Title is Still “Anybody’s Game” first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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