LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2026) – – On a spooky, scary Halloween afternoon in the desert southwest, NHRA Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon continued to horrify his Top Fuel competition with his ninth No. 1 qualifier in the season’s first 19 races. Langdon is the No. 1 qualifier for tomorrow’s Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; it was the 31st No. 1 qualifier of his career. Sunday’s race broadcast is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. eastern time on FS1.
Langdon made his best run of the weekend in the Friday night qualifying session when the Top Fuel points leaders made a 3.672-second pass at 332.59 mph. With slightly warmer conditions Saturday afternoon, Langdon’s Friday night run held up through the remaining qualifying sessions. He smoked the tires in the third qualifying session, but the Kalitta Air Careers team rebounded nicely in the final session with a 3.727-second effort at 332.59 under sunny skies and the warmest conditions of the weekend.
Through the four rounds of qualifying, Langdon earned eight more qualifying bonus points than his teammate, Doug Kalitta, and enters tomorrow’s eliminations with a 147-point lead over the reigning Top Fuel champion. Langdon could clinch his second NHRA Top Fuel championship tomorrow, but if Kalitta reaches at least the semifinals, the championship battle would go on to Pomona, Calif., in two weeks.
“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, making good runs, not getting caught up in the extra things,” Langdon said. “At the end of the day, we can’t falter because we know the history of Alan Johnson and Doug Kalitta. We know what they’re capable of so we still have to go out there and do our jobs. If we do falter, they will capitalize and be right on our asses. We just need to do our job. We have to get to the main goal – that’s the main thing.”
Langdon will race No. 16 qualifier Cameron Ferre in the first round. His teammate, Doug Kalitta, is the No. 5 qualifier and will race No. 12 qualifier Will Smith. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd qualified seventh and will race No. 10 qualifier Chad Green in the first round.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post Shawn Langdon Terrifies Las Vegas Field with Ninth No. 1 Qualifier of the Season first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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Langdon made his best run of the weekend in the Friday night qualifying session when the Top Fuel points leaders made a 3.672-second pass at 332.59 mph. With slightly warmer conditions Saturday afternoon, Langdon’s Friday night run held up through the remaining qualifying sessions. He smoked the tires in the third qualifying session, but the Kalitta Air Careers team rebounded nicely in the final session with a 3.727-second effort at 332.59 under sunny skies and the warmest conditions of the weekend.
Through the four rounds of qualifying, Langdon earned eight more qualifying bonus points than his teammate, Doug Kalitta, and enters tomorrow’s eliminations with a 147-point lead over the reigning Top Fuel champion. Langdon could clinch his second NHRA Top Fuel championship tomorrow, but if Kalitta reaches at least the semifinals, the championship battle would go on to Pomona, Calif., in two weeks.
“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, making good runs, not getting caught up in the extra things,” Langdon said. “At the end of the day, we can’t falter because we know the history of Alan Johnson and Doug Kalitta. We know what they’re capable of so we still have to go out there and do our jobs. If we do falter, they will capitalize and be right on our asses. We just need to do our job. We have to get to the main goal – that’s the main thing.”
Langdon will race No. 16 qualifier Cameron Ferre in the first round. His teammate, Doug Kalitta, is the No. 5 qualifier and will race No. 12 qualifier Will Smith. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd qualified seventh and will race No. 10 qualifier Chad Green in the first round.
Photos Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
The post Shawn Langdon Terrifies Las Vegas Field with Ninth No. 1 Qualifier of the Season first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
Continue reading...
