DOUG KALITTA HOPES FOR MORE “GOOD PROGRESS” IN NORWALK WITH APPLIED INNOVATION LONG FOR THE RIDE
Image Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 6; defeated Antron Brown before losing to Mike Salinas in the second round.
Career Stats: 574 events, 744 round wins, 49 wins, 107 final rounds, 52 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gatornationals: Qualified third; defeated Spencer Massey, Antron Brown; lost to Steve Torrence
Phoenix: Qualified No. 1; defeated Rob Passey, lost to Shawn Langdon.
Pomona: Qualified 11th and lost to Antron Brown in the first round.
Las Vegas: Qualified 10th; lost to Steve Torrence and Josh Hart in the first round.
Charlotte: Qualified sixth, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, lost to Clay Millican
Epping: Qualified 12th; lost to Leah Pruett.
Bristol: Qualified No. 6; defeated Clay Millican, Steve Torrence before lost to Antron Brown.
Current Point Standings: Kalitta enters Norwalk in ninth place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails eighth-place Josh Hart by 29 points and leads his teammate, 10th-place Shawn Langdon, by 37 points.
Image Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 6; defeated Antron Brown before losing to Mike Salinas in the second round.
Career Stats: 574 events, 744 round wins, 49 wins, 107 final rounds, 52 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gatornationals: Qualified third; defeated Spencer Massey, Antron Brown; lost to Steve Torrence
Phoenix: Qualified No. 1; defeated Rob Passey, lost to Shawn Langdon.
Pomona: Qualified 11th and lost to Antron Brown in the first round.
Las Vegas: Qualified 10th; lost to Steve Torrence and Josh Hart in the first round.
Charlotte: Qualified sixth, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, lost to Clay Millican
Epping: Qualified 12th; lost to Leah Pruett.
Bristol: Qualified No. 6; defeated Clay Millican, Steve Torrence before lost to Antron Brown.
Current Point Standings: Kalitta enters Norwalk in ninth place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails eighth-place Josh Hart by 29 points and leads his teammate, 10th-place Shawn Langdon, by 37 points.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (June 20, 2023) – Doug Kalitta reached his second semifinal of the season at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals two weeks ago – it was just part of the “good progress” Team Kalitta made in Bristol with two semifinal appearances. With an energized team and Applied Innovation on the car this weekend, Kalitta’s Toyota team is poised to make more progress at one of the most fan-friendly stops on the tour. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series resumes this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 23-25, 2023 in Norwalk, Ohio.
The other part of that positive from the double-race weekend featuring the Thunder Valley Nationals and rain-delayed eliminations for the New England Nationals was six runs down the race track resulting in a solid speed and elapsed time showing the Applied Innovations car is becoming a consistently quick race car. Consistent runs lead to round wins which lead to race wins. In addition, the Team Kalitta DHL Toyota Funny Car driven by J.R. Todd made the New England Nationals semifinals on Saturday.
“We made a lot of good runs down the track reached the Bristol semifinals - it feels good to see our guys starting to have a little success after all the hard work they’ve been putting into this team. I think we’re making some good progress. It’s all about going rounds on Sunday so we just have to keep our heads down and keep working.”
Kalitta has one Norwalk win in three final rounds, and he’ll look to take Applied Innovation to the winner’s circle this weekend. Applied is a family-owned company founded as printer, copier and fax company in 1987. Since that time, it has evolved into a complete office technology provider.
“Our relationship with Kalitta Motorsports stems from a number of similarities,” Applied Innovation president, CEO and owner John Lowery said. “We are both family owned, Michigan-based companies with the same culture and values. But most importantly they understand the true meaning of a partnership. And don’t forget there’s Doug’s 330mph nitro burning, ground shaking top fuel dragster with Applied’s name on it!”
"Applied Innovation is a vital partner at Kalitta Motorsports and Kalitta Air," Team Kalitta general manager Chad Head said. They manage all our printing needs, but they also cover everything on the networking and IT fronts for us so the services they provide keep us up and running. The same goes for both Kalitta Air and Kalitta Charters but on a much larger scale. We rely on them literally every day, and we're proud to showcase them on Doug's car this weekend."
Races in Norwalk are always special because of the incredible fan base, but for Team Kalitta, it’s also the race closest to Ypsilanti, Mich., the home base for both the race team and Kalitta Air.
“The Bader family does a great job with that facility, and we all like racing at Norwalk,” Kalitta added. “It’s close to Ypsilanti where our home base is so we’ll get a few extra people there from the local area down there so it’ll be fun. We just want to keep the momentum going, keep our heads down and get after it there. With it being so close to our home base, it’s the best time for our employees and some of their families to get to a race so we’ll definitely encourage people to come out, support our teams and have some fun with it.”
J.R. TODD, DHL TOYOTA TEAM FIND CONSISTENCY, LOOK FOR MORE AT "HOME" RACE TRACK
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 7; defeated Blake Alexander and John Force before losing to Robert Hight in the semifinals.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 285 events, 306 round wins, 19 wins, 42 final rounds, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified sixth; defeated Blake Alexander, Robert Hight, Chad Green; lost to Matt Hagan in final.
Phoenix: Qualified 15th and lost to Alexis DeJoria in the first round.
Pomona: Qualified fifth and lost to Alex Laughlin in the first round.
Las Vegas: Did not qualify.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6 but lost to Robert Hight and Mike McIntire in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; lost to Bob Tasca in the first round.
Epping: Qualified No. 8; defeated Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan before losing to John Force in the semifinals.
Bristol: Qualified No. 7; lost to John Force.
Current Point Standings: Todd enters Norwalk in 10th place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails ninth place Cruz Pedregon by 27 points and leads 11th place Alex Laughlin by 36 points.
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 7; defeated Blake Alexander and John Force before losing to Robert Hight in the semifinals.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 285 events, 306 round wins, 19 wins, 42 final rounds, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified sixth; defeated Blake Alexander, Robert Hight, Chad Green; lost to Matt Hagan in final.
Phoenix: Qualified 15th and lost to Alexis DeJoria in the first round.
Pomona: Qualified fifth and lost to Alex Laughlin in the first round.
Las Vegas: Did not qualify.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6 but lost to Robert Hight and Mike McIntire in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; lost to Bob Tasca in the first round.
Epping: Qualified No. 8; defeated Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan before losing to John Force in the semifinals.
Bristol: Qualified No. 7; lost to John Force.
Current Point Standings: Todd enters Norwalk in 10th place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails ninth place Cruz Pedregon by 27 points and leads 11th place Alex Laughlin by 36 points.
Consistency. It’s the main ingredient in the recipe of drag racing success, and two weeks ago during a double race weekend in Tennessee, J.R. Todd and his DHL Toyota GR Supra team found a bit of what has largely been a missing ingredient this season. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series resumes this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 23-25, 2023 in Norwalk, Ohio.
Entering that double-dip weekend, the team had visions of capitalizing on a weekend of opportunity. While it didn’t earn either of the trophies, it did find some missing consistency and post four qualifying efforts within .107 seconds reaching the semifinals of the weather-delayed NHRA New England Nationals.
“It was nice to go some rounds,” Todd said following his semifinal effort in Bristol qualifying which doubled as New England Nationals eliminations. “We’ve definitely been struggling on that end. The car has gone down the track every run, just need to be a tick quicker. We didn’t qualify like we had hoped, but at the end of the day, we’ve gone down the track every run so far. That is something to build off of. You learn every time you go down the track.”
That consistency did not extend into the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations when the DHL Toyota GR Supra experienced mechanical difficulties in a first-round matchup with John Force causing the engine to shut off automatically. While knowledge gained through those consistent rounds may not be useful immediately, knowledge gained is always a good thing.
“The Bristol air condition and track condition are really different from a lot of places we run so we take notes, keep those notes, and when we come into conditions like those in the future, we’ll be able to fall back on them.” Todd added. “We always learn when we go down the track - I don’t see Norwalk being like it was in Bristol, but you never know.”
Races at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio are some of the best-attended on the circuit. It is a track at which fans are enthusiastic about their racing and their ice cream. The track is known for selling ice cream by the pound, and for the 2018 Funny Car champion, it’s a race where the Lawrenceburg, Ind., native spent some time growing up so it can be considered a home race for him as well as Kalitta Motorsports.
“It’s another track where I grew up racing as a kid somewhat close to home, and it’s the home race for everybody at Kalitta Motorsports,” Todd said. “The Bader family does a great job promoting races – they’re one of the best in the business. The fans always pack the grandstands there, and at the end of the day, we’re here to put on a good show for them. It’s the closest race to the race shop so it’s an opportunity for families and everybody who works in the CNC shop, the Fab shop and the front office who aren’t able to get to races during the year to come out and actually see what we do. It’s a big race for Kalitta Motorsports for sure.”
LANGDON, KALITTA AIR BOUNTY HUNTER TEAM HUNT PROGRESS AT NORWALK
Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 9 and lost to Trip Tatum in the first round.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 317 events, 337 round wins, 17 wins, 38 final rounds, 19 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified 11th and lost to Antron Brown by two 10 thousandths of a second.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 8; defeated Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Pomona: Qualified No. 7; defeated Tony Schumacher, lost to Brittany Force.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 6; defeated Krista Baldwin and Clay Millican before losing to Steve Torrence and
Josh Hart in the semifinals.
Charlotte: Qualified 11th, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 6; lost to Clay Millican in the first round.
Epping: Qualified No. 2; lost to Tony Schumacher in the first round.
Bristol: Qualified 14th; lost to Steve Torrence.
Point Standings: Langdon enters Norwalk in 10th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails his teammate, Doug Kalitta, by 37 points and leads 11th place Tony Schumacher by 10 points.
Veteran Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon knows how it feels to run well like he did when he won at Norwalk in 2016, and he also knows how it feels when things aren't going as planned. Unfortunately for the Kalitta Air Bounty Hunter team, the latter is teh prevalent trend at the moment, but it's a trend that could change directions at any time. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series resumes this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 23-25, 2023 in Norwalk, Ohio. Photo Courtesy: Gary Nastase
2022 Norwalk Recap: Qualified No. 9 and lost to Trip Tatum in the first round.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 317 events, 337 round wins, 17 wins, 38 final rounds, 19 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified 11th and lost to Antron Brown by two 10 thousandths of a second.
Phoenix: Qualified No. 8; defeated Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett; lost to Justin Ashley
Pomona: Qualified No. 7; defeated Tony Schumacher, lost to Brittany Force.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 6; defeated Krista Baldwin and Clay Millican before losing to Steve Torrence and
Josh Hart in the semifinals.
Charlotte: Qualified 11th, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 6; lost to Clay Millican in the first round.
Epping: Qualified No. 2; lost to Tony Schumacher in the first round.
Bristol: Qualified 14th; lost to Steve Torrence.
Point Standings: Langdon enters Norwalk in 10th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails his teammate, Doug Kalitta, by 37 points and leads 11th place Tony Schumacher by 10 points.
Despite the team’s constant, resilient effort, progress is not coming easily, but a bounty hunter only eats what it kills. This team will continue hunting its prey regardless of its current trend.
"It's been a few races now that we've been out in the first round," the Kalitta Air driver said. "We have a really good group of guys and a great team - we're just kind of in a rut right now. We have to keep working at it. It’s the highs and lows of drag racing. Sometimes you’re on top, sometimes you’re not. We just have to keep working at it, and eventually, we’ll get the car back. We’ll keep at it until we get there.”
Perhaps a “home race” in front of dozens in attendance who work at nearby Kalitta Motorsports in Ypsilanti, Mich., combined with the huge, passionate Norwalk fans will be the elixir this team needs.
“It’s great – the hospitality is completely packed with a lot of Kalitta people so we have a ton of support,” Langdon said. “Norwalk is one of the most fan-friendly tracks, and personally, it’s one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. We’re always extremely excited to get there, and I know the guys spent the time since Bristol working really hard on our car so I can’t want to get to Norwalk this weekend and make some great runs.”
Race Information:
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
TV Schedule:
Qualifying 1: 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, June 23 on FS1
Qualifying 2: 7-9 p.m. Sunday, June 24 on FS1
Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, June 25 on FOX
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
TV Schedule:
Qualifying 1: 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, June 23 on FS1
Qualifying 2: 7-9 p.m. Sunday, June 24 on FS1
Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, June 25 on FOX
