<img src="http://gallery.nitromater.com/files/6/5/JR_headshot1.jpg" alt="JR_headshot1" align="right"borders="0"/>
SOMONA, Calif. -- J.R. Todd's drag racing story is like many of his peers. He grew up in a motorsports family. Driven to drive, he spent many hours, days, weeks and years improving his skills to make his dream a reality.
He emerged unheralded on a national stage less than three weeks ago when he upset some of the top names in National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel racing en route to his first professional victory, not only for himself, but his parents, family, friends, team owner Dexter Tuttle and his SKULL Shine teammates.
It was an impressive performance on a scorching day in Denver. Todd, in only his 10th start in NHRA Top Fuel competition, sidelined veteran drivers Cory McClenathan, two-time series champion Larry Dixon and, finally, Tony Schumacher, the reigning POWERade Series champ, in the money round. It was, well, amazing.
It was only later the 24-year-old competitor realized he also became the first African American to win a title in Top Fuel - when he saw it on ESPN. "It didn't even pop into my head," Todd said.
But others noticed.
"I had a few friends call me and say how they couldn't believe they saw me on CNN," he said. "I even heard from a few old girlfriends that hadn't talked to me in quite a while.
"If we want to get the exposure and big sponsorships (in drag racing) like NASCAR, then we need national attention. If ESPN and USA Today want to report about a black driver, I'll take that publicity any time," Todd added.
Todd - his name is Mario Todd Jr., but he has been called J.R. for years - and the SKULL Shine team are intent on proving they are much more than one-race wonders in the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., July 28-30.
It is a promising work in progress, one that already shows three semifinal finishes, including Sunday in Seattle when he defeated Melanie Troxel and David Baca before losing to Schumacher. Troxel was the Top Fuel point leader for 12 races.
"We were only planning on running half the year because we lacked sponsorship, but Evan Knoll stepped up with the SKULL Shine/Knoll-Gas Torco Racing Fuels sponsorship (in May) and that allows us to run until the end of the season," said Todd. "Since that happened we've been qualifying well and, in the last four or five races, we've been going some rounds. It's definitely an upswing for the team."
Now the team has something to pursue. Todd has 500 points and has climbed into 13th place. He's only 105 points (five rounds) behind a spot in the top 10 with nine races (36 rounds) remaining
"I didn't give us a shot at finishing in the top 10 because we planned to run just half a season," Todd said, "and even when we decided to go fulltime I still didn't give us a shot at the top 10 just because we were so far behind after skipping all those races. But now that we've won a race and have been going to the semis, we definitely have a shot at it. So I'm looking forward to it."
Todd is no neophyte when it comes to drag racing:
-- He began driving Junior Dragsters when he was 10;
-- Moved up to Super Comp at 16;
-- Graduated from Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School and drove an alcohol dragster at 17;
-- Drove Bruce Litton's second Top Fuel dragster in IHRA competition, finishing sixth in a limited number of races when he was 18;
-- Worked as a mechanic on Litton's car for two years;
-- Worked as mechanic on Bob Gilbertson's Funny Car from 2003-2005;
-- Chosen to drive Dexter Tuttle's Top Fuel dragster, 2006.
"I was always around a race track, born and raised," Todd said. "I grew up riding bikes and four-wheelers. My dad raced dirt flat tracks on 750 Harleys and he didn't want me doing that. It was perfect timing for me when NHRA's Junior Drag Racing League started. I was 10 and the company my dad worked for had a drag car so we wound up going to the drag strip with them. Dad bought a car for me and I've been drag racing ever since.
"I got a lucky break this year. I still work on the car fulltime back at the shop and help out around the track but it definitely beats having to work on it between rounds when you get to drive it."
Mario Todd, meanwhile, is a proud father. "I was so proud of his success, then I was so proud of the way he handled himself," he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last week. "I don't know why he speaks so well, but he's very articulate.
"Never once did he mention his race. He'd rather be in the race car than play the race card."
J.R. Todd Attempts to Continue Good Runs at Sonoma
SOMONA, Calif. -- J.R. Todd's drag racing story is like many of his peers. He grew up in a motorsports family. Driven to drive, he spent many hours, days, weeks and years improving his skills to make his dream a reality.
He emerged unheralded on a national stage less than three weeks ago when he upset some of the top names in National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel racing en route to his first professional victory, not only for himself, but his parents, family, friends, team owner Dexter Tuttle and his SKULL Shine teammates.
It was an impressive performance on a scorching day in Denver. Todd, in only his 10th start in NHRA Top Fuel competition, sidelined veteran drivers Cory McClenathan, two-time series champion Larry Dixon and, finally, Tony Schumacher, the reigning POWERade Series champ, in the money round. It was, well, amazing.
It was only later the 24-year-old competitor realized he also became the first African American to win a title in Top Fuel - when he saw it on ESPN. "It didn't even pop into my head," Todd said.
But others noticed.
"I had a few friends call me and say how they couldn't believe they saw me on CNN," he said. "I even heard from a few old girlfriends that hadn't talked to me in quite a while.
"If we want to get the exposure and big sponsorships (in drag racing) like NASCAR, then we need national attention. If ESPN and USA Today want to report about a black driver, I'll take that publicity any time," Todd added.
Todd - his name is Mario Todd Jr., but he has been called J.R. for years - and the SKULL Shine team are intent on proving they are much more than one-race wonders in the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., July 28-30.
It is a promising work in progress, one that already shows three semifinal finishes, including Sunday in Seattle when he defeated Melanie Troxel and David Baca before losing to Schumacher. Troxel was the Top Fuel point leader for 12 races.
"We were only planning on running half the year because we lacked sponsorship, but Evan Knoll stepped up with the SKULL Shine/Knoll-Gas Torco Racing Fuels sponsorship (in May) and that allows us to run until the end of the season," said Todd. "Since that happened we've been qualifying well and, in the last four or five races, we've been going some rounds. It's definitely an upswing for the team."
Now the team has something to pursue. Todd has 500 points and has climbed into 13th place. He's only 105 points (five rounds) behind a spot in the top 10 with nine races (36 rounds) remaining
"I didn't give us a shot at finishing in the top 10 because we planned to run just half a season," Todd said, "and even when we decided to go fulltime I still didn't give us a shot at the top 10 just because we were so far behind after skipping all those races. But now that we've won a race and have been going to the semis, we definitely have a shot at it. So I'm looking forward to it."
Todd is no neophyte when it comes to drag racing:
-- He began driving Junior Dragsters when he was 10;
-- Moved up to Super Comp at 16;
-- Graduated from Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School and drove an alcohol dragster at 17;
-- Drove Bruce Litton's second Top Fuel dragster in IHRA competition, finishing sixth in a limited number of races when he was 18;
-- Worked as a mechanic on Litton's car for two years;
-- Worked as mechanic on Bob Gilbertson's Funny Car from 2003-2005;
-- Chosen to drive Dexter Tuttle's Top Fuel dragster, 2006.
"I was always around a race track, born and raised," Todd said. "I grew up riding bikes and four-wheelers. My dad raced dirt flat tracks on 750 Harleys and he didn't want me doing that. It was perfect timing for me when NHRA's Junior Drag Racing League started. I was 10 and the company my dad worked for had a drag car so we wound up going to the drag strip with them. Dad bought a car for me and I've been drag racing ever since.
"I got a lucky break this year. I still work on the car fulltime back at the shop and help out around the track but it definitely beats having to work on it between rounds when you get to drive it."
Mario Todd, meanwhile, is a proud father. "I was so proud of his success, then I was so proud of the way he handled himself," he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer last week. "I don't know why he speaks so well, but he's very articulate.
"Never once did he mention his race. He'd rather be in the race car than play the race card."
