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“KING OF CALM” DOUG KALITTA, MAC TOOLS TEAM CONFIDENT ENTERING SEASON-ENDING RACE
YPSILANTI, Mich. (Nov. 7, 2023) - - Call it what you will for Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools Toyota team: final round, medal round, game seven, championship heat, last race or, well, the NHRA Finals. Regardless, the entire season comes down to this one event and these four remaining rounds of 2023 racing. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series ends this weekend at the In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals on the In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif., the last of six races that make up the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs.
For Kalitta, it’s an opportunity to accomplish the one thing he’s never done in NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racing: win a season championship. He’s been close many times. In fact, he has six runner up finishes in the season standings with his most-recent second-place run coming in 2019.
Earlier this season in the first race of the Countdown in Reading, Pa., Kalitta ended a different drought claiming his 50th race win after a nearly two-year wait, and he followed it up the next weekend with win No. 51 winning the first and second of the six playoff races. Those wins put him where he is today – 15 markers behind points leader Steve Torrence entering the season’s final race.
“It’s great to be in the position we’re in this year – I’m definitely having fun with it,” Kalitta said. “We had to wait till the Countdown started to start running up front so that was perfect timing. I’ve been second a number of times so I’ve had opportunities to run for a championship. Really, this is probably one of the best opportunities I’ve had. My Mac Tools car has obviously been running real strong, and we stuck around after Vegas and tested. Everything’s geared up, and we’re looking forward to getting to Pomona.”
As he should be; Kalitta enjoys prolific Pomona stats. He has six wins in 13 final-round appearances along with six No. 1 qualifiers. In addition, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip is also considered crew chief Alan Johnson’s home track, and the legendary tuner has won countless races and clinched multiple championships with race wins at the historic track.
“I’ve had real good luck at Pomona, particularly at the NHRA Finals, so I’m hoping we show up with a car that’s running in the mid-60s or low 60s (mid or low 3.60s in seconds). We just want to have fun with it – that’s obviously the goal,” the driver dubbed “the king of calm” by fellow title contender Steve Torrence said. “The approach I take is usually the calmer the better, and let the cards play like they’re gonna play. We’re down to this one race so there’s no waiting till the next race or anything like that. We have to get it done this weekend so we’re pretty excited about getting to the track and hopefully starting off strong. As far as the past, it’s definitely behind us, and this a new opportunity for my team and me is in the present so hopefully we can get it done. With 150 points left – there’s still a lot of racing. Everyone in contention is pretty good at what we do so it should be fun to go execute.”
Entering this last race, five drivers are within 82 points of the lead including Leah Pruett, Mike Salinas and Justin Ashley in addition to Kalitta and Torrence. NHRA awards “points and a half” at this race meaning each round win is worth 30 points instead of 20. While the focus is on the top of the standings, several drivers enter the In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals with a shot at the title, but if Kalitta and his Mac Tools team take care of business, the rest will take care of itself.
“I’m feeling good about everything – we tested on Monday (after Las Vegas), and the guys are excited about how everything went. I’ve had good luck at Pomona, and I feel confident - at the end of the day, the goal is to go to these events and win them. We’ll stay focused on that and see where we end up. It’s a matter of having the best-running car and driving well, and I am confident in our Mac Tools team.”
2022 In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No. 6; lost Josh Hart in the first round.
Career Stats: 586 events, 763 round wins, 51 wins, 111 final rounds, 53 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gatornationals: Qualified No. 3; defeated Spencer Massey, Antron Brown; lost to Steve Torrence
Phoenix: Qualified No. 1; defeated Rob Passey, lost to Shawn Langdon in the second round.
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 No. 6, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, lost to Clay Millican in the second round.
Epping: Qualified 12th; lost to Leah Pruett.
Bristol: Qualified No. 6; defeated Clay Millican and Steve Torrence before lost to Antron Brown.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 4; lost to Dan Mercier in the first round.
Denver: Qualified No. 2; defeated Terry Totten, Josh Hart and Steve Torrence before losing to Clay Millican in the final round.
Seattle: Qualified No. 2; defeated Ron Smith, had a second-round bye and defeated Clay Millican before losing to Steve Torrence in the final-round run.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 8; lost to Justin Ashley in the first round.
Topeka: Qualified No. 3; lost to Austin Prock in the first round.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 2; lost to Clay Millican in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 4; defeated Spencer Massey and Mike Salinas before losing to Steve Torrence in the semifinals.
Reading: Qualified No. 3; defeated Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett and Steve Torrence.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 3; defeated Steve Torrence, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett, Mike Salinas.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon, lost to Leah Pruett in the second round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 2; defeated Josh Hart, lost to Leah Pruett in the second round.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 4; defeated T.J. Zizzo, lost Josh Hart in the second round.
Current Point Standings: Kalitta enters Pomona in second place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails first-place Steve Torrence by 15 points and leads third-place Leah Pruett by 19 points.Career Stats: 586 events, 763 round wins, 51 wins, 111 final rounds, 53 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gatornationals: Qualified No. 3; defeated Spencer Massey, Antron Brown; lost to Steve Torrence
Phoenix: Qualified No. 1; defeated Rob Passey, lost to Shawn Langdon in the second round.
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 No. 6, lost to Leah Pritchett and Pat Dakin in the first round.
Chicago: Qualified No. 3; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, lost to Clay Millican in the second round.
Epping: Qualified 12th; lost to Leah Pruett.
Bristol: Qualified No. 6; defeated Clay Millican and Steve Torrence before lost to Antron Brown.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 4; lost to Dan Mercier in the first round.
Denver: Qualified No. 2; defeated Terry Totten, Josh Hart and Steve Torrence before losing to Clay Millican in the final round.
Seattle: Qualified No. 2; defeated Ron Smith, had a second-round bye and defeated Clay Millican before losing to Steve Torrence in the final-round run.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 8; lost to Justin Ashley in the first round.
Topeka: Qualified No. 3; lost to Austin Prock in the first round.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 2; lost to Clay Millican in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 4; defeated Spencer Massey and Mike Salinas before losing to Steve Torrence in the semifinals.
Reading: Qualified No. 3; defeated Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett and Steve Torrence.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 3; defeated Steve Torrence, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pruett, Mike Salinas.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon, lost to Leah Pruett in the second round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 2; defeated Josh Hart, lost to Leah Pruett in the second round.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 4; defeated T.J. Zizzo, lost Josh Hart in the second round.
J.R. TODD, DHL TOYOTA TEAM STRIVE FOR FIFTH…OR BETTER
J.R. Todd’s pre-season goal, after a championship of course, was a top-five finish in points. That goal is definitely in reach entering the season’s final race. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series ends this weekend at the In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals on the In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif., the last of six races that make up the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs.
With 20 of 21 races now in the rear-view mirror, Todd and team are in position for a top-five finish in the season standings. Entering this week’s final race of the season, Todd is sixth in points just 14 points out of fifth place, but what is interesting about the In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals is that NHRA awards points and a half. Instead of earning 20 points for winning a round on Sunday, the winning driver is awarded 30 points. With that in mind, Todd could potentially make up the 117-point deficit and move up to a fourth-place finish.
“You always want to win the last race of the season no matter where you are in points,” Todd said. “Whatever appearances and shows you do over the winter, it’s cool to be able to say you won your last race, and it would be nice for DHL, Revchem, Toyota and SealMaster if we could finish the season with a win. I like racing at Pomona – it’s the birthplace of drag racing pretty much, and Southern California has a cool vibe that I like; every driver wants to win there as much as possible. That place is always fast when conditions allow for it so it could be a really fun weekend.”
2022 In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No. 9; lost to Tim Wilkerson in the first round.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 297 events, 325 round wins, 20 wins, 45 final rounds, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander, Robert Hight, Chad Green; lost to Matt Hagan in final.
Phoenix: Qualified 15th; lost to Alexis DeJoria in the first round.
Pomona: Qualified No. 5; lost to Alex Laughlin in the first round.
Las Vegas: Did not qualify.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; 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.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 7; defeated John Force and Ron Capps before losing to Matt Hagan in the semifinals.
Denver: Qualified No. 7; defeated Tim Wilkerson and John Force before losing to Alexis Dejoria in the semifinals.
Seattle: Qualified No. 5; defeated Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon and Chad Green before losing to Tim Wilkerson by .0522 seconds in the final round.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 8; defeated Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca, Matt Hagan and Chad Green earning his first win of the season.
Topeka: Qualified No. 7; defeated Chad Green and Ron Capps before losing to Matt Hagan in the semifinals.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 2; lost to Dale Creasy in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 10; defeated Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca and Cruz Pedregon before losing to Ron Capps in the final round.
Reading: Qualified No. 11; lost to Matt Hagan in the first round.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 8; lost to Paul Lee in the first round.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 11; defeated Bob Bode, lost to Blake Alexander in the second round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander and Terry Haddock before losing to John Force in the semifinals.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Cruz Pedregon in the first round,
Current Point Standings: Todd enters Pomona in sixth place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails fifth-place John Force by 14 points and leads seventh-place Chad Green by eight points with one race remaining in the season.
J.R. Todd Career Stats: 297 events, 325 round wins, 20 wins, 45 final rounds, 14 No. 1 qualifiers
2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Results To Date:
Gainesville: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander, Robert Hight, Chad Green; lost to Matt Hagan in final.
Phoenix: Qualified 15th; lost to Alexis DeJoria in the first round.
Pomona: Qualified No. 5; lost to Alex Laughlin in the first round.
Las Vegas: Did not qualify.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 6; 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.
Norwalk: Qualified No. 7; defeated John Force and Ron Capps before losing to Matt Hagan in the semifinals.
Denver: Qualified No. 7; defeated Tim Wilkerson and John Force before losing to Alexis Dejoria in the semifinals.
Seattle: Qualified No. 5; defeated Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon and Chad Green before losing to Tim Wilkerson by .0522 seconds in the final round.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 8; defeated Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca, Matt Hagan and Chad Green earning his first win of the season.
Topeka: Qualified No. 7; defeated Chad Green and Ron Capps before losing to Matt Hagan in the semifinals.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 2; lost to Dale Creasy in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 10; defeated Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca and Cruz Pedregon before losing to Ron Capps in the final round.
Reading: Qualified No. 11; lost to Matt Hagan in the first round.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 8; lost to Paul Lee in the first round.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 11; defeated Bob Bode, lost to Blake Alexander in the second round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 6; defeated Blake Alexander and Terry Haddock before losing to John Force in the semifinals.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Cruz Pedregon in the first round,
Current Point Standings: Todd enters Pomona in sixth place in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He trails fifth-place John Force by 14 points and leads seventh-place Chad Green by eight points with one race remaining in the season.
FOUR-TIME POMONA WINNER SHAWN LANGDON, KALITTA AIR CAREERS TEAM WANT STRONG SEASON FINISH
It’s been a long season for 2013 Top Fuel champ Shawn Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team, but taking Langdon’s fifth Pomona win this weekend would make it feel a lot better. The 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series ends this weekend at the In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals on the In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif., the last of six races that make up the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs.
Langdon swept the Pomona races in 2013 and ’15, and while that’s not possible in 2023, earning Langdon’s fifth Pomona “Wally” is possible. It would be considered quite the upset with Langdon currently 12th in points, but while it would make everyone feel a lot better about the 2023 season, it would also put Langdon back in the top 10 of the final season standings. Despite the team’s struggles this season, the Kalitta Air Careers team work ethic never wavered.
“This Kalitta Air Careers team never gave up this season,” said Langdon. “We had ups and downs, but this team is a great group of guys that worked as hard as they could all season. We all expected better results, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. We have one more chance to get a win for Kalitta Air, Toyota, Revchem and Future Energy Solutions this season, and I am going to give it my best. I know everyone on this team will be doing the same thing.”
2022 In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No. 12; lost to Austin Prock in the first round.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 329 events, 345 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.
Norwalk: Qualified 14th; lost to Brittany Force.
Denver: Qualified No. 9; defeated Greg Carrillo and Rob Passey before losing to Clay Millican in the
semifinals.
Seattle: Qualified No. 8; defeated Antron Brown and Mike Salinas before losing to Steve Torrence by .0609 seconds in the semifinals.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 5; defeated Leah Pruett before losing to Josh Hart in the second round.
Topeka: Qualified No. 9; lost to Brittany Force in the first round.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 9; lost to Antron Brown in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 9; defeated Josh Hart before losing to Steve Torrence in the second round.
Reading: Qualified No. 6; defeated Dan Mercier before losing to race winner Doug Kalitta in the second round.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 9; defeated Tony Schumacher before losing to Doug Kalitta in the second round.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 9; lost to Leah Pruett in the first round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Leah Pruett in the first round.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 8; lost to Tony Schumacher in the first round.
Point Standings: Langdon enters Pomona in 12th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails 11th-place Josh Hart by two points and 10th place Clay Millican by 28 points with one race remaining in the season.
Shawn Langdon Career Stats: 329 events, 345 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.
Norwalk: Qualified 14th; lost to Brittany Force.
Denver: Qualified No. 9; defeated Greg Carrillo and Rob Passey before losing to Clay Millican in the
semifinals.
Seattle: Qualified No. 8; defeated Antron Brown and Mike Salinas before losing to Steve Torrence by .0609 seconds in the semifinals.
Sonoma: Qualified No. 5; defeated Leah Pruett before losing to Josh Hart in the second round.
Topeka: Qualified No. 9; lost to Brittany Force in the first round.
Brainerd: Qualified No. 9; lost to Antron Brown in the first round.
Indianapolis: Qualified No. 9; defeated Josh Hart before losing to Steve Torrence in the second round.
Reading: Qualified No. 6; defeated Dan Mercier before losing to race winner Doug Kalitta in the second round.
Charlotte: Qualified No. 9; defeated Tony Schumacher before losing to Doug Kalitta in the second round.
St. Louis: Qualified No. 9; lost to Leah Pruett in the first round.
Dallas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Leah Pruett in the first round.
Las Vegas: Qualified No. 8; lost to Tony Schumacher in the first round.
Point Standings: Langdon enters Pomona in 12th place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails 11th-place Josh Hart by two points and 10th place Clay Millican by 28 points with one race remaining in the season.
Photo Courtesy for all images: NHRA
Race Information:
In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals
In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Show: 2-4 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 on FS1.
Finals: 4-7 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 on FS1.
Post-Race Show: 7-7:30 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12 on FS1.
Race Information:
In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals
In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Show: 2-4 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 on FS1.
Finals: 4-7 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 on FS1.
Post-Race Show: 7-7:30 p.m. eastern Sunday, Nov. 12 on FS1.
