POMONA, Calif. — There’s no question Kalitta Motorsports teammates Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta have set the pace throughout the 2026 Top Fuel season.
As the season concludes this weekend at the 61st annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Kalitta Motorsports will be awarded its seventh NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world title.
The only question that remains: will it be Langdon or Kalitta who reigns supreme?
Throughout the year, Langdon and Kalitta have led the way for much of the season. Between the two, they have won 13 of 19 events. The two are first and second in points, with Langdon sitting 107 points ahead of Kalitta.
Last year at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were each crowned world champions.
Kalitta is after his second straight world title, while Langdon wants nothing more than his second career title as he sits on the cusp of another championship.
“For this weekend in Pomona, we just have to get the job done,” said Langdon. “Whatever that is, whatever the scenario, we’re prepared for it. I just want to keep the same mindset, keep the same mentality, keep the same focus and the same energy that we have all season.”
Langdon powers the Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel dragster and has had a stranglehold on the field for most of the season. He has collected eight wins so far this season, including victories at the first three races of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, and advanced to the semifinals in Dallas and Las Vegas.
Langdon also reset the national speed record twice this season, powering to a 346.95 mph pass in Martin. If Langdon can stretch his lead over Kalitta to more than 120 points in qualifying, he can secure the championship on Saturday. If not, he will need to win his first-round matchup on Sunday to clinch the title.
“This season definitely exceeded the goals I had in mind for our team this year,” Langdon said. “We’ve done a really good job; what we’ve accomplished means a lot, but at the end of the day, you have to win the championship. We have to do that – that’s our goal, so that’s our focus, and that’s where our heads are.”
Kalitta’s road to his third world championship is more challenging. He will need to not only outqualify Langdon, but also win the race. But Kalitta is no stranger to In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
The Top Fuel veteran has won at Pomona seven times, including last year when he defeated Tony Stewart. Pomona has been the site of historic moments for Kalitta, including in 2023 when he defeated Leah Pruett in a memorable and thrilling winner-take-all final round to secure his first world title.
“We all work together (at Kalitta Motorsports) to chip in on whatever needs to happen to try to make it happen as a team,” said Kalitta. “It would be one hell of an opportunity. It’s between those two teams and the guys have a rivalry for sure. They share the same shop, so it’s bragging rights. To me, having a chance (at another championship) is just an incredible opportunity to even be able to have this conversation. We’ll just have to let it play out and see what happens.”
