The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is off and running. Teams are headed west for round two of the season at In-N-Out Burger Pomona (Calif.) Dragstrip.
Ahead of this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, let’s revisit a few of the top storylines that emerged following the conclusion of the season-opening Gatornationals at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway on March 10.
The Wrong Dragster?
The attention was rightfully centered on Kalitta Motorsports entering the season as the defending championship team, but arguably, eyes were glued to the wrong dragster.
It was Shawn Langdon, and not reigning Top Fuel titlist Doug Kalitta, who took home the first Wally of the year for the Ypsilanti, Mich.-based team. It was Langdon’s first victory since 2020. Not only that, but the operation’s sole Funny Car driver, J.R. Todd, also visited winner’s circle after defeating Austin Prock in the final round.
It was the first time in history that Kalitta Motorsports doubled up in the nitro ranks.
“There were times when I was driving Shawn’s car that Del (Worsham) and I were in the finals together. Then I’d be in the final with Shawn or Doug, but for whatever reason, it just never worked out,” Todd said during the aftermath. “The stars lined up for us here in Gainesville.”
Meanwhile, Kalitta lost traction while racing against Steve Torrence in the quarterfinals and made an early exit from the event.
“It’s just one of those racing deals, and we’re ready to go again right now. Shawn and J.R. obviously doubled up today, which was awesome, so we’ll see what happens as the season goes on,” Kalitta said.
Firsts, Firsts, Firsts
March 10 wasn’t just a day of firsts for Kalitta Motorsports.
There were several competitors who checked a few items off their to-do lists under the Florida sun.
Six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders won her first Gatornationals. Prock made it to his first Funny Car elimination final during his class debut. NHRA rookie Tony Stewart recorded the best reaction time of the Top Fuel field during his first matchup (0.021).
Oh, and Antron Brown won his first Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday.
“We didn’t start out with the best car this weekend, but we never quit. We’ve been working through some things, like a brand-new chassis but our Matco boys never stop,” Brown said.
Another Ride Swap
Over the offseason, three major ride swaps occurred.
One, Leah Pruett elected to give up her Top Fuel seat in order to focus on starting a family with her husband, Stewart. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion then decided to step in and run the 11,000-horsepower, Tony Stewart Racing dragster in place of his wife.
Two, fan-favorite driver Tim Wilkerson announced his retirement, which opened the door for his son, Daniel Wilkerson, to finally have a full-time ride in the Funny Car class after many years of waiting.
Three, multi-time Funny Car champion Robert Hight announced he was taking an indefinite step away from competition to focus on fixing some health issues. As a result, Prock took over the wheel of the John Force Racing entry.
As of Monday, Mike Salinas is the latest addition to the roster of drivers on the bench.
Citing “personal health matters,” the 62-year-old is taking a break from his Top Fuel driving duties. His daughter, Jasmine Salinas, will now be the primary driver of the Scrappers Racing dragster until her father returns. She earned her Top Fuel license last year.
“It’s an absolute mix of emotions as this was not how I wanted the opportunity to come about. I’m incredibly grateful that my dad has entrusted me with the chance to step up into his place. I know that I have some big shoes to fill. My dad and his entire team have worked hard to make a name for themselves in this sport and I want to make them all proud,” Jasmine Salinas said in a press release.