Doug Kalitta Powers Into NHRA Chicago Semifinals; Early Exits for Shawn Langdon and J.R. Todd

Doug Kalitta delivered another standout performance at the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois. Starting the event as the No. 1 qualifier, Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster set a new Top Fuel track record with a 3.661-second run at 335.23 mph during Saturday’s opening qualifying round.

That marked his third straight pole and fourth No. 1 spot in six national events this season. Kalitta raced past Lex Joon and Josh Hart to reach the semifinals, where he faced Justin Ashley.

Despite a strong launch, tire smoke early in the run put an early end to Kalitta’s day. After the semifinals, Kalitta remains fourth in the NHRA Top Fuel standings, just 29 points back from third-place Antron Brown and 33 points ahead of fifth-place Justin Ashley.

Shawn Langdon also made headlines at Route 66 Raceway as the third-best qualifier. In the third round of qualifying, Langdon piloted the Kalitta Air Careers dragster to a 3.687-second pass at 335.65 mph, pushing him into the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final.

There, Langdon posted a 3.704-second effort at 332.10 mph to score his third Mission Foods Challenge win this season. Langdon’s progress continued as he beat Kyle Wurtzel in Round 1 of eliminations, but Steve Torrence ended his run in the second round when Langdon’s car smoked the tires moments after the start.

Even with the early exit, Langdon left Chicago ranked second in Top Fuel points, two shy of overall leader Tony Stewart and 63 ahead of Antron Brown in third.

J.R. Todd qualified fourth in the Funny Car field, matching his season-best effort. During Saturday’s final session, Todd ran a personal-best 3.884 seconds at 336.40 mph, also the quickest Funny Car speed ever at Route 66 Raceway.

After being the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday, Todd later started fourth on race day. His match-up with Cruz Pedregon ended quickly as Todd’s DHL GR Supra smoked the tires moments after launch, allowing Pedregon to move on.

Todd leaves Joliet sitting tenth in Funny Car points, just four markers out of ninth and 19 clear of eleventh place.

The Route 66 Nationals gave Team Kalitta plenty of success in the specialty Mission Foods Challenge as well, keeping their sweep alive after Langdon’s third and Kalitta’s two prior wins this season.

Both drivers praised their teams and sponsors, including Mac Tools, SealMaster, Dayco, Revchem, Kalitta Air, and Toyota, highlighting the teamwork involved in their streak of strong qualifying and specialty event performances.

Route 66 Raceway also produced season-best runs for Alexis DeJoria in Funny Car and new personal milestones for several competitors across the pro classes. Other racers, such as Shawn Reed, gained momentum with career-best speeds during the busy weekend.

In the pits, teams prepared for the next round in Epping, New Hampshire, while discussing changes and strategies driven by recent progress. Joliet’s event revealed some surprises along the way with tire smoke and tricky conditions defined in many eliminations.

Both Kalitta and Langdon mentioned the unusual challenges during their post-race interviews, each pledging to regroup and keep pushing for round wins at the upcoming races. Their focus remains sharp as the championship chase tightens with every national event.

With several rounds completed in the 2025 NHRA season, the chase for the Top Fuel and Funny Car titles continues to build. Team Kalitta continues to be a key player in both performance and points, as the series marches toward its summer stretch. More details on their performances can be found in the Route 66 NHRA Saturday report.

For additional context on the drivers’ season efforts, see the coverage of Kalitta and Todd’s Chicago performances. For more historical context on NHRA racing, visit the NHRA’s official history page.