KALITTA CLAIMS THIRD VICTORY OF 2024 WITH VIRGINIA NATIONALS TRIUMPH
Toyota earns ninth Top Fuel win in the last 10 races
NORTH DINWIDDIE, Va. (June 23, 2024) – Despite a multi-hour rain delay, Doug Kalitta was victorious in the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park on Sunday. The victory by Kalitta is his third of the 2024 season and the 55th of his career, which moves him to fourth all-time in Top Fuel. Kalitta had to defeat teammate, Shawn Langdon, in the finals on Sunday evening to pick up the Wally Trophy, which is the ninth Top Fuel win in the last 10 NHRA races for Toyota.
With the finals appearances by both Kalitta and Langdon, Toyota has now reached the final round in 32 consecutive NHRA events in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.
Though his day ended in round two, Steve Torrence’s opening round victory marked the 500th of his historic NHRA career. Coincidentally, today’s milestone came at the same dragstrip where Torrence qualified for his first NHRA race back in 2006.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps advanced to the second round Sunday, but fell to event winner, Austin Prock, by just 0.091 seconds in the quarterfinals. Alexis DeJoria and J.R. Todd both bowed out in round one.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is right back in action next weekend at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for the 10th race of the 2024 season.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Virginia Nationals
Virginia Motorsports Park
Race 9 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Winner | W (3.940) v. C. Ferre (N/A) W (3.964) v. J. Hart (4.490) W (3.828) v. T. Stewart (4.631) W (3.752) v. S. Langdon (6.148) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Finalist | W (3.911) v. L. Joon (4.154) W (3.976 – holeshot) v. S. Torrence (3.971) W (3.815) v. A. Brown (3.826) L (6.148) v. D. Kalitta (3.752) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-finals | W (3.913) v. B. Torrence (4.121) W (3.923) v. T. Schumacher (4.284) L (3.826) v. S. Langdon (3.815) |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (4.010) v. J. Ashley (4.499) L (3.971) v. S. Langdon (3.976 – holeshot) |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (4.499) v. S. Torrence (4.010) |
| Billy Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (4.121) v. A. Brown (3.913) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Second Round | W (4.094) v. A. DeJoria (N/A) L (4.127) v. A. Prock (4.036) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (4.395) v. M. Hagan (4.335) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (N/A) v. R. Capps (4.094) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Winner
How does it feel for your entire team to have such momentum?
“Yeah, we definitely all work very hard at it. Chad Head (general manager, Kalitta Motorsports), Connie (Kalitta, team owner, Kalitta Motorsports). Yeah, just real proud of what Connie has put together here for us. Bragging rights, I guess at the shop. You know, my Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem guys, Alan Johnson (crew chief), everybody. Really, heck of a job today, just going rounds. You know, it was so hot, obviously, and we had this rain delay. Great weekend for all of us!”
SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Finalist
How would you describe your day and weekend?
“The Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team had a great weekend. We just came up one short. Great job by Brian (Husen, crew chief), all the guys, everybody at Kalitta Air, Revchem and SealMaster. They’ve been giving me a great race car all season, so we just have to keep at it and keep working hard. I couldn’t be happier for this whole Kalitta bunch. We had two Kalitta cars in the final and that’s the most important thing.”
STEVE TORRENCE, CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing
TF Final Result: Second Round
How does it feel to achieve 500 career round wins?
“You know, it’s been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, and a lot of success and heartache, all at the same time. But to do it with my family and those CAPCO boys has been remarkable. It’s crazy to think I’m 41-years-old, I’ve been out here since I was 23, just a kid doing this. It’s spectacular. This is where it all started for me here in Richmond, so these fans are great. Dexter Tuttle (former NHRA team owner) and Evan Knoll, those guys gave me an opportunity and my family supported me and pushed me out there. Just a kid living his dream and we’re still living it, so thankful to be here. That’s pretty cool, 500 of them.”
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