DOUG KALITTA FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT LAS VEGAS FALL NATIONALS
Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters hold the top five in points heading to NHRA finale
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 4, 2024) – In his quest to defend his Top Fuel World Championship, Doug Kalitta fell just short of a season sweep at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, coming home as the runner-up in the Las Vegas Fall Nationals. Kalitta had to go through Toyota teammates and championship competitors, Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon, on his way to his sixth final round of the season and 118th of his career. He fell to two-time world champion, Brittany Force, in the postponed final round on Monday.
Kalitta’s performance during the weekend’s eliminations moved him up three spots in the Top Fuel points standings to be tied for fourth position as Toyota now owns the top five in the category points heading to the final race at Pomona in two weeks. Also, with Kalitta making the Top Fuel finals, Toyota has now reached 42 consecutive NHRA event final rounds in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.
Looking to close the gap in the Top Fuel standings himself, Langdon went rounds on Sunday and faced Kalitta in a hotly-contested semifinal. Unfortunately, Langdon suffered a blown rear tire as he approached the 1,000-foot mark that led to a center line violation and gave the round win to Kalitta, who also faced trouble. By making the semifinals, however, Langdon has pulled within one point of Brown for second place in the Top Fuel points standings.
Justin Ashley, Brown and Steve Torrence were the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters to advance out of round one on Sunday. Ashley still holds a 44-point lead over Brown in the Top Fuel points standings, while Langdon inched closer to only now trail by 45 points. Torrence marginally lessened his deficit to Ashley, now sitting 85 points back of the lead in the fourth position, tied with Kalitta.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps defeated Alexis DeJoria in round one of action on Sunday but fell in round two. By making it to the quarterfinals, Capps moved up to third in the Funny Car standings, now ahead of Matt Hagan by seven points. Like DeJoria, J.R. Todd was defeated in the first round of Funny Car action on Sunday.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series concludes its 2024 season at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, with eliminations set for Sunday, November 17.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Fall Nationals
Race 19 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Finalist | W (3.861) v. I. Zetterstrom (7.019) W (3.692) v. A. Brown (3.728) W (No time) v. S. Langdon (Center line violation) L (6.147) v. B. Force (3.703) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-finals | W (3.680) v. J. Salinas (3.744) W (3.701 – holeshot) v. J. Ashley (3.698) L (Center line violation) v. D. Kalitta (No time |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.711) v. S. Massey (3.735) L (3.698) v. S. Langdon (3.701 – holeshot) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.724) v. T. Stewart (3.735) L (3.728) v. D. Kalitta (3.692) |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.700) v. T. Schumacher (3.738) L (3.719) v. C. Millican (3.726 – holeshot) |
| Billy Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (3.741) v. C. Millican (3.727) |
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 (3.917) v. A. DeJoria (4.209) L (3.878) v. J. Beckman (3.853) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (5.338) v. C. Pedregon (3.924) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (4.209) v. R. Capps (3.917) |
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Finalist
How would you describe this weekend for you and your team?
“Yeah, don’t necessarily know exactly how we completely shake out points-wise, but would’ve definitely been nice to get those extra 20 points (by winning the final round). We were trying to throw down. Yeah, unfortunately, we didn’t make it (down the track), but like you said, we’re in a good spot hopefully going to Pomona. That place is usually really good to us. We’re all hungry here and obviously, it’d be nice to get this thing to the winner’s circle for sure (at Pomona).”
SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Semi-finals
Can you take us through what happened there in your semifinal run?
“You know (pause), I just hit the gas, and the car was making a great run. Just, from the time I hit the gas, it kept trying to pull me left so I was trying to give a little bit of input in it. I know the right lane, it likes to suck you to the inside, and that’s a common thing, so I tried to cheat it just a little bit right, pointing the car just a little bit right and run that right edge and let it bring me back in. And just from the time I hit the gas, it kept pulling me left, pulling me left, but I kept trying to put input into it and you know, the dragsters, if you get your hands up around 12 and six, that’s a lot of input for a dragster. And when it catches, it going to shoot you across the lane so you have to keep that in mind. I just kept putting more input to it and it wasn’t coming back. By the time (pause), you’re hauling like crazy and next thing I know, shoot, there’s a lock and I run over (the block) and the tire blows and at that point, you try to salvage what you can. Dang, I hate it for the guys. Man (pause), it stinks. First time I’ve ever hit anything in my career – never hit a cone, never hit a wall. (Have) taken pride in that for a long time. Feel bad for the guys, they’ve worked their butts off. We’re a championship team, just tried to get that one (win) light and I feel terrible, going to be honest with you. Just, trying to hold it together. Hope I didn’t do too much damage to it. We’ve still got a shot at the championship, that’s the most important thing. Just, I don’t want to be the cause in not winning it. Love the support, love everything about it. (I) want to be a champion and (pause).”
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