If there has been one defining storyline during the first half of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, it has been the dominance of Team Kalitta. As the series heads to Summit Motorsports Park for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the organization finds itself in a commanding position across both Top Fuel and Funny Car competition.
With Shawn Langdon leading the Top Fuel standings, Doug Kalitta sitting second, and J.R. Todd firmly entrenched in the Funny Car title fight, Team Kalitta arrives in Norwalk carrying momentum, consistency, and championship aspirations into one of the most anticipated events on the NHRA schedule.
Shawn Langdon Continues Historic Top Fuel Campaign
Shawn Langdon has been nearly unstoppable through the opening half of the season. The 2013 NHRA Top Fuel world champion enters Norwalk with four victories, three runner-up finishes, one semifinal appearance, and four No. 1 qualifying efforts. His three-race winning streak at Valdosta, Joliet, and Budds Creek helped establish a sizable points lead while reinforcing Team Kalitta’s position as the team to beat.
The Kalitta Air dragster has also produced record-setting performances. Earlier this season at the NHRA Southern Nationals, Langdon recorded the two fastest runs in NHRA history at 345.00 mph and 344.91 mph, further cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
For Langdon, the success stems from a team culture built around continuous improvement.
“It’s crazy because, for years, I was a fan of certain teams that you knew would throw down Friday night. I just wanted to see what they were capable of, and seeing stuff like that kind of takes you from being part of a team to being a fan all over again. Knowing that’s our team right now is a great feeling. These guys have just worked so hard for the last couple of years, and it’s just nice to see the dividends of all their hard work and what they’ve been trying to accomplish show up on the scoreboard.”
Langdon also credits crew chief Brian Husen for helping elevate the entire program.
“One of the best things about Brian (Crew Chief Brian Husen) is that he’s not a complacent individual, I knew that from working with him years ago at Alan Johnson Racing. Brian being on our team has really transformed a lot of people, me included, into that mindset of never being satisfied, always working for the next thing, always working harder trying to be better. You’re never perfect, but you always strive for perfection. It’s that way across the board with our team right now, it’s really good chemistry.”
That chemistry has translated directly to results. Through nine races, Team Kalitta dragsters have captured five wins and competed in 34 of the season’s 35 elimination rounds.
“You know Norwalk will pack the stands, the Bader family does a great job promoting their track. It’s exciting to get back there every year to experience the great atmosphere. Hopefully, we can have another all-Kalitta final round.”
Doug Kalitta Chasing More Sunday Success
While Langdon has grabbed headlines with his winning streak, Doug Kalitta continues to quietly put together another championship-caliber season.
The defending Top Fuel world champion sits second in points with one victory, four runner-up finishes, three semifinal appearances, and two No. 1 qualifiers. His consistency has kept him firmly in the title hunt despite Langdon’s recent surge.
Kalitta has been especially dominant in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, already collecting four victories this season after winning the overall specialty race championship in 2025.
“For Alan, Mac (Crew Chiefs Alan Johnson and Mac Savage) and the whole Mac Tools team, what we have going on for the Saturday races is great – we just have to keep it going to keep earning as many points as we can get, but we have to get that going on Sundays,” Kalitta said. “It’s competitive out here. Some days you need a little bit of luck, but we’ve assembled a great team, and we just need to keep doing what we’re doing. We’re obviously trying to win these things on Sunday, and hopefully we can even the Sunday score with the Saturday results one of these days.”
The veteran racer understands that winning championships often comes down to overcoming adversity.
“Really, you have to make your own luck, but sometimes, parts just break,” Kalitta explained. “In Epping, we broke a throttle cable at about 800 feet, so that was about as unlucky as it gets, moving on from that was a lot to stomach.”
Kalitta remains impressed by the team’s ability to adapt to changing track conditions from week to week.
“One thing I always admire about all these crew chiefs, is we move around with all these different conditions, and my guys just go back, dial this thing in, and it goes down the track. They make it look easy, so that’s pretty cool in my book.”
The internal battle between Langdon and Kalitta has become one of the most compelling storylines in NHRA Top Fuel competition.
“Shawn’s definitely got our Sunday number, so we’re hoping to catch up with him, but Brian (Langdon Crew Chief Brian Husen) is doing one hell of a job with Shawn’s car,” Kalitta said.
J.R. Todd Staying Patient In Loaded Funny Car Field
In Funny Car, J.R. Todd continues to prove that consistency can keep a driver firmly in championship contention.
The DHL Toyota GR Supra driver enters Norwalk third in the standings with one runner-up finish and four semifinal appearances. Todd has advanced to at least the semifinals in five of the season’s first nine races, keeping pressure on points leaders despite still searching for his first win of the year.
“I think our current points position is a testament to Dickie, Todd (Crew Chiefs Dickie Venables and Todd Smith) and the yella fellas adapting to every place we go to, just being consistent,” Todd said. “We show up to win every race, but for whatever reason, we have kind of stubbed our toe when it comes down to the semifinals or final round, but as long as we keep going to those later rounds, we’re going to be in the hunt.”
The 2018 Funny Car world champion admits patience has been critical since bringing Dickie Venables aboard.
“When we brought Dickie on last season, I felt like, ‘all right, here’s that opportunity,’ but like I said, for whatever reason, we’re just not there yet. I told myself then, ‘just trust the process and be patient.’ That’s where I am now, and I’m happy with the way things have been going.”
Todd also recognizes just how difficult the Funny Car category has become.
“I definitely could say, since I got into the Funny Car class, I feel like it’s the toughest category, and each year, it just gets harder and harder. From top to bottom, it’s stacked.”
That depth has created a category where every elimination round feels like a final.
“From top-to-bottom, you can’t take anybody lightly. It keeps you on your toes every round, that’s for sure. The guys that were making it look easy in the past, winning all those races, it’s not happening like it was. The parity in the class is really good right now.”
Team Kalitta’s Home-Race Atmosphere
Norwalk carries special significance for the entire organization. Located close to Team Kalitta’s Ypsilanti, Michigan headquarters, the event provides an opportunity for employees, families, and supporters to experience NHRA competition firsthand.
“It’s close to the race shop so it’s an opportunity for families and everybody who works in the CNC shop, the Fab shop and the front office who can’t get to many races during the year to come out and actually see what we do,” Todd said. “It’s a big race for Kalitta Motorsports for sure.”
With the NHRA season reaching its halfway point, Team Kalitta remains the benchmark organization in professional drag racing. Shawn Langdon leads the Top Fuel standings, Doug Kalitta continues to apply pressure from second place, and J.R. Todd remains poised to break through in Funny Car.
If the first half of the 2026 season has proven anything, it’s that Team Kalitta has built a championship-caliber foundation. The question now is whether anyone can stop the momentum as the battle for NHRA championships intensifies.
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