In the midst of a dominant weekend of racing in which NHRA Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon ran the table by scoring the Traxxas Nitro Shootout and Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals crown in Indianapolis, His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani, Al-Anabi Racing and Alan Johnson announced that they have agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep one of drag racing’s most formidable teams together for years to come on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. In addition to competing to race wins and championships, the Al-Anabi Racing team will continue to promote awareness of the State of Qatar and its international sports outreach.

Johnson, who has helped guide the Al-Anabi team to two NHRA Top Fuel championships during his five-year partnership with Sheikh Khalid, will continue to manage the two-car Top Fuel operation through at least the 2018 NHRA drag racing season.

“I am very pleased that we have the opportunity to build on our successful five years and want to thank Alan Johnson and all of the team members of Al-Anabi Racing who brought two championships and a winning esprit de corps to Al-Anabi Racing,” Al-Anabi Racing team owner Sheikh Khalid Al Thani said.  “I know without the hard work of all the team members, we could not have had the record this team has amassed in our first five years. Our extension allows us to continue to invest in technology to push the envelope for even faster times.”

“We are extremely happy to extend our relationship with Sheikh Khalid, Al-Anabi Racing and the State of Qatar,” Al-Anabi Racing team manager Alan Johnson said.  “We are very proud of our team’s accomplishments in its first five years.  Through our working and personal relationships with Sheikh Khalid, we have enjoyed learning a great deal about the Qatari culture as well as Sheikh Khalid’s vision and commitment to the sport of drag racing and this great race team. Our relationship with Sheikh Khalid has been very rewarding in many ways.

“We look forward to the challenge of improving our performance both on and off the race track in the next five years.  Since this race team began operation in 2009, our goal has been to win races and championships for Qatar and Sheikh Khalid – that will not change.  In the next five years, everyone on our team will continue striving to be the best Top Fuel team in drag racing worldwide while providing additional international awareness of the State of Qatar, its industries, Motorsports and education initiatives.”
Johnson, a 14-time NHRA champion crew chief and team manager, nearly led the Al-Anabi Racing team to the Top Fuel world championship in its inaugural season in 2009, but returned in 2010 to score the title with veteran driver Larry Dixon. In 2011, Johnson and company defended their title as Funny Car ace-turned-Top Fuel pilot Del Worsham drove the “gold” team car to the Mello Yello championship. Current drivers Shawn Langdon and Khalid alBalooshi were named the new pilots of the silver and gold Al-Anabi Racing dragsters in 2012. Overall, Al-Anabi Racing has won 36 NHRA national events, including two in Funny Car with Worsham. This year, Langdon leads the charge toward his first championship and the team’s third, as he enters the Countdown to the Championship as the No. 1 seed.

“We are very excited to be able to extend our relationship with Sheikh Khalid and Qatar,” Langdon said.  “This year is my second with the team, and we’ve had two great years.  We are all looking forward to the future and being able to continue winning races, and hopefully championships, to continue the winning tradition of the Al-Anabi Racing Team.  We appreciate the additional commitment Sheikh Khalid and the State of Qatar have made in our race team, and we’ll continue to do our best for them.”

“This news is a very good thing for Al-Anabi, for Sheikh Khalid, all of the team, and the Qatari government,” alBalooshi said.  “We all want to help the sport keep growing, and I want everyone to know about Al-Anabi Racing.  This team won two championships and missed one by two points in the first year.  This year, the team is No 1 in points and No. 5 in points.  The team did a very good job in the first five years, and I hope the next five years will be even better than the first five.  I know everyone on our team thanks Sheikh Khalid for this opportunity.”