Team Kalitta Takes Multiple Championship Battles To The NHRA U.S. Nationals

The regular-season finale of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series couldn’t be set up much better for Kalitta Motorsports.

Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon are the only two drivers mathematically capable of winning the Top Fuel regular-season championship and its $150,000 bonus when the 72nd Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals gets underway at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. On the Funny Car side, J.R. Todd is sitting just 22 points out of first in a championship fight where the top four drivers are separated by less than one normal round of racing.

Doug Kalitta Has Gone From 150 Points Back To 67 Ahead

If momentum matters in drag racing, Doug Kalitta has about as much of it as a driver can carry into Indianapolis.

The reigning Top Fuel world champion has won the last three NHRA national events, taking victories at Sonoma Raceway, Pacific Raceways in Seattle, and most recently Brainerd International Raceway.

That three-race charge moved Kalitta from 150 points behind teammate Langdon to 67 points ahead.

“It’s cool that, one way or the other, we’re gonna bring that regular season title back to Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta) and Chad (General Manager Chad Head) who’s done a hell of a job putting everything together that we’ve been trying to build here for years. It’s cool to see both our cars running like they are. You know Shawn; he’s tough so we have to go to Indy with the intent of winning the U.S. Nationals and see how it all unfolds.

“Indy is points and a half, so we still have to at least go some rounds to stay ahead of Shawn to get that regular season championship. I was fortunate enough to win that thing years ago, and it would be nice to do it again. One thing about Indy, too, is it’s a place where Alan’s been really good over the years; he’s won a lot of races there, so it would be good to win Indy with him for sure.

“It (regular season title) pays well so that’s good! Everybody out there works real hard trying to win each round, each race, those types of accomplishments. They’re all just momentum builders; the main goal is the end-of-the-year prize, so it’s staying focused on trying to accomplish that. Everything about what the NHRA puts together to try to help these teams afford what we’re doing is appreciated.

“This whole thing is just a hell of a team effort, but Alan is just the best out there as far as I’m concerned. I’m just very fortunate this guy is in my corner, and it’s a good place to be for sure. When we won the first race (of Kalitta’s three-straight wins), Alan was like, ‘Well, we’ve got nine more to go so let’s get it done,’ and we’ve been on a tear ever since he said that, so we’ll see what we can accomplish. Winning four straight would be good – those 75th anniversary trophies look good so we’re happy to collect as many of those babies as we can.”

Points-And-A-Half Keeps The Door Open

A 67-point lead would provide some breathing room during a normal NHRA national event, but Indy isn’t normal.

Each elimination-round victory at the U.S. Nationals is worth 30 points instead of the usual 20, meaning the regular-season championship is still very much alive for Langdon. Exact clinching scenarios won’t be established until qualifying is complete, but only Kalitta and Langdon remain mathematically eligible for the $150,000 title bonus.

Regardless of who gets it, Kalitta Motorsports has already guaranteed itself the Top Fuel regular-season championship. That’s hardly surprising considering how dominant its two dragsters have been.

Kalitta and Langdon have combined to win eight of the season’s first 13 races and have competed in 49 of 51 possible rounds of racing. That’s an absurd level of consistency in a Top Fuel field where a few thousandths of a second can decide whether a driver advances or starts packing the parachutes.

Kalitta Is Chasing His Second Indy Victory

Kalitta’s history at the U.S. Nationals includes one victory in four final-round appearances and two No. 1 qualifying positions. His crew chief, Alan Johnson, brings considerably more Indy hardware to the operation.

Johnson has tuned eight U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winners with four different drivers: Gary Scelzi, Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon, and Langdon. That track record should give Kalitta plenty of confidence entering the biggest event on the schedule.

His most recent Brainerd victory was the 63rd Top Fuel win of his career, moving Kalitta into sole possession of third place on NHRA’s all-time Top Fuel victories list. He now trails Antron Brown by only two wins for second. Kalitta is also 11th on the overall Mission Foods Drag Racing Series victories list, two wins behind Robert Hight.

Kalitta Already Has One Season Championship Secured

Even before the regular-season Top Fuel title is decided, Kalitta has already secured another season championship. His Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory at Brainerd was his fifth of 2026 and clinched his second consecutive season title in the Saturday specialty race despite one event remaining.

Langdon has won four Mission Challenges of his own, meaning Team Kalitta has captured nine of the 12 Top Fuel #2Fast2Tasty titles contested this season. It’s another example of how thoroughly the two-car operation has controlled Top Fuel in 2026. But Langdon still has an opportunity to change which driver finishes the regular season on top.

Shawn Langdon Isn’t Overthinking The Championship

Langdon spent much of the season as the driver everyone else in Top Fuel was chasing.

He won four races, including three consecutive victories at Valdosta, Joliet, and Budds Creek. Langdon has also recorded three runner-up finishes, two semifinal appearances, and five No. 1 qualifying positions. His recent qualifying record remains impressive as well, with starting positions of first, second, fourth, and third over the previous four races.

The problem is that his teammate caught fire. Langdon now finds himself 67 points behind Kalitta, but he’s not planning to completely change his approach because of the championship situation.

“I feel good going into Indy this weekend – we’re second to Doug in points right now, but we’ll see if we can’t end the regular season in first. We’re looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. Where we are in points doesn’t really change the mindset; we just keep working. We keep doing what we’re doing. We try not to think about it – just keep doing what we’re doing. It’s been a great season; we won bunch of races, and we’ve won some Mission Foods Challenges, so it’s been a great year.

“I haven’t really thought about it (regular season championship). I just kind of go to the next race and treat it like the last one and just try not to think about all the other stuff. When you start thinking about everything, it gets in your mind and then you start overthinking and over analyzing everything, so I don’t really think about it. I just show up to the next race and go do our thing. I’m not sure if the guys think that way, too. Maybe some do, maybe not, but we can only take it one race at a time. Winning takes care of everything so that’s what we’ll try to do.

“This race pays double money and points and a half so it’s a pretty important part of the 20 races we have on the schedule. It’s nice to sleep in your own bed at night, but really, it feels like all the other races. It’s nice to win an event, and it’s hard to win an event. Anytime you can win this race, it’s a good feeling for all the hard work that goes into it.”

Langdon Knows How To Win The U.S. Nationals

Langdon won’t be walking into Indianapolis searching for his first Indy success. The 2013 Top Fuel world champion has two U.S. Nationals victories in three final-round appearances and has qualified No. 1 twice.

He also owns a U.S. Nationals victory in Super Gas. That means if Kalitta leaves the door open, Langdon has already proven he knows how to take advantage at Indy.

He’s also been responsible for two of the fastest runs in NHRA history this season. Langdon recorded speeds of 345.00 and 344.91 mph at the Southern Nationals in Georgia. His 26 career Top Fuel victories give him plenty of big-race experience. Now he needs one of his biggest weekends of 2026 if he wants to steal the regular-season championship away from Kalitta.

J.R. Todd Is In The Middle Of A Wild Funny Car Points Battle

If the Top Fuel championship race looks interesting, Funny Car is downright chaotic. Todd enters Indianapolis fourth in points, but he’s only 22 behind leader Matt Hagan.

Jordan Vandergriff is seven points behind Hagan, Capps is 12 points out of first, and Todd trails by 22. Beckman remains mathematically alive 74 points behind the lead. With each Indy round worth 30 points, one elimination round can completely reshape the order.

“It’s definitely not surprising that the regular season title is coming down to the last race especially with the way the category has been all season long. I think the five of us probably know, in the back of our minds, that it’s gonna come down to whoever wins the U.S. Nationals will win the regular season championship.

“Honestly, I’m not putting a lot of emphasis on it (regular season title). I’d rather just go out and win the race and let the points take care of themselves. More importantly, it’s good for everyone at Kalitta Motorsports if we win it because it’s a big bonus for everybody, but other than that, my focus is still on the overall championship.”

Todd Could Win Three Different Races At Indy

Todd has even more on his plate than the regular-season championship. He is the fourth seed in the eight-driver NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. The first three seeds will select their opponents, leaving Todd to race whoever isn’t picked.

After the opening round, the quickest winning driver will get to choose an opponent for the semifinals. Todd is also competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge after winning the specialty race at Brainerd.

That creates the possibility of an incredible triple: the Funny Car All-Star Callout, the Mission Challenge, and the U.S. Nationals itself.

“I’ve never won any of the callout races so it would be neat to win one this weekend. As far as the #2Fast2Tasty, it would be nice to get those extra bonus points that are available, even though we can’t win the overall title. Most importantly, we wanna win the Big Go because if we win on Monday, then we would be more than likely win the regular season championship.”

Todd Wants To Keep Flying Under The Radar

Todd’s DHL Funny Car has been far more consistent than his victory total might suggest. The 2018 Funny Car world champion has advanced to at least the semifinals seven times this season. His results include one victory, one runner-up finish, five semifinal appearances, and three No. 1 qualifiers.

That level of consistency is exactly why he’s only 22 points away from the lead. Todd isn’t particularly worried if he isn’t receiving the same attention as some of the other championship contenders.

“I’ve had confidence in this team all season long; we had some minor hiccups there in the middle of the season. We started out really strong at the beginning of the year and probably should have had a couple of wins under our belt. I never count us out; I kind of like it when no one talks about us or picks us to win. We can just fly under the radar. If we keep running well, we’re gonna have to be in the conversation. I just have to do my job behind the wheel. I know the yella fellas will give me a great car.”

The championship points will eventually reset for the Countdown, and every team’s focus will shift toward the six races that determine the world titles. Team Kalitta has an opportunity to leave the biggest drag race in the world carrying a pile of trophies, two regular-season championships, and plenty of momentum into the playoffs.