Langdon closes in on top-fuel title
The NHRA drag racing season closes this weekend in Pomona with an overarching question: Who will be champion of the sport’s fastest class?
The answer probably is Shawn Langdon. The Mira Loma native holds a comfortable lead in the title standings of the top-fuel division of the National Hot Rod Assn.’s premier Mello Yello Series.
The legendary John Force, 64, has clinched the title in the other elite division, funny cars, for a record 16th time heading into the NHRA Auto Club Finals.
There is qualifying Thursday through Saturday at Auto Club Raceway, with the fastest 16 drivers in each division advancing to the final elimination rounds Sunday.
If Langdon wins the first round of eliminations in the 320-mph topfuel class, he would earn his first championship regardless of how his challengers finish during the rest of the day.
Langdon has six victories this year, including the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in February that also were held in Pomona. He holds a 102-point lead in the topfuel title standings over Antron Brown, who won the championship a year ago to become the first African American to win a major motor racing title.
“It would mean everything to me to be able to end the year at Pomona with a Mello Yello championship because that’s where I grew up, racing junior dragsters, being a big fan of the sport and watching my idols race there,” Langdon said. “We have a nice lead entering this weekend’s race, but there still is that pressure of having to perform.”
Brown, who drives for Don Schumacher Racing, won the series’ most recent event two weekends ago in Las Vegas.
“Going to Pomona, we’ll stick with our usual mind-set that it’s never done until the last race of the year,” said Brown, who has four victories this season. “We’ll try and get all the qualifying points we can, qualify in the top half of the field, take it one round at a time and see where we end up.”
Brown also will make his first return to Pomona since escaping serious injury in a crash during the Winternationals.
Force clinched his latest title by winning the funny car event in Las Vegas, defeating his daughter Courtney in the final round. It was his third consecutive event victory and fourth overall this season.
Courtney Force, 25, in her second year in funny cars, is fifth in the point standings with two victories, including the Winternationals.
“It would be huge for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team to pick up a win at Pomona again,” she said.
In the pro stock category, fourtime champion Jeg Coughlin has a 71-point lead in the title standings over Jason Line, a two-time title winner.
And in the pro stock motorcycle division, Matt Smith, with three victories, has clinched the championship.