Todd wins 2018 Funny Car Championship

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

DHL Funny Car pilot J.R. Todd secured his first Funny Car Championship on Sunday at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. He won the championship when Bob Tasca III eliminated Robert Hight in the first-round of eliminations.

He is the 21st different driver to win a Funny Car Championship. He also secured the championship just two years after making the switch from Top Fuel to Funny Car.

J.R. Todd with the championship trophy (Photo by the NHRA)

This is also the second DHL Funny Car Championship with the other being by Del Worsham. In addition, this is the fourth championship overall for Kalitta Motorsports.

“This is what you live your whole life for when you start racing Jr. Dragster,” Todd said. “You hope you’ll get to this point, but you go your whole career not knowing if you will. I have so many people to thank but the Kalitta group, as a whole has been so supportive.

“I have my hero, the champ Del Worsham back there, and it’s so good to have him in my corner. Man, what a stressful weekend but I’m glad that I can just go out and try to win two trophies now.”

Todd defeated Jim Campbell in the first-round of eliminations. With the first-round win, he will now attempt to win his sixth win of the season.

He has three wins during the Countdown to the Championship, including two weeks ago at the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He won the Funny Car Championship in his 200th career start. According to NHRA.com, this is the second championship each for his crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Todd Smith.

Oberhofer won the Funny Car Championship with Worsham in 2015. Smith also won the Championship with Jack Beckman in 2012.