By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
DHL Top Fuel Dragster pilot Shawn Langdon picked up his first No. 1 qualifier of the season. He will lead the field at the Denso Spark Plugs U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Langdon went 3.728 at 313.22 mph in his 11,000 horsepower dragster on Friday. With this No. 1 qualifier, this is his 19th-time he’ll lead the field on Sunday eliminations.
“The car is fast and the guys have just done a great job,” Langdon said. “We’ve been working hard and doing some testing, and trying to get this car turned back around. I’m just glad we got everything back in sync in time. Every race we go to, we go to win, and we feel good about what we accomplished in qualifying. It always feels good to have a competitive car.”
Capco Contractors Top Fuel Dragster pilot Steve Torrence is the No. 2 qualifier. Torrence, who is using a replica Nitro Ninja Dragster in tribute of injured Dom Lagana, who is battling for his life in a nearby hospital, went 3.731 at 325.06 mph.
If you’re not a drag racing fan, Lagana was involved in a very bad accident following the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil on August 9th. He is badly burned and has a head injury, but is also dealing with pneumonia.
Parts Plus Top Fuel Dragster pilot Clay Millican is the No. 3 qualifier. The Drummonds, Tennessee native went 3.733 at 327.35 mph.
Top Fuel Elimination Ladder:
– Shawn Langdon vs. Joey Haas
– Steve Torrence vs. Kyle Wurtzel
– Clay Millican vs. Tony Schumacher
– Billy Torrence vs. Justin Ashley
– Doug Kalitta vs. Pat Dakin
– Leah Pruett vs. Terry McMillen
– Antron Brown vs. T.J. Zizzo
– Doug Foley vs. Cory McClenathan
There were several drivers, who did not qualify for the Top Fuel ladder. This includes Cameron Ferré, Luigi Novelli, and Lex Joon.
