After accumulating 14 NHRA event victories while racing in Top Fuel – Shawn Langdon scores his first Funny Car class victory.   

The driver of the Kalitta Racing/Global Electric Technology Toyota Camry prevailed at the 2nd and final 4-Wide format racing event of the NHRA season — the NGK Spark Plug Nationals held at zMax Dragway in Concord NC.

Every Funny Car win is tough to earn but Shawn Langdon, the driver of the Global Electronic Technology Toyota Camry Funny Car, faced one of the toughest finals in modern history. Standing between the second year Funny Car driver and his first Funny Car win were 20 combined Funny Car world championships and 227 Funny Car wins from his three competitors John Force, Robert Hight and Matt Hagan in the final quad.

“The guys this Global Electronic Technology team had to go through today in the second round and the finals were the best in the class,” said Langdon. “To get this win is very gratifying. I went .069 in the final and left fourth. It just shows how good these guys are and how hungry they are to win. There’s so many things going on in my life, that I just sat in the car and closed my eyes and said just give me this one time right here, I need to use it. I don’t say that too often, but this time it worked.”

For Langdon, the No. 5 qualifier, the win was the conclusion of an emotional start to the season as he supported his dad through serious health issues that culminated with a recent liver transplant. Langdon spent a few days before this race with his father. Emotions rose to the surface as soon as Langdon exited his Toyota Camry Funny Car today.

Former Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon celebrates his first ever Funny Car event win.

“A lot of times, you just come out here and race and you build up this wall of emotion,” said Langdon. “You become a little bit emotion-less because you know you’re going to lose more than you win and you learn how to deal with it. Then you get struck with things you really haven’t dealt with before family-wise. A lot of people have been through it, and those are the people that really helped us get through the tough times. So many encouraging messages from fans that have been through similar situations that offered us words of encouragement and advice and different things. I just tried to be there for my dad as much as I could and I told him ‘I’m going to get you one (a win).’ I was hoping that it was going to be last race, but beggars can’t be choosers. Second race in, I’ll take it. Fortunately, he’s healthy. He beat cancer and had a liver transplant. He’s doing well. I’m going to see him this week between races and I’m going to get him that trophy. It’s family and it’s important.”

Langdon picked up his first win at the same track where he won for the first time in Top Fuel in 2012. He joins his crew chief Del Worsham as the only driver to win at zMAX Dragway in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Langdon becomes just the 17th driver to win in Top Fuel and Funny Car in the history of the NHRA. He joins this list right behind teammate J.R. Todd.

NHRA presented it’s 2nd and final 4-Wide event of the season at zMax Dragway

For Langdon the win was special and humbling because he joined an elite group of drivers.

“It’s humbling when my name gets put next to those guys. I grew up idolizing so many of those guys. I grew up running around and trying to get their autographs and going back home and playing with hot wheels and those were the drivers I played with. Just to have my name next to them is one of those things that I just really don’t know how to take it. To have the support of Toyota and Global Electronic Technology means a lot too.“

The win for Langdon came from lane four and it was the first time on race day that he hit the finish line stripe first. His winning elapsed time of 4.125 seconds at 305.08 mph was .034 seconds quicker and 30 mph faster than the runner-up. Ironically, Langdon was the fourth driver to leave the starting lane even though he has a strong .069 second reaction time.

Leading up to the final quad Langdon had to take on his teammate J.R. Todd in the second quad as well as Hight and Tommy Johnson Jr. Langdon was the first off the starting line with a .059 second reaction time and got to the stripe right behind Hight to advance to the final quad. It was a tough round for Langdon as he had problems early on the run and had to pedal his Global Electronic Technology Camry Funny Car to cruise across the finish line.

Points leader Robert Hight – placed runner-up and set low ET of the event while qualifying #1 at 3.882 secs

Matt Hagan placed 2nd during both his “quads” to make it to the FC final round racing his stunning silver Dodge Charger

Event Essentials:   NHRA NGK Spark Plugs 4-Wide Nationals (Apr. 26-28th, 2019) 

Dale “Peanut” Creasy made his first event of 2019 with his new Dodge Charger bodied Tek Pak-sponsored car – but was a DNQ

Independent racer Dave Richards qualified his improving Shelby Ford Mustang.

Photos by Bruce Biegler – Steve Embling – Gary Nastase