Shawn Langdon and his Kalitta Motorsports workforce know their mission is easy this weekend within the NHRA High Gasoline championship combat: win to take all of it.
“You are feeling such as you’ve obtained your again up in opposition to the wall,” Langdon stated this week forward of the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, “and now we’ve left ourselves with just one choice and that’s we’ve obtained to win.”
Nevertheless it didn’t need to be that manner and that’s what makes it harm.
Langdon, who despatched level chief Justin Ashley dwelling within the second spherical, was on a run within the Las Vegas occasion (Nov. 3) that will have despatched him to the finals. However the dragster pulled to the left and crossed the middle line, taking out the timing blocks. If the disqualification wasn’t dangerous sufficient, which handed the win to teammate Doug Kalitta, there was additionally an enormous left-rear tire blowout.
It was a wild trip for @ShawnLangdon333 in an enormous semifinal run in opposition to teammate Doug Kalitta on the @FordPerformance #VegasNats! pic.twitter.com/tSqHnwG84X
— NHRA (@NHRA) November 4, 2024
The automotive and Langdon’s workforce headed to Precision Constructed Race Vehicles for repairs. Langdon, in the meantime, tried to come back to phrases with what occurred.
It began with an emotion stuffed tv interview for Fox Sports activities the place Langdon famous he had by no means earlier than hit something in his profession, was dejected for his workforce, and felt he gave one away. On the similar time, he additionally expressed the championship skill of his workforce and hoped he wasn’t going to be the reason for it not occurring.
In a put up on his official Fb web page, together with photos of the restore work, Langdon wrote: “(I) really feel dangerous my selections and driving have led folks to work a little bit time beyond regulation however fortunately I’ve a badass workforce dedicated to competing for this championship.”
A remaining spherical win in Las Vegas would have netted Langdon and firm 20 extra factors. As a substitute, he heads into Pomona sitting 45 factors behind.
There are 30 factors paid out in every spherical within the finale.
“Final week was a fairly exhausting tablet to swallow,” Langdon stated. “It was powerful. It’s a type of the place I really feel like if we don’t occur to win (the championship), I’ll most likely have that ‘what if’ query mark over my head for the remainder of my profession. The coulda, shoulda, woulda.
“All of us obtained collectively and the blokes did an important job getting the whole lot again (to Indianapolis), so at this level, we deal with what’s ahead. I had the entire final week to emphasize about it and have my self-interventions and realization. I’m within the cone collector membership now however that’s nice. I obtained over it … perhaps a little bit bit.
“I do know as soon as I pull into Pomona, I’m not fascinated about Vegas, I’m fascinated about Pomona.”
A triumph Sunday could be a second High Gasoline championship for Langdon.
