INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: One year after failing to qualify for the Traxxas Shootout, a special event for Top Fuel winners, Shawn Langdon and the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel Team defeated Steve Torrence in the final round to win the second annual Traxxas Shootout at Lucas Oil Raceway for the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the two-time NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champions owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
The 59th annual Chevrolet Performance US Nationals, the 18th of 24 events making up the United States’ 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, resumes today.
Langdon, the Traxxas Shootout top seed, defeated Brittany Force in Saturday’s first round, but strong thunderstorms with very heavy rain and hail forced NHRA to postpone the semi-finals and finals until yesterday.
In the semi-finals, Langdon defeated reigning World Champion Antron Brown setting up the final-round matchup with Torrence. Although the race was extremely close, Langdon was first off the starting line and never trailed beating Torrence by three thousandths of a second. With the win, Langdon and the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team take the trophy and the $100,000 first-place prize.
“I wanted to get in bad last year, and we weren’t able to do that,” said Langdon.
“It was a great feeling just to get in and be a part of it. There’s a lot of attention drawn to this one event. I’m hitting the gas in the finals for $100,000. It’s gets you in the stomach. There have been two moments in my career in the Top Fuel class that I got that kind of little, gut feeling with the butterflies rolling: the first time I ever sat in the car and the final just now. I am so happy to win this race with Sheikh Khalid here today, and it’s great to win for everyone on the Al-Anabi team, Sheikh Khalid and Qatar.”
Langdon is the No. 5 qualifier for today’s US Nationals while his teammate Khalid alBalooshi qualified 10th.
Al-Anabi Racing operates out of multiple locations in both the United States and Qatar.
In the US, the Brownsburg, Ind.-based operation is a two-car NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series team that is managed by Alan Johnson Racing.
Sheikh Khalid’s initiative has created increased international awareness of the State of Qatar while highlighting the nation’s international sports outreach.
Alan Johnson is a 14-time NHRA champion in various capacities including crew chief, team owner and team manager.
THE PENINSULA
