COMMERCE, Georgia: Some 12 hours of rain can create racing circumstances that are difficult at best, but the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel Team, the three-time and defending World Championship team owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, did everything it could to make the best of a difficult situation at the just completed 36th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals yesterday, the seventh of 24 races that make up America’s 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.
Reigning World Champion Shawn Langdon, the No. 8 qualifier, was in the first pair of cars to run after the eight-hour rain delay yesterday evening.
Both Langdon’s and Richie Crampton’s cars smoked the tires early in the run yesterday, and fortunately, Langdon did a masterful job lifting his foot on and off the throttle until the silver Al-Anabi car settled down and hooked up to the race track allowing the 2013 champion to take the win light.
After five pairs of cars had run, the first round was suspended due to unsafe racing conditions and resumed this morning.
In the second round, Langdon faced No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta, and the Al-Anabi driver left the starting line first.
However, Kalitta’s car was a touch quicker and reached the starting line three thousandths of a second before Langdon who remains fourth in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings.
“Everyone dealt with some unfortunate circumstances this weekend with all the rain on Sunday and some decisions that were made,” Langdon said.
“Things did not work out well for track conditions yesterday. They kept trying, but it didn’t work out. It’s just tough to get the racing surface back after it rains for 12 hours, and yesterday, we were fortunate to get the round win under very difficult conditions. Today, we made a really good run against Doug but just lost a very close drag race by three thousandths of a second. With all of the difficult circumstances, I thought the Al-Anabi team did a great job. We’ll be ready next weekend in Topeka.”
Third-year Top Fuel driver Khalid alBalooshi was the No. 12 qualifier, and fortunately for alBalooshi and the rest of the team, the gold Al-Anabi dragster did not have to race yesterday evening when the race track offered less than stellar conditions. When Top Fuel racing resumed this morning, alBalooshi, like his teammate yesterday, was in the first pair of Top Fuel cars on the race track. The team made a valiant effort, but seven-time World Champion Tony Schumacher won the round and advanced.
With alBalooshi’s first-round loss, he dropped one spot to sixth place in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings.
“It was a tough weekend for everyone in Atlanta,” alBalooshi said. “Lane choice was very important. We were not in the best lane today so it was tough for our Al-Anabi team. We did our best, but it was not good enough to beat Tony because he made a very good run. This race is over so we are hoping for better things for Al-Anabi Racing and Sheikh Khalid next weekend in Topeka.”
The Al-Anabi Racing team will be back in action May 23-25, 2014 at the 26th annual Kansas NHRA Nationals, in Topeka, Kansas.
THE PENINSULA
