Shawn Langdon posted the fastest Top Fuel run of the weekend at 3.672 seconds and 332.59 mph to claim the No. 1 qualifying position for Sunday's elimination rounds at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The points leader entered the event with a 139-point advantage over teammate Doug Kalitta, who qualified fifth at 3.695 seconds and 335.73 mph. Langdon would need to win Sunday and have Kalitta lose in the first round to clinch the championship this weekend, a scenario he acknowledged is unlikely given Kalitta's track record as the reigning champion and a three-time Las Vegas winner.
"We just got to (do) what we did today," Langdon said Friday after his run during a rain-delayed session. "Just keep going out and doing what we've been doing, making good runs. (It's) not getting caught up in the extra addition of little things. At the end of the day, we can't falter because we know the history of (crew chief) Alan Johnson and Doug Kalitta. We know what they're capable of, so we still have to go out there and do our jobs at the end of the day. If we do falter, they will be right on our ass."
In Funny Car, Jack Beckman's Friday pass of 3.836 seconds at 335.32 mph held up for the No. 1 qualifier. Points leader Matt Hagan qualified second at 3.868 seconds and 332.51 mph, holding a 98-point lead over Jordan Vandergriff, who qualified third. Beckman, trailing Hagan by 160 points, said a title run would require a miracle and stated his goal is to win the final two races of the season.
Saturday's qualifying sessions were moved up an hour due to the threat of rain. Sunday's forecast calls for mid-60s temperatures with overcast skies and a chance of rain during the first two rounds of eliminations, which are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. for Nitro classes. Langdon noted that Friday's cool, damp conditions could resemble Sunday's track surface if delays persist.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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