POMONA, California: After clinching the third World Championship for the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel Team owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani, yesterday, 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champion Shawn Langdon and his team got right back to work yesterday and won the Auto Club NHRA Finals, the last of six races that comprise the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs and the 24th of 24 races that make up America’s 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season.
Langdon was the No. 2 qualifier; he defeated Steve Torrence, David Grubnic, Clay Millican and Doug Kalitta on his way to the winner’s circle.
It was Langdon’s seventh win of the season, more than any other driver in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and the eighth of his career; it was the 112th career win for team manager Alan Johnson and his eighth at the NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway.
Langdon finished the season leading second-place Antron Brown by 164 points. Langdon’s first NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Championship is the 11th title for team manager Alan Johnson, and it is Johnson’s 15th NHRA national championship overall.
“It is amazing to watch the Al-Anabi team work so well under pressure,” Langdon said. “There are certain races you go to, and when you walk in, you just know we need to win this weekend. We definitely have that feeling every time we walk into Pomona. Alan’s track record here shows that this is one of the places where he works his magic.
“The crew is absolutely perfect; my crew chief Brian Husen did a great job, and really gave me a phenomenal race car all weekend. Obviously it was a big weekend for our team winning the Mello Yello World Championship and then coming back today to win the race. The team has been in this position before, but this is all new to me. I was a nervous wreck coming into this weekend, but as the weekend went on, my confidence built up inside of me.
“I think this is the top of the cake this weekend for everyone at Qatar Al-Anabi Racing. When I was a kid envisioning being a professional drag racer, this is what I envisioned - sitting in the press room, winning Pomona, winning the championship and being part of a great team. When all your dreams come true and you’re part of something special, your are almost at a loss for words. I am just very fortunate to be a part of a great team. I know this is going to sink in in a couple of days. I am just up on cloud nine. I can’t thank Sheikh Khalid and Alan Johnson enough for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this team.”
Langdon’s team-mate, Khalid alBalooshi, was the No. 10 qualifier at the Auto Club NHRA Finals. During the Friday qualifying session, alBalooshi recorded a 3.806-second pass at 323.43 mph. AlBalooshi lost to David Grubnic in the first round of eliminations. After racing to an 11th-place finish in his rookie Top Fuel season in 2012, alBalooshi finished the 2013 season in eighth place in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings – an impressive jump for a second-year Top Fuel driver.
“Last year, I started as a rookie, and I didn’t have any experience in Top Fuel,” alBalooshi said. “Jumping to Top Fuel, everything was new to me. I did not make the Countdown, but I won a race and finished 11th in points. That was the best we could do not being in the Countdown. This year, I started with a much better chance. We won a race and went to a couple of other finals, and everything was perfect for us.
“This year, we made a nice move up from 11th to eighth, but I think we had a chance to finish way better. Sometime we have struggled a little bit. Sometimes I did wrong; sometimes the car had problems. But I am so happy with the progress our team made this year. I think next year, the car will show up to run as well as everybody else and be one of the top-five cars. Congratulations to Shawn and his team for winning the championship for Sheikh Khalid and Qatar.”
The Al-Anabi Racing team will be back in action February 7-9, 2014 at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California, when the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season begins.
For additional information on the Al-Anabi Racing Team, fans can visit www.alanabiracing.com.
THE PENINSULA
