NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

J.R. Todd knows there is still time for his 10,000-horsepower SealMaster dragster to reach its stride during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

 

But with the year hitting the halfway point at this weekend’s 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Todd is ready to take the next step for the first time in 2016.

 

Todd has been solid, but he is hoping for spectacular as well as his first win of the season in Norwalk, just six races before the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship begins.

 

"One thing the SealMaster Toyota team is lacking right now is consistency,” said Todd, who is seventh in Top Fuel points following a first-round loss Sunday in Bristol. “We need to qualify better and set ourselves up better for Sunday. Consistently going down the track will take care of that.

 

“I believe going to the final round in Atlanta was a big step for us and showed that our relatively new team was, and is, plenty capable of winning. The run we made first round in Englishtown showed that we are going in the right direction with the power level, and that has me excited."

 

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event. For the first time, the race will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. The race is the 12th of 24 during the 2016 season and finishes a stretch of four consecutive race weekends.

 

For Todd and his Kalitta Motorsports team, it’s an opportunity to build momentum for the rest of the season. He qualified third and advanced to the final round in Atlanta, then picked up a round-win in Englishtown. But Todd, who has eight wins, knows the potential is there for more and would like to see the team continue to improve, even though conditions during the Countdown to the Championship will likely be different than what he will see this weekend in Norwalk.

 

"Countdown races and conditions are usually different than what we see right now, although a lot of teams can still throw down in the heat,” said Todd, who has gone as quick as 3.736 seconds this season. “Heading into the Countdown, I would like for us to be top five in points and give ourselves a better shot at running for the Mello Yello championship."

 

Todd would also like to become the seventh different winner in Top Fuel this season, a list that already includes teammate and points leader Kalitta, who won three straight races earlier this year. That has motivated Todd, as has the success of Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car drivers Del Worsham, the reigning world champion, and Alexis DeJoria, who won this season in Las Vegas.

 

“Seeing how well our other three cars perform and the camaraderie we have between all the teams makes me feel very honored and proud to be a part of the Kalitta family,” Todd said. “It also drives you to perform at your best because that's what we all expect and want here.”

 

There’s also extra motivation for Todd this weekend because his sponsor’s headquarters is close to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. Standing in his way, though, will be a host of Top Fuel standouts, including reigning world champion Antron Brown, two-time 2016 winner Brittany Force, Steve Torrence, who claimed his second victory of the year in Englishtown, 2007 event winner and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, Richie Crampton, Shawn Langdon, who won last weekend in Bristol, Terry McMillen, and Clay Millican.

 

It’s also a home race for the Michigan-based Kalitta Motorsports team, adding another storyline into the mix. It all adds up to a great opportunity for Todd to take a giant step in his season at a track that is one of his favorites.

 

"For our SealMaster team, Norwalk is a big event because it's right in our sponsor's backyard,” Todd said. “It also is pretty much a home event for Kalitta Motorsports, as it is the closest event to our shop, so a lot of the team members’ families come out and support us. As for me, I've been racing at Norwalk since I was a kid [racing] Jr. Dragsters, so I've known the Bader family for a while now."

 

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:45 p.m. Friday, June 24, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, June 25, at 12:30 and 3:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 26.

 

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, 419-668-5555, or log on to www.summitmotorsportspark.com. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.