NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

When he feels as though he’s been disrespected, Alex Laughlin isn’t afraid to return fire, which helps explain his ongoing rivalry with Kalitta Motorsports driver J.R. Todd. The battle between the two drivers has been chronicled extensively on both the NHRA on FOX TV shows and in a variety of motorsports medial outlets. Suffice to say, both drivers don’t particularly care for each other, and anytime they are lined up as opponents, it’s reasonable to expect that sparks could fly.

When it comes to credentials, Todd clearly has the upper hand as he’s a 19-time national event winner in both Funny Car and Top Fuel and a past Camping World Series champion. He’s also generally regarded as one of the Funny Car class’ most gifted  drivers. Laughlin has raced in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and a few sportsman categories and has four victories including the U.S. Nationals, but when it comes to a direct comparison with Todd, he’s clearly punching above his weight class.

Laughlin also admitted his comments regarding Todd’s sponsor were a bit out of line and he’s promised not to go there again. Otherwise, he feels he’s owed an apology or at least a proper explanation.

“Look, I know my place out here, but I’m also going to stand up for myself when I think it’s necessary,” said Laughlin. “What happened last week in Seattle flared up quickly but I’m sure it will die down soon. In a couple of months, I’m sure we’ll all be talking about something else. I really don’t know where we stand now, but if he [Todd] wanted to come over and have an honest conversation, I’m thinking we could hug it out and move on.”

Laughlin would prefer that the focus be more on his driving, specifically the progress he’s made in his first year with Jim Dunn’s team. Laughlin had barely made enough runs to qualify for a Funny Car license when he arrived in Gainesville for the season opener. Since then, he’s taken his lumps, but there have also been bright spots, including wins against Todd, Matt Hagan and Blake Alexander, as well as a handful of three-second time slips.

“IF you’d asked me about the differences between a dragster and a Funny Car or even a Pro Stock car and a Funny Car, I don’t think I could have given a good answer, now that I’ve blown up and been on fire twice, I think I get it. The Funny Car is like standing on the edge of a cliff. It’s just a matter of how close to the edge you’re willing to go.

“Overall, I think I’ve done okay, but obviously there is still a lot to learn,” Laughlin said. “We’ve had some random bugs that have cost us a bit. We had a fuel system issue and then we had to deal with some ignition problems. Otherwise, I think we’d have had a bit more success. I will say that from Gainesville to now, I feel like I’ve come a long way. My first run in Gainesville was really my first full run in a Funny Car. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable. It’d not really that different than when I showed up here [in Sonoma] for my first Pro Stock race. I was pretty green and it showed. Driving a Top fuel car helped prepare me as far as the G-forces but a Funny Car is so much different.”

While Laughlin is willing to put his feud with Todd to rest, he also admits that he’d welcome a rematch against the DHL Toyota, preferably during Sunday’s eliminations in Sonoma.

“I can tell you one thing, the fans would dig it, and it wouldn’t be boring” Laughlin said.