POMONA, California: Shawn Langdon and Khalid alBalooshi both made stellar runs to kick off the 2014 season for the Qatar Al Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the three-time and defending NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champions owned by Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani. Langdon is second, and alBalooshi is seventh at the mid-point of qualifying for the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, the first of 24 events making up the United States’ 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.
Langdon, the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champion, made a brilliant run in the first qualifying session setting the early pace with a 3.746-second effort at nearly 329 mph — the fastest speed of the weekend so far — and was No. 1 after the first session. After several lengthy delays, the second qualifying session was pushed into the evening making both the air and the racing surface quite cold.
Langdon’s car launched brilliantly in the evening session and recorded early times quicker than its afternoon run, but the car later overpowered the race track and smoked the tires. One driver, 2012 World Champion Antron Brown, moved past the Al Anabi team and into the No. 1 position; Langdon is the No. 2 qualifier after the second of four qualifying sessions.
“We were going for the No. 1 qualifier position but just overpowered the race track a little bit,” Langdon said.
“The Al Anabi car launched hard, and if it stuck to the track, we were going to make a really excellent run. We made a great run in the first session so we’re in a good position, and we have two more chances to try to get that No. 1 qualifier. Thanks to Sheikh Khalid and everyone in Qatar for supporting us — the Al Anabi team will definitely be ready to race today.”
AlBalooshi also started his season with a beautiful effort. The Dubai native recorded a 3.788-second run at nearly 323 mph and was fourth after the first run. In the evening round, with the cool air and chilly track, alBalooshi’s gold Al Anabi dragster left the starting line in fine form, but like Langdon, overpowered the racing surface and smoked the tires. Three other teams outran alBalooshi’s earlier run moving the third-year driver back the seventh with two rounds of qualifying remaining.”
The Peninsula
