Austin Prock: 'I felt pretty confident going that we were going to have the car to beat'
Paul Lee: 'It’s going to be great just to see our friends and the fans'
Jack Beckman: 'I don’t know if anyone wants to get back more than me'
Tim Wilkerson: 'I don’t think they’re ready for my attitude. It’s gonna be fun'
Kenny Delco: 'We were fast, we qualified fourth at Pomona and Phoenix'
Steve Torrence: 'You’ve got to come out and swing for every one of ’em'
Cristian Cuadra: 'I think I’m doing well, but I have a lot of room to improve'
Tommy Johnson Jr.: 'I’ve not wanted to win a championship more than this year'
Brittany Force: 'We’re ready for all this to be over so we get back to what we love'
Robert Hight: 'I can’t wait to get back and try to defend our championship'
Alex Laughlin: 'All we have to do is shove the car back in the trailer, and we are ready to go racing'
Shawn Langdon: 'I’m trying to stay as fresh as I can so we can be ready to go'
Chris McGaha: 'We’ve come up with some new ideas and we’ve beaten on some things'
J.R. Todd: 'I have all the confidence that we will be in contention when it counts'
Clay Millican: 'I can’t wait to stomp on that loud pedal ... it’s been way too long'
Bob Tasca III: 'Trust me, this Motorcraft car is going to have its day in the sun'
Antron Brown: 'I’ve been doing everything I can; I’m gonna come back hungry and ready'
Jason Line: 'It doesn’t matter what track we start with, the cars will all be ready to go when we get the call'
Fernando Cuadra Jr: 'We’re applying many of the things we learned from the first two races'
John Force: 'I’ll be ready. I know the car. I could drive it with my eyes closed'
Rahn Tobler maps out plans and goals for the NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car team
Leah Pruett: 'This is not the time to test or play; it’s time to run with what we know'
Ron Capps: 'It’s going to feel crazy the first time any of us steps on the gas for the first time'
Doug Kalitta: 'We’re all just really hungry and ready to make it happen'
Bo Butner: 'I feel like when we all come back racing we’ll be stronger than ever!'
Jeg Coughlin Jr: 'It’s time to go. Every round will be as important as the last'
Matt Hartford: 'We have a car that can run for the championship—bar none'
Alexis DeJoria: 'I just hope that everybody makes it back to the track safely'
Justin Ashley: 'Having a break like this really puts things in perspective'
Erica Enders: 'Our great start proves the organization’s hard work is paying off'
Shawn Langdon: 'I’m trying to stay as fresh as I can so we can be ready to go'
SHAWN LANGDON | DHL/Kalitta Motorsports dragster
Current points position: 8th | Best season e.t. to date: 3.699
Early-season report card: In his return to Top Fuel after two seasons in Funny Car, Shawn Langdon was Friday’s low qualifier at the Winternationals with a 3.699 and eventually slotted fourth but smoked the tires in round one against rookie Justin Ashley. A 3.73 qualified the team seventh in Phoenix and a 3.71 in the opening stanza against Clay Millican earned them their first round-win of the season, but instant tire smoke in round two after a holeshot on world champ Steve Torrence knocked them out of action.
Looking back: “We made some great runs in testing and we came out of the box in Pomona and had a great Friday. We had some mechanical issues Saturday that put us in a little bit of a peculiar spot going into Sunday. Ashley made a great run and we were trying to run a little bit better than what they were. He got me a little on the starting line and we ended up shaking the tires, so we went to Phoenix and we made some good runs there. We lost a goofy one to Torrence. He was up there trying to flicker the Tree and ended up messing himself up and we had about a tenth advantage on the starting line, but our car ended up smoking the tires.”
Looking ahead: “It took me a few runs to get reacclimated to the dragster after racing the Funny Car the last couple of years, but I’m comfortable now. They’re different in how they drive and how they steer, and I had to find some ways to slow my steering down especially on the top end up after being accustomed to driving a Funny Car. I feel like we have a great car and a great team. I’m familiar with all the guys, so we have a good thing going. I’m definitely excited.”
Shop talk: “There’s not much really going on in the race shop yet, but I’m still doing some bracket racing, driving two dragsters, and staying fresh on the Tree. I’ve been doing some practice Tree tournaments, so I feel like mentally I’m ready to go right now. I have bracket races on the schedule almost every single weekend depending on the states and their rules and regulations. I’m hoping by the time I get to race I’ll probably have 100 to 150 laps under my belt. We’ve had two months off and everybody’s like ‘I’m so bored,’ but I’ve stayed busy every day.”
The final word: “The only thing that separates a Top Fuel car from anything else is the speed, so there’s really no way to prepare for that other than getting in a race car and hitting the gas. I think we’re all in the same boat in that aspect, but as far as all the other stuff I’m trying to stay as fresh as I can so we can be ready to go when we get going again.”