Shawn Langdon maintained Kalitta Motorsports’ perfect streak in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge, securing his third such win of the season. Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed victories in the bonus event.
Langdon triumphed with a time of 3.704, 332.10, in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster, defeating Tony Stewart. Langdon’s win followed previous Challenge victories, demonstrating the consistent performance that has him in the points lead entering Sunday’s eliminations.
“I’m part of a great team,” Langdon said. “Connie Kalitta sets the tone and he gives us what we need to be competitive. Winning also fixes a lot. It solves problems but we know we always have a good foundation.
“I’ve been racing almost nonstop since last year and I think that helps. After the 2024 season, I took a couple of weeks off and then headed to the Middle East and I raced for two months and then went right to Bradenton to start the season. All of that helps.”
Defending event champion Hagan continued his success at Route 66 Raceway, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a time of 3.880, 331.85 mph. Hagan recorded a .055-second reaction time to defeat Ron Capps, marking his first Challenge win of the year.
“That was a great race. I could hear him but I couldn’t see him. Ron and I go way back, 20 years at least. When we got to the end he said, ‘We should do that more often,’” Hagan said. “I’ve won championships with two different crew chiefs and I’d love nothing more than to win a third with Mike Knudsen. He’s earned it.”
Gaige Herrera kept Vance & Hines perfect in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, defeating Matt Smith with a time and speed of 6.722, 201.67 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Herrera’s victory comes after Richard Gadson won the Challenge in Charlotte, solidifying the team’s strong performance.
“For Richard to get the Mission win (in Charlotte) and then for me to get this one, it’s just awesome for our whole team,” Herrera said. “It’s awesome that Mission puts this on each Saturday and it’s just something for us and the fans to get excited about.”
