Turn the clocks back to 2013, and that was when the former sportsman standout turned Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon won a championship back in 2013 while on the Alan Johnson-led Al Anabi team with Brian Husen.
The two will be reunited in 2024, and if the early results of testing are a harbinger of things to come, the Kalitta Motorsports fielded team stands poised for a good season.
“The car’s been a dream to drive,” Langdon said. “Brian and the boys, they’ve put in a lot of hours in the offseason, changing a lot of things. And fortunately, the results are showing. The car’s been on a string for the last couple of days. I mean, we have not made a bad run. They came out swinging. We’ve been laying down some really good laps, big speeds, low ETs, parts been looking great. Everything’s kind of getting in sync, and it’s good.
“I’m happy for the guys and especially for Brian.
“This is his opportunity to spread his wings a little bit, and I’m just honored to be his driver. And I worked with Brian for a lot of years on the Al-Anabi car, and so it’s a neat opportunity for him, and I’m glad to be able to be his driver.”
From the moment Langdon heard he was going to be reunited with Husen, he knew this association would lead to one place.
“Winner circle,” Langdon responded. “That’s our mentality. I think that’s why even back in the Al-Anabi days, Brian and I, after the Al-Anabi stuff went away, still remained good friends, and we still communicated a lot throughout the years. With him and I going to different teams, I’ve always had a lot of respect for Brian. So when the opportunity presented itself to me, it was a no-brainer.
“I couldn’t ask for a better guy to lead the way on the car that I’m on. Brian’s just as hard of a worker as you’re going to find, and part of having a successful team is surrounding yourself with great people. And Brian has a really good way of bringing the best out in everybody.”
