As the NHRA regular season winds down, several key storylines have emerged, including the dominance of Kalitta Motorsports’ Top Fuel team. With just two events left before the start of the Countdown to the Championship, Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon have established themselves as the teams to beat.
Kalitta Motorsports’ Top Fuel Dominance
One or both of team owner Connie Kalitta’s Top Fuel drivers have advanced to the final round at 10 of 12 races so far. Langdon has five No. 1 qualifiers, while Doug Kalitta has three. They are the only Top Fuel drivers with above-.500 win-loss percentages in eliminations, with single-digit losses.
Langdon has set the low elapsed time of the meet five times, with Kalitta second on that list with three. Kalitta has recorded the top speed of the meet five times, with Langdon twice.
Points Restructuring Ahead
When the US Nationals is complete on Labor Day, the sanctioning body will restructure the points of the championship-eligible drivers. The regular-season champion will have an extra 10 points on the closest competitor, and the rest of the title-chasing field will be separated in 10-point increments.
This gives the Nos. 3-10 a chance to muscle in ahead of Kalitta Motorsports. Kalitta, the current and two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, will compete in this weekend’s Night Under Fire at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park at Norwalk, Ohio.
Leah Pruett’s Determination
Leah Pruett is on a mission this year. She had to sit too long through a maternity hiatus with too much time to recall how frustrating it was to have a Top Fuel championship slip from her grasp in 2023. “This is the time to dig for the Countdown—not Brainerd, not Indy. It’s now,” she insisted last Sunday at Seattle.
Pruett said later that day, following her runner-up effort, “We pushed Doug Kalitta’s team to run well. They knew we were coming for them. We were right there with him. It’s not the results we want. We know the results we do want are not far behind.”
Austin Prock’s Comeback
Austin Prock’s rough start to 2026 is easy to forget, given his recent performances. He has gained 10 places since he failed to qualify at the season opener, then lost in Round 1 at the next four races. Prock’s program began to pivot with a semifinal finish at Chicago.
The NHRA regular season is nearing its end, with the Countdown to the Championship just around the corner. As the teams prepare for the final stretch, Leah Pruett and Austin Prock are all looking to make a push for the championship.
They will have to overcome Kalitta Motorsports’ strong performance.