CLINCH SCENARIOS - A driver in any category needs a lead of 151 points or more at the conclusion of the event to earn his or her respective NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship title at the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas. A maximum of 150 points is available at this event to one racer in each category. Only eight rounds of racing remain in the season.

Shawn Langdon holds an 83 point lead over second place Doug Kalitta and 86 point lead over third place Spencer Massey. In order to clinch in Las Vegas, Langdon needs to increase his lead by 68 points (more than three rounds) over second place. There are still nine drivers mathematically in contention for the championship title in Top Fuel.Shawn Langdon stands as the only point leader in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series to possibly win his first professional series championship. However, he's challenged by two potential first-time NHRA champions Doug Kalitta and Spencer Massey.

Right now Langdon has a more than four round lead over Kalitta with just eight left in the season.

CLINCH SCENARIOS - A driver in any category needs a lead of 151 points or more at the conclusion of the event to earn his or her respective NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship title at the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas. A maximum of 150 points is available at this event to one racer in each category. Only eight rounds of racing remain in the season.

Shawn Langdon holds an 83 point lead over second place Doug Kalitta and 86 point lead over third place Spencer Massey. In order to clinch in Las Vegas, Langdon needs to increase his lead by 68 points (more than three rounds) over second place. There are still nine drivers mathematically in contention for the championship title in Top Fuel.Shawn Langdon stands as the only point leader in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series to possibly win his first professional series championship. However, he's challenged by two potential first-time NHRA champions Doug Kalitta and Spencer Massey.

Right now Langdon has a more than four round lead over Kalitta with just eight left in the season.

"I am very excited, and I am very proud to be in this position with a four-round lead going into Las Vegas,” said Langdon, who has won a class-best six times this season. “But we have to keep working as hard as we can because there are still eight rounds of racing left. We’ve seen it year after year. Somebody always gets hot in the last couple of races, and a four-round lead can deteriorate quickly. The Al-Anabi team has had a really good year, and we would love nothing more than to finish it off with a Mello Yello championship."

Kalitta, who last flirted with a championship title in 2006, is up for the challenge ahead. Kalitta has a victory at Dallas and three semifinal finishes during the Countdown. With five No. 1 qualifying positions this season, his machine has been one of the quickest in the class.

"Right now I've probably got one of the better opportunities to hopefully run with Shawn and whoever else is coming up, because I think second on back, everybody is within a round of one another," said Kalitta, whose Mac Tools dragster will feature a special edition Chip Foose design this weekend. "Shawn has pulled away a little bit, but we're hoping that we can definitely gain on him, and I think we can. This is one of my better opportunities I've had in a few years to be in this position, so hopefully we can take advantage of it."

Massey, who has won a series title while racing the smaller International Hot Rod Association, has excelled at The Strip at LVMS in the past and feels confident during this weekend's NHRA Toyota Nationals. Massey has won four times in six final round appearances this season. However, his only Countdown playoff final came in a runner-up finish at Charlotte, N.C.

“Vegas is usually a good track for us,” Massey said. “We have a couple of wins there, a runner-up at this race last year. That's all we need to do is just go rounds and turn on win lights and everything will play out the way it's going to. We just need to do our part.”

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