The Kalitta Motorsports team is a key fabric in NHRA’s history.

Despite the team’s world championships and memorable victories, it had never doubled up at a national event by winning Top Fuel and Funny at a national event.

That is not the case anymore.

After 18 previous attempts to accomplish the double-up feat, the storied team sealed the deal Sunday at the season-opening the 2024 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Team driver Shawn Langdon won the Top Fuel crown, and he was joined in the winner’s circle by his teammate, JR  Todd who was triumphant in the nitro Funny Car class in Gainesville, Fla.

“We've been trying to double up for a while,” Todd said. “I mean there's times that when I was driving Shawn’s car that Del (Worsham) and I were in the final then driving Scott's car being in the final with Shawn or Doug (Kalitta) and just for whatever reason we just couldn't seem to get it done. It seems like the stars lined up for us here in Gainesville. Scott's boys were here most of the weekend. Colin, he went home Friday or (Saturday) morning. Then Corey, he was here all weekend and Scott's wife, Kathy, she was here. That's been, I think, since 2008 since she's been to the racetrack so it's pretty awesome to have her here with us and I hope we take some pictures down there in the Winner’s Circle with all the Kalitta family.”

Todd secured his win with his quickest pass of the weekend at 3.889-second elapsed time at 329.10 mph to defeat No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock, who smoked the tires and slowed to 5.36 seconds at 145.03 mph.

Although Kalitta Motorsports history was in his reach Sunday, he wasn’t losing focus on the job he had in front of him against Prock.

“You're definitely not rolling up to the start line thinking about doubling up, but leading up to it, you know there's the opportunity and it's in the back of your mind,” Todd said. “But more than anything, I'm worried about racing Austin Prock. He probably had the best car all weekend long, and he obviously mows the tree down every time he's up there.

"So, I was just focused on the mission at hand cutting a good light, trying to keep that thing stuck down the groove, which we haven't been doing all weekend. We've been spinning the tires pretty much every time in the same spot and somehow, they got the stick there in the final run. I told everybody we bushwhacked them there in the final, but I don't know what happened to him, but they're going to be a handful to race against all season long for sure. But I'm just proud of my guys for digging deep and not giving up and having faith in me after screwing it up their second round.”

This was Todd’s 21st career national event win – 12 in Funny Car and nine in Top Fuel. This was Todd’s first victory since Sonoma, Calif., last July. This was Todd’s second career win in Gainesville as he also won at the facility in 2021 when he beat Robert Hight in the finals.

“That was probably the most bizarre day I have had in drag racing,” said Todd, who pilots the DHL Toyota Supra. “Usually, you might have one run that you call your lucky run, and we had three for sure. That run in the finals was probably the first good, clean run we made all week, going back to Tuesday. A lot of problems in the bellhousing all weekend.”   

On Sunday, Todd’s victory parade consisted of wins over Blake Alexander, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III and then Prock.

The win over Capps was bizarre as they both staged, and Todd double stepped the throttle. Capps reacted too quickly and had a redlight start.

It capped a memorable weekend, which also included the late Scott Kalitta’s induction into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Todd pilots the Funny Car that Scott once drove.

“Yeah, I'm just a lucky one that gets to drive Scott's car. That's forever his car,” Todd said. “His name's still on the side of it, and I almost screwed up there for him second round. I'm just glad we were able to redeem ourselves and come out here with a trophy and hopefully give it to his family down there when we're done celebrating.”

Todd won the NHRA nitro Funny Car world title in 2018, had only won two races 2020 and finished eighth in the points standings the last two seasons.

On Friday and Saturday, Todd wasn’t turning any heads qualifying sixth with a 3.897-second run. He still never lost belief in what his team could accomplish on raceday.

“I mean when you see those guys running low eighties and (Bob) Tasca's knocking on the door at 340, like yeah, you wish that you were running as good as those guys, but as long as you're usually somewhere in the top five or close to that, you had a good chance of at least going some rounds,” Todd said. “But I don't know, top to bottom it is tough in Funny Car. I mean, Terry Haddock's going 3.98, I mean that's no slouch there, so you can't take anybody lightly. Jim Head, he's got a great car (for Blake Alexander). He can step up and knock off anybody. Then, Capps, I screwed him up. He was probably going to beat us there.

“Then Tasca, that thing went out there and spun and the boost rev sensor, which is the safety box, usually shuts this thing off when it spins. That gets to a certain RPM, the boost goes up. It keeps me from blowing the body off like what happened in Pomona and that happened, but like an idiot, I kept my foot to the floor, and somehow I was getting it seemed like a little bit of air to the injector and just gurgling down there enough to keep it going and he never drove by me so I was pretty excited about that. Then in the final round, just kind of go for broke and see what happens.”

Not surprisingly, Todd is all about turning on win lights on Sunday, not about where he is on the qualifying ladder.

“It's a matter of survival on raceday. Of course, we all want to go No. 1 laying there in the old man's car,” Todd said. “But, yeah, I mean, yes, I think it matters, especially for the Shootout, which we haven't made in the last couple of years. It would be nice to qualify up there in the top three and get some points for that, but at the end of the day, I'll take one of these trophies any day of the week over qualifying on the pole.”

With one Wally on his ’24 resume, Todd is optimistic about adding more to his collection this season.

“For sure, this definitely sets a good tone and momentum going into the rest of the season heading into Pomona, but it's not like these guys lack confidence,” Todd said. “I mean, when we're not running well, they still know that we have an opportunity to go out there and run well and win against these guys. They definitely don't beat themselves up or get down and I try to just focus on doing my job because I know that I need to be on keel every time because when the car is on, I think that's a tough combination, so I try to hold up my end and they always give me a good car.”