While most of his rivals on the NHRA tour take a weekend off before the season's first stretch of three races in a row,
rookie-of-the-year candidate Shawn Langdon is spending Memorial Day at the track, fighting for big money in the Huntsville Engine Great American Bracket Race at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La.

"I just love to drag race," said Langdon, the back-to-back and reigning Super Comp world champion. "Even though the Tree is different, it can't hurt to use it like a practice session for my Top Fuel car. You can practice at home all you want but nothing compares to real competition when your adrenaline is pumping."

This isn't the first off-weekend that Langdon has used to make some extra money and sharpen his skills. Earlier this year in March, he scored $10,000 at the Tenn-Tucks event in Bowling Green, Ky., in the same Lucas Oil Super Comp dragster he'll pilot this weekend.

While most of his rivals on the NHRA tour take a weekend off before the season's first stretch of three races in a row,
rookie-of-the-year candidate Shawn Langdon is spending Memorial Day at the track, fighting for big money in the Huntsville Engine Great American Bracket Race at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La.

"I just love to drag race," said Langdon, the back-to-back and reigning Super Comp world champion. "Even though the Tree is different, it can't hurt to use it like a practice session for my Top Fuel car. You can practice at home all you want but nothing compares to real competition when your adrenaline is pumping."

This isn't the first off-weekend that Langdon has used to make some extra money and sharpen his skills. Earlier this year in March, he scored $10,000 at the Tenn-Tucks event in Bowling Green, Ky., in the same Lucas Oil Super Comp dragster he'll pilot this weekend.

The concept is working well for the 26-year-old lifelong drag racer. He has been at or near the top in reaction time averages all season and has taken more than his share of wins with superior lights at the starting line in his Lucas Oil/Dixie Choppers dragster.

Heading into the O'Reilly Summer Nationals, May 29-31, at Heartland Park Topeka, Langdon is a solid seventh in the points. He knows a strong weekend in Kansas could lift him as high as fourth overall.

"We have the car to win a race," said Langdon, who has raced to three semifinal finishes in the last four races. "It's just a matter of having everything fall into place. It's crazy because eight races ago I had never made a pass in a Top
Fuel car and my main goal was to not make any mistakes. Now I'm talking about winning races, and I can say it knowing full well it can happen at any time. I'm a lucky guy."

First things first, there's some big money on the line this weekend in Louisiana.

"I'm going to have fun," Langdon said. "That's what it's all about." 

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