J.R. TODD: THE KID THE SPORT HAS WATCHED GROW UP

Fri, 2021-03-12 08:17

 

The drag racing community might find it hard to believe since it watched him grow up.

J.R. Todd, the energetic and talented drag racer who worked his way from Junior Dragster competition to the nitro ranks, is turning 40 years old in December.

Todd drove the Kalitta Motorsports-fielded DHL Toyota to a 3.927, 324.20 best in testing at the PRO Winter Warm-ups at Palm Beach International Raceway.

He drove his way like a seasoned veteran, even though there are those who still call him "kid."

"When I worked at Gilbertson, I was definitely a kid then," Todd said. "Looking back at pictures of seeing how young I looked and how much skinnier I was. And one of the guys that always hung out there with Nicky and me was Berserko Bob [Doerrer]. He came and saw me the other day, and just, he's like, "Man, how old are you now?"

"And I told him like, "Almost 40."

"He's like, "Good God, time flies." But yeah, just growing up with guys like Nicky and a lot of the guys, I've known since I got my start out here. Just yeah, I feel like I was a young guy at one time out here. But now I'm like that mid-pack guy. There's still guys older than me, but there's also plenty of younger guys younger than me."

In 2021, Todd is sporting a new look with longer hair up top and some ink on his toned arms. He appears to be cross between an NFL quarterback and an NBA basketball player with the ink.

"Usually, my shirt covers up whatever tattoos I have," Todd said. "I started letting my hair grow during the pandemic last year when we got called off at the first Gainesville race and from up to then until now, I haven't cut the top of my hair. And as you can see, when I don't have a hat on, or my helmet off, it gets pretty shaggy and ragged looking. But I fix it up whenever I go out to eat, that's for sure."

Todd always dreamed of the life he has now, and at times he's taken aback by the experience.

"Especially you go to the shop, and any race that we win," Todd said. "They get a banner from that race and they're all hanging up in the shop, and world championship banner and things like that. It definitely blows my mind to seeing stuff like that. But yeah, I'm very lucky to be driving for Connie Kalitta and representing great companies like DHL and Toyota and Mobil 1 and just living the dream, for sure."

And while he has learned to accept his status as a seasoned veteran, calling a younger driver "kid" is not territory he is prepared to chart.

"I don't know. It just seems weird to me, still, to call somebody a kid," Todd admitted. "Austin Prock is a kid. That's somebody you look at as a kid because he's younger. But I don't know. I'm not cool enough to call somebody a kid. I feel like only Snake can perfect that line."

 

 

 

 
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