There’s making moves to win a championship, and then there’s reloading to maintain and defend a title. 

Kalitta Motorsports, home of 2023 NHRA Top Fuel Champion Doug Kalitta, will maintain its lineup for the 2024 season but with significant adjustments to its crew chief positions, the team announced today. Brian Husen has been promoted to crew chief for Shawn Langdon’s Kalitta Air Careers team, while Mac Savage joins the team to replace him. The changes come ahead of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, set to commence on March 8-10, 2024, at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Husen, 50, takes the helm as crew chief for Shawn Langdon’s team, bringing a wealth of experience. Having previously assisted crew chief Alan Johnson on Kalitta’s Mac Tools team, Husen’s transition to Langdon’s squad marks a new chapter in his career. With a background that includes stints at John Force Racing, Scrappers Racing, and Alan Johnson Racing, Husen is poised to lead Langdon’s tuning efforts alongside assistant crew chief Justin Groat.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to race alongside Alan (Johnson),” Husen said. “There are things I still have to learn; when you have to actually make the decisions for the car, it’s good to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and there’s nobody better in that role than AJ. He’s the guy that taught me everything I know, but sometimes you need a little reminder to keep you in line. I’m grateful for that, grateful for the opportunity, and I couldn’t ask for a better situation to have this opportunity – I’m looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, Savage, 47, returns to Team Kalitta after an eight-year hiatus, filling the void left by Husen’s departure from the Mac Tools team. Despite a year away from racing, Savage brings a wealth of experience, having worked with Clay Millican and John Force Racing in recent years. His reunion with Kalitta Motorsports is fueled by a deep-rooted appreciation for the team’s support and a shared commitment to championship pursuits.

“When I left Kalitta Motorsports, it wasn’t to pursue another job in racing,” Savage said. “I left for family obligations and knew that if I ever found another company that treated me as well as Doug and Connie Kalitta, I’d be very lucky. That holds true today. Working for John Force was fabulous, but my roots are at Kalitta’s. I spent 2023 on a Funny Car team, but I have a preference for dragsters. It would be hard to argue that Doug Kalitta is the best driver in Top Fuel. For me, it’s about the pursuit of championships. We have the best driver; Alan Johnson and Brian Husen are the best in the business, so when you put the best driver and the best leadership together, that’s where I want to be.”

 
“These changes are really good for our entire team,” Kalitta said about the new crew leadership. “Brian and Alan had been together for 20 years, so we put Brian over with Shawn, and that car tested very well in Bradenton last month. My car and Shawn’s car are identical now, and we’re really hoping that we’ll have two solid dragsters to go along with JR (Todd) in Funny Car.”

In the Funny Car division, co-crew chiefs Todd Smith and Jon Oberhofer remain at the helm of the Team Kalitta DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car driven by 2018 NHRA Funny Car champion J.R. Todd. The duo, who guided the team to victory at the Denso Sonoma Nationals last summer, are tasked with further optimizing performance following an eighth-place finish in the 2023 season standings.

Commenting on the personnel changes, Team Kalitta General Manager Chad Head emphasizes the strategic significance of the adjustments. 

“These personnel moves make our team stronger all around,” Head said. “With Shawn’s car now set up pretty much identical to Doug’s, the two teams can share data and learn from each other’s runs. These personnel changes on our Top Fuel teams and other changes we made on the DHL Funny Car should be really good for Team Kalitta, and if our pre-season testing results were any indication, it looks like we’re on the right path.”