NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With the NHRA Countdown to the Championship set to launch at Maple Grove Raceway, the Top Fuel class is led by Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon, and Doug Kalitta. Between them, they’ve got a wealth of experience, but the pressure of drag racing’s six-race playoffs leaves no room for comfort.

The three drivers took part in a recent video conference to share their thoughts about the championship road ahead.

For Stewart, the situation is both familiar and foreign. He’s no stranger to championships, having won three NASCAR Cup Series titles, but 2025 is just his second full season in Top Fuel, and he comes in as the regular-season champion. Even he admits he’s not sure what to expect.

“My career in NASCAR was a long career, where the first two championships didn’t have that playoff aspect to it, and the third one, we did have the playoffs,” Stewart explained. “But it was more of what we have within NHRA on the Top Fuel side now: six straight races, but you’re not eliminating teams as you’re going. I like this aspect of the Countdown of just who gets the most points in the last six events.”

For Stewart, that simplicity makes every round magnified.

“Literally, every time you tow that car to the line, it matters,” Stewart said. “We have to treat it like it’s a round of eliminations. Whatever points are available, we just have to go out and get them. The attention to detail matters even more than it normally does. Crew guys double-checking each other’s work, crew chiefs reminding us about spots on the racetrack, all those little fine details absolutely matter the most in these last six weeks. These last six weeks, we’re all just going to fight our guts out trying to get everything we can get, because we know how much it matters.”

And despite his veteran calm, Stewart embraces the fight. “Hopefully, by the time we get to Pomona at the end of the season, we’re in a position to be fighting for this thing. You don’t care how you get there, you just care that at the end of the day they’re giving you the big check and the big trophy.”

That attention to detail has been a theme for Stewart all year. His team, led by crew chief Neal Strausbaugh, has delivered both consistency and raw performance. Still, Stewart is quick to credit the people around him.

“We’ve got guys that are turning the wrenches and twisting the knobs on the cars, and ultimately in more control of the cars than we are at this point,” he said. “So, we're all doing our jobs, and it's just a matter of trying to put together six really good weekends in a row and knowing that if you stub your toe, that you just have to rebound from it and get the guys focused on the next opportunity.”

Langdon, sitting second in points, knows that feeling all too well. A world champion in 2013, Langdon has been through the gauntlet of the Countdown before. This year, with Brian Husen and Alan Johnson calling the shots at Kalitta Motorsports, he’s enjoyed the most stable and competitive season he’s had in years.

“A few years ago, we weren’t even in the Top 10,” Langdon acknowledged. “Those years are tough, but they make you appreciate the last two years that much more. Working for a great man like Connie Kalitta, he gives us all the necessary tools to be successful. With Alan and Brian coming over, it’s given Doug and me a great opportunity to go out there and win races and compete for championships.”

Langdon admits that his driving style sharpens when the pressure mounts.

“Ideally, you always want to be in the front. But for me, personally, I always seem to drive better when my back’s against the wall and I feel like I’m chasing someone down,” he said. “When I’m in the lead, I tend to get a little conservative, but when I’m chasing, I drive with intent and aggression. We always want to be in the front, but I feel like I’m more in my element when I know exactly what I have to do to win.”

And then there’s Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, finally crowned after decades of near-misses. Kalitta’s Maple Grove Raceway and Charlotte victories in the opening weeks of the 2023 Countdown were the springboard that carried him to his first title. He hasn’t forgotten the lesson.

“That’s definitely the preferred way, try to get as many wins early as you can,” Kalitta said. “Maple Grove and Charlotte were huge for us that year, and even when we stubbed our toe later, those wins kept us in it until Pomona.”

Consistency has been Kalitta’s mantra. “My guys have put together some pretty good runs lately,” he said. “Alan even commented last weekend that the guys are doing a great job keeping it together. Like Tony said, we all have our jobs, and the crew chiefs making the fine adjustments will be critical throughout the whole phase.”

As for the mental grind, Kalitta trusts the routine. “We’ve gotten here doing what we’ve been doing, so just keep at it. Everybody’s got their job, and you just try not to overthink the process. At the end of the day, you just want to be there with a shot.”