J. R. TODD

litta ended Todd’ s season

“ He definitely reminds you why he’ s one of the best Top Fuel drivers in history,” Todd says of his team owner’ s nephew and driver of the Mac Tools dragster.“ As the years go on, he’ s shown no signs of slowing down. He’ s one of the best all-around drivers out there, and he’ s always on his game on the starting line. The final round in Pomona, that was one where I knew I had the car to beat. You can’ t make any excuses for what happened on the starting line; just didn’ t get the job done. Then again, we had both cars in the finals and performing really well.”

Though his season didn’ t end with a visit to the winner’ s circle at Pomona, Todd has been doing this long enough to know that smaller accomplishments, like career-best ETs and consistent late-round finishes, can lead to bigger accomplishments, or even the ultimate accomplishment: a NHRA Mello Yello Series world

championship.

“ The way we finished the season has everyone primed and looking forward to next season. It definitely gives you the confidence going into

2017 that you can go out there and compete with anybody in the category. We have some changes coming up that are going to be good for Kalitta

Motorsports. Hopefully we can bring one, if not two, championships back to Ypsilanti [ Michigan ] in 2017,” Todd predicted, hinting at his latest career move.

Ten seasons after his Top Fuel rookie year, Todd will become a rookie again as he takes over the seat of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car previously driven by 2015 Funny Car world champion Del Worsham, who will focus on his family’ s Funny Car operation in 2017. The surprising post-season shake-up has Todd preparing to live out his dream of racing Funny Cars. He knows the flip-top fuel cars well after working on Bob Gilbertson’ s flopper for three seasons with Kalitta Motorsports crew chiefs Tommy DeLago and Nicky Boninfante before starting his Top Fuel driving career.

“ Ever since I worked with Nicky and Tommy D on a Funny Car, driving one has been in the back of my mind and most people have known that,” Todd said.“ The DHL Toyota has quite the legacy and it is a huge honor to be picked to drive it.” DI

PHOTOS: GARY NASTASE, NHRA / NATIONAL DRAGSTER