Drag Illustrated Issue 140, January 2019 | Page 74
THE
CHAMPIONS
ISSUE
T
odd can still recall verbatim
the quote. He wasn’t supposed to
see it, the quote never actually ran
and he won’t name who said it, but
Todd still remembers it. “I saw this
in writing: ‘Don’t punish great driv-
ers like myself because people like him are out
there struggling,’” Todd says.
74 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
It was a reference to the laid-back header dis-
cussion a year ago, and Todd believed most teams
thought his team was doing the complaining be-
cause of a slow start to his Funny Car career.
In truth, it was far from the case. Replacing Del
Worsham and driving the DHL Toyota Camry
during his debut Funny Car season, Todd already
had enough to worry about.
He just finished his third season in a Kalit-
ta Top Fuel car, finishing a career-best second
during that life-changing 2014 campaign and
advancing to the Countdown all three years, when
A Dream Fulfilled
It truly was a season of a lifetime for Todd,
who thrived in his second season in Funny Car.
From possibly never driving again to latching
on with Kalitta Motorsports, Todd has made
the most of his opportunities in both Top Fuel
and Funny Car. His driving talents have been
obvious, capping off 2018’s six-win season
with his first career NHRA world title.
Todd was offered the chance to pilot the car once
driven by the late Scott Kalitta and 2015 world
champ Worsham. It was the ultimate pinch-me
moment for Todd, who held Scott Kalitta and
Worsham in the highest of regards, both on and
off the track.
After working on Gilbertson’s Funny Car for
three years more than a decade ago, Todd had
always wanted to race in the class. Now he was
getting another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,
all after Connie Kalitta told Todd he was the
perfect guy to drive the Funny Car once driven
by his son.
“To follow in those guys’ footsteps – and I al-
ways said I’m not trying to fill their shoes because
those are some massive shoes to fill – but it’s kind
of the ultimate honor just to be asked to drive that
thing,” Todd says. “It’s definitely the most special
car within our organization. It holds a special
place in everyone’s heart at Kalitta Motorsports.
You want to do well in that thing because you’re
representing Scott and his family.”
As expected, the transition from Top Fuel to
Funny Car wasn’t easy. Todd won just six rounds
in his first 12 races to open 2017, but the talk that
he couldn’t hack it in the class gnawed at him. It
was another chance to prove someone else wrong
and, once again, Todd ran with it.
The team, led by crew chief Jon Oberhofer
and co-crew chief Todd Smith, found its groove
that summer, winning an eventful race in Sono-
ma before the ultimate triumph in Indy. Todd
beat 2016 world champ Ron Capps in the final
round with his fourth run in the low 3.90s that
day, fulfilling a lifelong dream of winning the
U.S. Nationals. For Todd, who had been coming
to the race since he was 10 years old, it was a
career-defining victory. It was also the ultimate
blow to anyone who doubted whether his skills
would translate to the class.
“He is constantly trying to improve,” Oberhofer
says. “He is fun to be around and it’s great to
see how hard he works to be a better Funny Car
driver. There were some people who doubted his
driving skills when he started driving a Funny
Issue 140
in early 2009.
Todd competed just three times that year and
then none the next two seasons, latching on with
Sheik Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani, who owned
Al-Anabi Racing. He traveled to Qatar, raced
a Pro Mod overseas and for a short time in the
ADRL, but even as it added to Todd’s surreal tale
of drag racing all over the world, the dream re-
mained the same. The only problem was wonder-
ing if Todd’s racing hourglass had already run dry.
“As a kid, this was always the goal to get to this
point: NHRA world champ,” Todd says. “But those
moments, you’re like, ‘Man, I’m never going to
get to that level.’ At that point when I was driving
the Pro Mod, I didn’t ever think I was going to
get back in a Top Fuel car and be able to contend
for championships. I just kind of grinded it out
and things worked out. Whatever I’ve driven,
I’ve always said I need to prove I’m still capable
of winning no matter what.”
Talent, his father said, was never an issue. “The
kid’s got talent,” Mario says. “He can drive any-
thing. It didn’t matter what it was, he could drive
the wheels off it. He just wanted to drive a car.”
When the opportunity came with Kalitta Mo-
torsports, Todd took advantage, driving with an
attitude any racer at any level can appreciate. But
it’s all part of a mindset that came from years of
being knocked down, pushed aside and nearly
left in the dust. Nothing came easy for Todd and
it’s that relentlessness that has made him one of
the top drivers in the sport, as well as an example
for anyone willing to put in the work.
“I’ve never said that I’ve had a chip on my
shoulder, but I felt like there’s been opportuni-
ties in the past where I’ve been looked over for
somebody else,” Todd says. “Anytime I’ve gotten
opportunities, I’ve always wanted to show the
other guys they messed up by not picking me
to drive. I feel like that’s kind of the way I drive.
“I’m definitely proud of that fact. It shows crews
guys or sportsman guys or Jr. Dragster racers that,
hey, if you really want to do this, stick with it and
set a goal for yourself, anything can happen, man.
I’m definitely living proof of that.”
He’s mastered the art of perseverance, but Todd
never used it as an excuse, either. His expertise
behind the microphone or in front of a camera
has taken major steps in recent years, but Todd’s
belief has always been about creating opportuni-
ties based on driving ability. It’s ultimately served
him well, carrying a workmanlike demeanor that
makes him a fan favorite, and proving that talent
rises to the top. “That’s why we refer to J.R. as the
people’s champion,” Langdon says.