The way DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car racer JR Todd sees it, he can’t thank team owner and tuner Connie Kalitta enough, Las Vegas Motor Speedway has enough money to supply him with bragging-rights hats as long as he keeps winning, and although he’s not keen about four-wide racing despite his success at it, he can’t get enough of Bruton Smith-built NHRA drag strips.
Todd, who has advanced to the final round in eight of the past 11 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, is the latest Funny Car winner. His victory at the Denso Spark Plugs Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked his fifth-year anniversary with Kalitta Motorsports.
He said he had been shopping for a used car that morning five years ago when 2,000 miles away, at Las Vegas, team owner Connie Kalitta was ready to replace Dave Grubnic in the seat of his Top Fuel dragster. Todd recalled — in his words, using a term of endearment for his 81-year-old boss, “getting the call from the old man, Connie Kalitta.”
Todd said, “On Friday night, I was at home at Indy, eating chicken wings, drinking beer and watching March Madness with my parents, and he calls me up and asks me if I can get on a plane and drive his car Saturday. That’s where it all started, and I can’t thank him enough.”
Since then, Todd earned 11 of his 18 victories, two in Top Fuel and nine in Funny Car. And he’s on his way to this weekend’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, where he won last season. He defeated Robert Hight in the final in a preview of their championship battle that Todd won on the final day of the season last November.
Sunday’s victory over Tommy Johnson Jr., Jack Beckman, and Tim Wilkerson was his ninth in 38 races. It also was his third straight at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as well as the sixth for a Kalitta Motorsports Toyota Camry Funny Car in the past 11 races at the facility.
He said he has no intention saving Chris Powell, president and general manager of LVMS any money by trotting out the same hat on upcoming visits.
“No way. I want to collect as many of these things as I can,” Todd said. “I think they can afford some new hats. No, Chris Powell and his staff, they have it going on at this place. With as many fans as they had this weekend, they can afford way more hats.”
Todd seems to excel in four-wide format. He scored back-to-back victories in Las Vegas’ only two four-abreast events.
“I guess I can’t say I’m not a fan of it because I’ve got two Wallys I’ve won so far. It’s different,” he said. “The fans seem to like it, and it packs the stands here in Vegas. And if that’s what we need to do to put some butts in the seats, I’m all for it. We need to do whatever we can to take the sport to the next level.”
After the swing through Houston, the NHRA will revert to four-wide style at zMAX Dragway at Concord, North Carolina, near Charlotte with the NGK Spark Plugs Four-Wide Nationals. That will be the final four-wide race of the season.
“For whatever reason, we’ve done well in the four-wides — here and in Charlotte. “Racing here (at Las Vegas) is different than Charlotte because of the altitude here. You’ve got to really stand on the tuneup, and that’s where I think it plays into Kalitta Motorsports. They just have a handle on the altitude here,” Todd said. “I like it. The track is really smooth. They did an awesome job prepping the track. Charlotte has some different characteristics to it. Both are really good. Bruton Smith doesn’t mess around when it comes to building tracks.”
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