Langdon, al-Balooshi feel confident for NHRA Western Swing

Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel driver Khalid al-Balooshi begins a night qualifying run two weeks ago in Norwalk, Ohio in front of a packed grandstand. The team races this weekend near Denver, Colorado.

Agencies/Morrison, Colorado

For 35 years, the world’s premier drag racing series has visited the mile-high country around Denver, Colorado.  When the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the three-time and defending World Championship team owned by HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani, arrives there this week, drivers Shawn Langdon and Khalid al-Balooshi will hope to tame the mountain and put one of the Al-Anabi cars in the winner’s circle at this weekend’s 35th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, the 14th of 24 races making up the United States’ 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.  Qualifying is set for tomorrow and Saturday with eliminations scheduled for Sunday.

The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals is the first race of the gruelling NHRA “Western Swing” featuring races on three consecutive weekends in Denver, Colorado, Sonoma, California and Seattle, Washington.  Racing on three-consecutive weekends is no longer unique as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series now races on four consecutive weekends somewhat routinely, but what makes these three races so difficult is the distance the crews must drive between races in Denver and Sonoma, Calif., 1,250 miles, between Sonoma and Seattle, 775 miles and then the distance between Seattle and the race shops mostly located near Indianapolis, 2,271 miles. And Bandimere Speedway, location of this week’s race, is one of just four tracks on which the Al-Anabi team has never won a race.

“I always enjoy the “Western Swing;”  It’s nice to head out west and go to Denver,” Langdon said.  “I love going to Bandimere Speedway.  I have a lot of good history and a lot of good memories there winning the NHRA Junior Dragster national championship there 17 years ago.  Then to head out to Somona (California) is always great because it’s one of my favourite race tracks on the Mello Yello tour.  I always have a lot of family and friends at Sonoma, and there’s just a lot of history about the Western Swing. We’re excited to go out there. Our race car is getting back to running well, and hopefully we can end up with a sweep of these three races.”

Langdon enters this weekend’s race on the strength of his third No 1 qualifier and his fourth final-round appearance of the season two weeks ago in Norwalk, Ohio.  Langdon is third in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings, and he knows, the Al-Anabi team is poised for victory at any time.

“The Al-Anabi car is a top-five car at all times,” Langdon said.  “We have a car that is close to being able to compete for the Mello Yello championship.  We have a car that’s definitely capable of winning; we’re just fine tuning a couple of areas.  I know that as soon as we get these little things fine-tuned on the car, the Al-Anabi car will be back to running how it was last year in the Countdown. (Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs.)

Al-Balooshi enters the Denver race feeling good about how his team is running, too.  Two weeks ago in Norwalk, Ohio when al-Balooshi raced as the defending champion, the team had a good weekend although not necessarily because of its results.  The gold Al-Anabi team made some excellent runs in Norwalk, and while the results did not show on the scoreboard, driver and crew know the car is performing better and that it continues to improve.  That bodes well for Denver this weekend and the rest of the season after it.

“The last race was very good for our Al-Anabi team,” al-Balooshi said.  “We lost in the first round over there, but we made some very good runs and learned a lot.  We were very good in the last qualifying run, and in the first round on Sunday, we made our best run of the weekend.  Our team has been trying a lot of different things this year, and now, we are happy the Al-Anabi car is back like it was early in the year.  We have been saying we were getting better, but now we are sure we have our car back.  I think we will be in a good race car for Denver.

“Racing in Denver is always tricky, but at least we have a fast car now.  When we go over there, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the weather, the air and the tricky track, but we have a good car.  When you have a good car, you know you are in a good position to know what’s going on so you can do your best even though it is a tricky place to race.”