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It is an extremely unusual situation, but Khalid alBalooshi will drive in two races this weekend for 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. |
Al-Balooshi, and his teammate Shawn Langdon, resume their playoff run at this weekend’s 29th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, the 20th of 24 races making up the United States’ 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the second of six events that comprise the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs. Qualifying is set for tomorrow and Saturday with eliminations scheduled for Sunday.
Last weekend’s race near Charlotte, North Carolina, was suspended during the first round of eliminations, and it will be completed during qualifying for this weekend’s race near Dallas.
Al-Balooshi defeated Langdon in the first round; both Al-Anabi cars made brilliant runs, but al-Balooshi reached the finish line 15 thousandths of a second before the world champion.
Some of this weekend’s Dallas qualifying runs will double as Charlotte elimination rounds. When al-Balooshi eases his gold Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster to the starting line for Saturday’s third qualifying session, he will be lined up against veteran NHRA driver Morgan Lucas.
The driver that reaches the finish line first will advance to the semifinals later that day, and the times recorded by both drivers will count towards Dallas qualifying.
“Running two different races in Dallas will be tough on all of the crew chiefs this week,” al-Balooshi said. “You have one race (Charlotte) during qualifying, but you still have to make the show for the race on Sunday (Dallas). So it will be hard on the crew chief and the crew guys especially for the teams that make the Charlotte final round—that will be an extra run. What I know for sure is we have a good, consistent car, and I am looking forward to racing in Dallas this week.
“We will continue the Charlotte race in a completely different place with completely different conditions, but we have a smart crew chief.
“I know our guys will have everything figured out, and we are hoping to catch a good weekend over there. We did not have a good race there last year, but I do not worry about that. I am going to the race knowing that I am going to do my best, and my crew chief will do his best especially now that the Countdown started. Our car is back, and I know we can do some big things with it soon.”
The two teams that advance into the final round of Charlotte eliminations, will race Saturday evening after Dallas qualifying is complete. Then on Sunday, the teams will do it all over again during eliminations for the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals.
Langdon, who entered the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs as the third seed, lost to al-Balooshi in the first round at Charlotte. He does not have to worry about the completion of the Charlotte event, but he does have to worry about having lost in the first round of eliminations at the first race of the Countdown for the second time in as many years.
