JR Todd feeling more comfortable in second outing.

Dollar General NHRA SummerNationals will be better for JR Todd

Six years ago, J.R. Todd commanded attention as he made his Professional debut in a Top Fuel dragster, and now, after a hiatus from NHRA competition that spanned more than two seasons, he has returned behind the wheel of a second car out of the Bob Vandergriff Racing stable. With the first two of a handful of scheduled events behind him, the Indiana-based nitro pilot is prepared to make a powerful impression with a strong showing at his sponsor’s event, the Dollar General NHRA SummerNationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

The former Jr. Dragster racer is acutely aware of his potential and is bringing it all to the table, just as he always has. Despite a limited schedule in his debut season, Todd finished in the top 10 in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings after tallying three victories in four final rounds and earned the 2006 Auto Club Road to the Future Award as the top rookie driver. Time away from NHRA competition was not time away from drag racing, either. Todd allowed no time for an accumulation of rust and raced a partial schedule in Pro Mod in the ADRL series and traveled to Qatar to run in the Arabian Drag Racing League, where he won the points championship.

“I was definitely nervous when I was waiting to make that first qualifying pass in Houston,” said Todd, who had not piloted a Top Fuel dragster at an NHRA event since the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in 2009. “I had some butterflies because it was the first run back in competition, and I kind of felt like a rookie again. But the more runs I make, the more comfortable I am – and the more comfortable Kurt [Elliott, crew chief] is in his role. Our confidence is building together, and now we’re ready to go out there and race these guys and show them what we’re capable of.”

Although new to the crew chief position, Elliott has had no trouble getting the Dollar General dragster down the racetrack on each run. That first clean streak at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Royal Purple Raceway produced a 3.95 at nearly 312 mph, and on his second pass, Todd clocked a career-best speed of 319.52. The team showed immediate signs of jelling, qualifying 11th and respectably earning a race-day start at its first event together.

The second outing, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, showed equal promise with another string of straight-down-the-track passes and a first-round match with eventual event victor Steve Torrence. Although Todd did not get the win in the first round, he clocked his quickest and fastest run of the weekend, a 3.859 at a career-best 319.67 mph.

“These last two races have gone really smooth for us, especially being that we are a relatively new team,” said Todd. “The competition is way tougher now than I ever remember it before in Top Fuel. You have to be able to run mid- to low 3.80s at will and in the heat now, and that’s pretty tough to do.
“Even though we haven’t been the quickest and fastest car out there, we’re going down the track, and I have to give it to Kurt for that. I think he was nervous at first, but I kept telling him, 'We’ve got nothing to lose these first few races; why not go for broke and show them what we’re capable of?' We’re learning every run and making improvements each time, and I was proud of him after that first run in Atlanta. I’m happy with the way things are going, and I’m so thankful Bob has given me the opportunity to drive.”

Todd and Vandergriff have been friends since Todd became a Pro in 2006, and the joining of forces is something that they have long been trying to make happen. Initially, the agreement is to race four to five events this year, although they are working to build the funding required to race 10 to 12 this season and a full schedule in 2013.

“When I left in 2008 – that was my last full-time ride – I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Todd. “I finally got this lucky break with Bob, and I really hope we can build on it. It’s a little like having a carrot dangled in front of me, and I don’t want to have it taken away just yet.

“Hopefully, we can keep this going and do well for everyone at Dollar General this weekend. All of the big execs will be there, and they’ve never been to a drag race before. It will be cool to get them up there on the starting line between two Top Fuel cars, and hopefully we can put that big yellow dragster in the winner’s circle on Sunday. That would be the ultimate dream.”