The year was 2006 and JR Todd, then driving a Top Fuel car, made history. Following that historic weekend, a new exhibit was created at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods drag racing season resumes June 2-23, 2024 at the PlayNHRA Virginia NHRA Nationals in Dinwiddie, Virginia.
When Todd became the first African-American driver to win a Top Fuel race in 2006, his fire suit was donated to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. On Friday, before the NHRA Virginia Nationals, Todd will visit the National Air and Space Museum. and he will see his fire suit on display for the first time.
“I think for any race car driver to have their equipment there is a very good deal,” Todd added. “I’ve never been to the Smithsonian, so I really want to go there to see that place. “I’ve been getting pictures from fans who have gone there and seen it over the years, so it’s pretty cool.”
Todd and his DHL GR Supra team are also having a pretty good season. With the exception of the race at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago, Todd reached at least the semifinals in every race this season. The battle for greater consistency continues, but for now things are good, but they can always improve. Consistently moving into the later rounds is always positive. With three final rounds and four semifinals in eight races, Todd sits third in points behind John Force and points leader Austin Prock.
“It’s good to get into the later rounds,” Todd said. “I keep saying that we have to work on our consistency, especially in qualifying. It worked at Bristol with conditions changing from qualifying to race day. We still have work to do, but it’s good to get into the later rounds and rack up those points. We have to keep working to find a little more performance to keep up with the Force cars and keep moving forward in the later rounds.
“The JFR cars have definitely done a good job of separating themselves a bit from the rest of the field, but some guys are testing during the race weekends, so you never know what the teams are really doing. We know (Matt) Hagan can run well at any time; (Bob) Tasca, (Ron) Capps – they’ll all be there in the thick of things. The truth is that I don’t think anyone is separating much because there is still a lot of racing before the countdown begins.”
This weekend’s race near Richmond, Virginia, is a two-day extravaganza with three rounds of qualifying on Saturday followed by race day on Sunday. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” Todd said. “We did it in the preseason in Bradenton (Florida). Honestly, I think it’s better for the fans. I like it because it gives us three chances on the track, kind of like the race day setup, so I’m all for it.”
Preparation for both qualifying and race day will be hampered by a weather forecast that includes temperatures in the 90s. This is a challenge for everyone, both the racing teams and the fans.
“It’s probably going to be a matter of survival, kind of like in Bristol,” Todd added. “If we look at the forecast, it looks like it will be very hot there, and when that happens, the track temperature will be very high, so the track conditions will be difficult. It’s probably the best surface we run on, but usually when we go there, it’s hot and unpleasant. Having the best surface is a good thing, but there’s not much you can do to get fast, fast races when the track temperature is 140 degrees or higher.”
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When Todd advanced to the Bristol semifinals, he earned a spot in the NHRA Mission #2Fast2Tasty challenge next week. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions in Virginia, drivers who reached the semi-finals in Bristol will re-run the semi-finals and final earning additional bonus and championship points.
This story was originally published on June 18, 2024.
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