{"id":105855,"date":"2026-05-04T17:15:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T00:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=105855"},"modified":"2026-05-04T17:15:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T00:15:48","slug":"langdon-vandergriff-glenn-m-smith-victors-in-south-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/langdon-vandergriff-glenn-m-smith-victors-in-south-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"Langdon, Vandergriff, Glenn, M. Smith Victors in South Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dallas Glenn, Matt Smith, Jordan Vandergriff and Shawn Langdon celebrate their wins – NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a quarter of NHRA\u2019s Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitions in the book, this 75th anniversary season is looking to be one for the record books, even if those record books don\u2019t count for points as they once did. One thing we know for sure, in the nitro classes, both teams from legendary former drivers are looking exceptionally good. But since there\u2019s still 15 races left in a 20-contest season, it would be smart to take a step back and look at possibilities, probabilities and sure things.<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s Southern NHRA Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the first of four new venues for NHRA\u2019s professional series during its 75th diamond anniversary season, showed that the cream of the early season crop is easily Kalitta Motorsports and John Force Racing. In qualifying, the Brian Husen-led, Connie Kalitta-owned and managed team for 2013 Top Fuel titleholder Shawn Langdon rewrote the record books with their 345.00-mph (3.724-mph) blast on Friday. While he didn\u2019t earn the No. 1 slot – that went to his teammate and reigning champion in Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta, Langdon shined on Sunday before the second consecutive sell-out crowd at this track, earning his second win of this season and 24th of his career.<\/p>\n

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Langdon celebrates with his team – Kalitta Motorsports photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Holding off Kalitta\u2019s 3.954\/314.61 with his own 3.808\/333.16 lap down the 1,000-foot track, Langdon defeated Cameron Ferre, four-time champ Antron Brown and Clay Millican to get to the finals, using consistency throughout eliminations to earn his second diamond trophy. This meet-up was the sixth between Langdon and Kalitta and the Californian continues to hold a lead over his teammate at 4-2 wins in final rounds. Kalitta dropped a cylinder early and that\u2019s what it took. \u201cIt\u2019s always a good weekend when you can wake up in the morning and feel like you can win,\u201d Langdon said after hoisting his trophy. \u201cA lot of hard work went into the off-season, trying to improve a lot of things with the car, and it\u2019s paying big dividends right now. All three Kalitta\u00a0 <\/span>are are fantastic right now.”<\/p>\n

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Shawn Langdon and Brian Husen are definitely working well together – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Kalitta Motorsports\u2019 J.R. Todd earned No. 1 status with his Toyota GR Supra Funny Car after three rounds of qualifying were complete, he wasn\u2019t able to hold off John Force Racing\u2019s newly hired Jordan Vandergriff\u2019s Chevrolet SS in the final round. While conditions had been cool and wet through Saturday\u2019s single qualifying attempt that came late in the day, Sunday\u2019s sunshine meant changed conditions for everyone. Vandergriff\u2019s crew chief, Chris Cunningham found the sweet spot for their newest driver.<\/p>\n

Vandergriff, in only his fifth Funny Car race, had the traction to take Todd in the finals after his nemesis clicked off under difficult driving conditions. Vandergriff hit 4.007 seconds at 314.17 mph to beat Todd\u2019s 4.784\/169.89. Once he reached the turnout and received his prizes, Jordan emulated his uncle Bob Vandergriff, who sprinted from his winning Top Fuel rail back to the Christmas tree to celebrate with his crew. \u201cI\u2019m still kind of taking in just how special this is,\u201d Vandergriff said. \u201cThis moment is something I thought of for a very long time, since my last final in 2019, when I lost to Billy Torrence in Dallas (driving in Top Fuel).<\/p>\n

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Emulating his uncle Bob Vandergriff, Jordan Vandergriff sprinted back to the starting line with FOX\u2019s Amanda Busick in pursuit – NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cRunning up the track was something I always thought about doing because my uncle did it out of pure joy when he won his first, and I just had to do it. I was contemplating it in the car before the run and I was like, \u2018I\u2019m doing it, no matter what.’ Hopefully, this is just the first of many and it\u2019s a good one to start!\u201d Vandergriff is currently living in the Atlanta area, making this track\u2019s contest his home race. He also dedicated his victory to the late Adria Force Hight, who passed away April 28. \u201cI was just thinking about everything Adria did for John Force Racing; she was a pivotal part of this organization and I thank her for all the hard work she put in, helping John build this amazing race team that is giving me the chance to live my dreams and represent them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jordan Vandergriff is enjoying his first season with John Force Racing – Anne Proffit photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While reigning Pro Stock champion Dallas Glenn looked a bit more human in last week\u2019s 4-Wide NHRA Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, he and his KB Titan Racing squad were back to busting balls again this week in Georgia. Glenn yielded the No. 1 qualifying slot to teammate and six-time champion Greg Anderson, posting only the ninth best qualifying run on the quarter-mile. On Sunday Glenn didn\u2019t have an easy time making it to the final round, winning a first-round pedalfest against Elite Motorsports\u2019 Jeg Coughlin Jr. and again in the semifinals against Elite\u2019s Greg Stanfield. He had clean runs in the quarters against KB Titan\u2019s Matt Latino and again in the final round against surprising Troy Coughlin Jr., who has had issues getting his Elite Motorsports Camaro down the track in these early races.<\/p>\n

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Dallas Glenn didn\u2019t have a clean ride to victory, but he\u2019ll take it! NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leading the points as the tour anticipates a weekend off, \u201cToday was definitely weird,\u201d Glenn acknowledged. \u201cThis is probably the weirdest elimination day of Pro Stock car that I can remember. I’ve seen bad rounds before, but never continuously all through the day It\u2019s a combination of the track not quite being what we\u2019re used to, and the air being really good. Luck definitely played a role today. If anybody makes a clean run against me on either one of those two runs, first round and semis, I\u2019m dust,\u201d Glenn acknowledged.<\/p>\n

Matt Smith, winner in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class with his Matt Smith Racing Buell, took his first diamond Wally trophy of this young 2026 season. While he\u2019s qualified No. 1 at each of the first three races in this Pro Stock Motorcycle season, Sunday eliminations haven\u2019t been kind to Smith – until this one. With only 14 motorcycles on the grounds, Smith enjoyed a bye on his first round but didn\u2019t get his Buell down the track, went on to defeat a tractionless Chase Van Sant\u2019s Suzuki in the second round with a 6.685\/203.06, then took out wife Angie in the semifinal bout to meet reigning titleholder Richard Gadson and his Vance & Hines Motorsports Suzuki Hayabusa3. In a battle of titans, Smith used a 6.724\/202.06 lap to defeat an early leaving but slowing 6.834\/193.24 lap for Gadson.<\/p>\n

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Matt Smith has three No. 1 slots and one victory so far this season – NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In earning his 43rd Wally trophy as he seeks a class record seventh world championship, \u201cThis is not only rewarding for me, but it\u2019s just rewarding for our team. We worked so hard this winter to find a little bit of power,\u201d Smith explained. \u201cWe found some power and we\u2019re showing it. We\u2019ve been No. 1 qualifier for three races in a row now. We just hadn\u2019t shown up on Sunday and I’m glad we showed up today.\u201d Talking about his lucky first-round bobble, \u201cAs soon as I brought the engine up, the toggle switch on the fuel pump went out, so we lost lane choice (for the second round). As soon as I saw this [75th anniversary NHRA Wally trophy] I knew I wanted one. I\u2019m\u00a0<\/span>glad we didn\u2019t have to wait too long to get it!\u201d<\/p>\n

NHRA welcomed a new winner in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod class when Jason Collins, making just his second career start, drove to the victory over Mike Thielen in the final round of this sold-out race. This was the fourth of 11 Pro Mod races and this weekend\u2019s race was powered by Dixie Trucking. Collins qualified second and rolled past Thielen in a wire-to-wire lap on the quarter-mile. After first competing in Pro Mod last week in Charlotte, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe,\u201d Collins said. \u201cI have to thank my dad and mom; they spent a lot of money helping me learn how to drive a race car. I know it\u2019s my second NHRA race, but I\u2019ve done a lot of racing in my life, so I want to thank Scott Tidwell for putting me in this ride!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Two Pro Mod races, one win for Jason Collins! NHRA photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NHRA will celebrate the Mother\u2019s Day weekend by taking time out to spend with families. Then it\u2019s time to race in Joliet, with the May 15-17 Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway outside Chicago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With a quarter of NHRA\u2019s Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitions in the book, this 75th anniversary season is looking to be one for the record books, even if those record books don\u2019t count for points as they once did.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":105860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3465,3470,5029],"tags":[13276,423,4730,9474,8365,9966,7,13193,13269,5134],"class_list":["post-105855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drag-racing","category-news","category-racing","tag-jbs-equipment-nhra-pro-mod-series","tag-john-force-racing","tag-kalitta-motorsports","tag-kb-titan-racing","tag-matt-smith-racing","tag-mission-foods-drag-racing-series","tag-nhra","tag-nhra-75th-anniversary","tag-nhra-southern-nationals","tag-south-georgia-motorsports-park"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Glenn-Smith-Vandergriff-Langdon-e1777940134732.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-rxl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105855"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105870,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105855\/revisions\/105870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}