NHRA (POMONA) - Langdon Clinches 2007 NHRA Lucas Oil Super Comp Championship

Shawn Langdon clinched the National Hot Rod Association’s Super Comp Lucas Oil National Championship on Saturday during eliminations at the running of the 43rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. Langdon, driving the Lucas Oil Products Super Comp dragster in the 8.90-class completed his mission of making more rounds than his main adversary for the title, Anthony Castillo for this sportsman division title. When he first heard his name mentioned as champion from acclaimed NHRA public address announcer, Bob Frey, Langdon liked the sound of it in a surreal way, although it still hasn’t completely sunk in yet. “Yeah, it sure does sound nice,” said Langdon for his recognition as Super Comp champ.

“It’s one of those deals that I’ve worked for all my life. Being a young man, I remember going out to the dragstrip with my dad, Chad who also raced. It’s one of those things that I have always thought about and to be formally happening to me is a huge accomplishment.” The Lucas family of Forrest and Charlotte and son, Morgan has played a pivotal part of his development and training in the sportsman division. With their sponsorship, it has given Langdon the opportunity and the means to pursue his racing career.

“They have been a sponsor of mine for six years, said Langdon. “This is the first year that I came aboard racing out of the Lucas’ trailer and you couldn’t ask for a better sponsor. They treat me like family and that’s how they are. They take care of you and they really do make dreams come true making things possible for so many people. It’s wonderful to be a part of Lucas Oil Products team.” The multiple rounds of eliminations in the complicated, but regulated sportsman format clearly shows the fortitude, dedication and discipline of this young man in a sport featuring some of the best drivers in the business. Just how did he maintain his strength going for the championship throughout the long, arduous season?

“I’ve been actually asked that question a bunch,” he said. “Like I’ve told everybody, so much of it comes down to just basic luck. You would like to say the car is great, but I haven’t changed the tune up much from previous years. You get those lucky breaks with the margins of victory coming down to only thousandths of a second. You look back and say to yourself, if I could have gotten by that round, I could have had this or could’ve had that. Those factors worked this year in my favor. At the beginning of the season, I got on a hot streak and won a couple of races early. We were fortunate by going to a bunch of late rounds in carrying forward our momentum even further. I claimed down my points in August and from then on it was going to the races trying to block in keeping after the guys in the points. It’s still anything you can do and falls into place as just a matter of being in the right place, right time. It definitely makes it easy knowing you have great sponsors with so many people who support you. The list of Super Comp champs is very impressive and it’s great to have my name along side of theirs.”