The Qatar Al-Anabi Racing gold Top Fuel car blasts off at the starting line as driver Khalid al-Balooshi makes his second run at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, yesterday.
CONCORD, North Carolina: It was a stunning day of qualifying for both teams that comprise the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the two-time NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champions owned by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Thani.
The teams are very well positioned as No. 3 and No. 4 in the qualifying order and each are hoping to win the Carlyle Tools NHRA Carolina Nationals, the first of six races that comprise the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs and the 19th of 24 events making up the United States’ 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Qualifying resumes today with eliminations set for tomorrow.
Silver Al-Anabi driver Shawn Langdon finished the day in the No. 3 position after he temporarily held the honor of occupying the No. 1 spot when he clocked a brilliant 3.810 at 323.50 mph in the first round of qualifying. Langdon’s run in the opening session was the only one that could better teammate Khalid al-Balooshi’s impressive 3.811 at 320.51 mph.
In the second round, Langdon picked up the pace and raced to a very quick 3.768 at a remarkable 327.27 mph to land third in the qualifying order. For his efforts, he was awarded a total of four bonus qualifying points for being one of the top three cars in both sessions.
“We have a very good racecar, and our first run of the day was good,” Langdon said. “We didn’t make any mistakes on the second run. It was a little bit slow, but it was still another very good run. In the grand scheme of things, we’re very happy because we earned bonus points in both rounds – and those points are crucial. We also got a lot of information for tomorrow. Everything is going really smoothly right now.”
Dubai driver al-Balooshi grabbed the attention of everyone at zMAX Dragway when he clocked a 3.811 in the first session, and his incredible 3.779 at a very good speed of 325.53 mph in the evening session was another great reminder of the power of the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team. Gold Al-Anabi driver al-Balooshi also accumulated two bonus points for his second-quickest run in the opening round.
“It was a nice job for the whole team today,” al-Balooshi said.
“Everybody has been doing good, and that’s very important especially now, when the Countdown starts. I think both teams have a good car to compete with everybody for the championship. I’m very happy. Both cars are close. I’m very excited about this team.”
Al-Anabi Racing operates out of multiple locations in both the United States and Qatar.
In the United States, the Brownsburg, Ind.-based operation is a two-car NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series team that is managed by Alan Johnson Racing. Sheikh Khalid’s initiative has created increased international awareness of the State of Qatar while highlighting the nation’s international sports outreach.
Alan Johnson is a 14-time NHRA champion in various capacities including crew chief, team owner and team manager.
For additional information on the Al-Anabi Racing Team, team manager Alan Johnson or drivers Khalid alBalooshi or Shawn Langdon, one can visit www.alanabiracing.com.
The Peninsula
