Shawn Langdon
On top of that, just the sheer number of reps
bracket racing has continued to pay immense
dividends. A perfect weekend in his Global Elec-
tronic Technology Toyota Camry means eight
runs down the track. In bracket racing that can
be surpassed by the first day of a race, and Lang-
don believes that directly translates to success
professionally – as well as the tremendous joy
In that environment, Langdon is able to solely
concentrate on racing. The escape is cathartic
and it’s beneficial, too, especially as Langdon
adapted to his first season of racing in Funny
Car a year ago.
It was a year filled with plenty of the expected
ups and downs when learning a new class on the
fly. There were personnel changes and inconsis-
it’s about being able to understand how the sport
works,” Langdon believes. “It goes in swings and
sometimes the racing gods will give you every-
thing and sometimes they’ll take it away.
“I think through many years of bracket rac-
ing, and understanding how to lose and not get
mad and frustrated, it’s taught me a lot. Every
loss is a learning curve no matter how you lose.
Through the years, I’ve put myself in a position
where I try to understand everything. It’s not
a benefit to anybody if you get mad and start
throwing your stuff around. You need to learn
how you lost, why you lost, and if you learn from
your mistakes, in the long run that makes you a
much better racer.”
Langdon doesn’t want to envision a schedule
without his calendar filled with racetracks and
seat time. He’s hopeful there are decades remain-
ing in his professional career, grateful for the
incredible experience he’s enjoyed while driving
for Kalitta Motorsports.
“I’ve put myself in a position where I try to
understand everything. It’s not a benefit if you
get mad and start throwing your stuff around.”
that comes along with it.
“A lot of times in bracket racing you’ll make
20-30 laps in a car and I just enjoy the racing
part of it,” Langdon says. “I’m a racer, so to me
just making runs is what I enjoy to do. I definitely
enjoy sportsman racing. I really believe it’s the
foundation of the sport and something I grew
up doing, so it’s nice to race on my off weekends
and sometimes at the national events, just to
kind of get away a little bit. It’s just a different
type of racing.”
tent performances mixed with plenty of positive
moments. That perseverance from Langdon and
the Global Electronic Technology team finally
led a breakthrough in Charlotte this year, but all
along, Langdon knew he had a group capable of
winning and he knew he could trust his ability.
Still, when he needed his passion re-kindled or
just assurance he was plenty capable to handle,
Langdon could go back to his bracket car.
“One of the thing you learn in time is things
aren’t going to go your way every weekend, and
His current scenario is a situation he’s always
dreamed about, and his goal is to continue to
perform at a high level against the Funny Car elite
for years to come. It’s a job where he hopes there
is no end in sight, but when that day does come
and his professional career is finished, Langdon
knows where he will be.
“I always believe that bracket racing is always
going to be there for me,” Langdon says. “When
I hopefully get a lot older, I’ll still be able to go
bracket racing and enjoy that.”
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
98 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 145