Drag Illustrated Issue 145, June 2019 | Page 98

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