J.R. Todd, driver of the DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports, completed a media tour in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento regions yesterday. The former Funny Car Champion spoke with television, radio and print outlets to promote the upcoming DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals race weekend July 26-28 where he will defend his 2023 Funny Car win.
After earning his 4th career win at Sonoma in 2023, J.R. Todd is looking to become the 3rd NHRA driver to notch five wins during the NHRA’s stop in wine country. Todd’s success in Sonoma has come across multiple classes of drag racing, earning two wins in the Top Fuel class in 2006 and 2016, in addition to Funny Car wins in 2017 and 2023. Todd holds the honor of being the first African-American driver to win in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes.
“I’ve had good success here in the past, the track itself is one of the nicer ones we go to,” said Todd during his Northern California media tour. “My first time competing there [in 2006] I got to share the winner’s circle with my late friend Eric Medlen, every time that I’ve won there, [I] reflect on that moment.”
If Todd were to win during race weekend, he would join an exclusive club that includes his team owner Doug Kalitta and Steve Anderson as the only drivers in NHRA history to win five times at Sonoma Raceway.
“It gives you a little pep in your step when you go into a race that you’ve won in the past,” exclaimed Todd. “Everybody is tough top to bottom.....we’ve got a lot of work to do and hopefully leaving here with a win will be a step towards winning a second championship.”
Weekend passes for three full days of NHRA Drag Racing action, music and entertainment at Sonoma Raceway start at just $155. Single-day tickets are also available for adults starting at just $65 with kids 12 and under for only $25. Visit SonomaRaceway.com for complete details, schedules and ticket information. Call (800) 870-7223 [RACE] for ticket information.
