{"id":61870,"date":"2026-10-18T20:00:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T01:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=61870"},"modified":"2026-10-18T22:12:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T03:12:20","slug":"todd-delivers-a-timely-countdown-upset-loss-to-hagan-at-texas-motorplex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/18\/todd-delivers-a-timely-countdown-upset-loss-to-hagan-at-texas-motorplex\/","title":{"rendered":"Todd delivers a timely Countdown upset loss to Hagan at Texas Motorplex"},"content":{"rendered":"
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J.R. Todd, Texas NHRA FallNationals Funny Car winner. (NHRA photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By John Sturbin | Raceday San Antonio<\/strong><\/p>\n

ENNIS \u2013 Kalitta Motorsports\u2019 signature mosh-pit victory celebration was well underway late Sunday afternoon when J.R. Todd bounded out of his Funny Car at the top end of the Texas Motorplex.<\/p>\n

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J.R. Todd, Texas NHRA FallNationals Funny Car winner. (NHRA photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Todd had just trailered championship point-leader Matt Hagan in the final of the 41st<\/sup> annual Texas NHRA FallNationals for his second victory of the season. With two races remaining in the six-event Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Todd\u2019s victory not only temporarily paused Hagan\u2019s bid for a fifth \u201cFlopper\u201d crown, it also rekindled his own title hopes and allowed for a bit of braggadocio<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a new sheriff in town, Ennis,\u201d Todd declared after winning his first Funny Car national event on the Motorplex\u2019s famed all-concrete surface. For the record, Todd previously scored a win in Top Fuel here in 2008, allowing him to join Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein and Mike Dunn as the only four drivers to have raised a Wally trophy in NHRA\u2019s premier nitromethane-powered categories at The Plex.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime that you can add your name to the list with Snake, that’s one of the coolest things in my book,\u201d Todd said. \u201cAnd I’m sure that he’ll call tonight or tomorrow, remind me how much better that he is and was and all that. But either way, it means a lot to me to be on that list with my heroes. Those are three of the baddest dudes to ever drive a Top Fuel and Funny Car.\u201d<\/p>\n