Langdon loving life now that drag racing season is set to begin

Shawn Langdon is ready to change his routine.

The driver of the Lucas Oil/Speedco Top Fuel dragster admits he's been living a pretty mundane 9 to 5 existence during most of the offseason. The lifelong drag racer prefers a hectic schedule that has him criss-crossing the United States in search of straight-line glory, so he's convinced that no one is more excited about this weekend's upcoming 51st annual Kragen O'Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals than Langdon himself.

"You sit at home in the offseason and get accustomed to just going to the shop every day, talking on the phone, and answering e-mails," Langdon said. "It's boring for me. I need to be racing. I can't wait to get started and get that race mentality back.

"Once you get back in the race season there's a lot of flying back and forth, meeting with fans, and talking with sponsors. It's a faster pace mentality. I love it."

Langdon hasn't been totally idle. He honed his lethal starting line skills last weekend while racing his Super Comp dragster at an event in Gulfport, Miss. Langdon will be running both Top Fuel and Super Comp at Pomona this weekend.

"I'll be pulling a little double duty and hopefully start off the year with a win in one of the classes," Langdon said. "I red-lit in the final last weekend in Gulfport, so it's just a matter of staying in the groove. I made 14 runs in two days in Gulfport and 12 runs in the Lucas Oil dragster during testing, so I feel like I'm ahead of the curve."

Growing up in nearby Riverside, Calif., Auto Club Raceway at Pomona holds a special place in Langdon's heart.

"All my friends and family are out there," Langdon said. "It's always a good way to start the year by racing at a place I grew up going to as a kid. I was always excited to go out there and watch as a kid. Now, I'm excited to get out there and race as an adult."

After finishing fifth in last year's standings, excitement and expectations are high around the Lucas Oil/Speedco pit. Langdon said the No. 1 goal remains the same – breaking through for that first career Top Fuel win.

"In the last three races last year, we were in two finals," Langdon said. "We had some momentum built up and ended on a good note. It's a new year, so there are new parts and pieces on the car and you almost have to start building momentum from square one again. You really have to go to the first couple of races with an open mind.

"Everyone is ready. All my guys are talking at the shop and are ready to go. We're looking up and hoping that first win comes sooner rather than later."

Qualifying for the 51st annual Kragen O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals gets under way at 1:30 p.m. PT on Thursday from Auto Club Raceway. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. on Sunday. ESPN2 will carry qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. PT, Saturday, and race day coverage at 4 p.m. PT, Sunday.