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If I had a nickel for every time someone broke the NHRA top-speed record, I would not be a rich man. It just doesn’t happen that often. But it did happen earlier this week, when Shawn Langdon trounced the track with an almost inconceivable trap speed of 346.96 miles per hour. That’s insane, especially when you consider Top Fuel dragsters only have 1,000 feet of runway to make it happen.
Langdon toppled the old record of 345 mph (also set by him) in a race against Doug Kalitta at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. With his 3.663-second pass, Langdon advanced to the final round of the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals, where he eventually won with another 346-mph pass—although it was .81 mph slower than his earlier benchmark pass.
Many factors contribute to a record-breaking pass, some of which aren’t in the race team’s control. Obviously, the driver has to get a great launch and keep the car on the straight and narrow, but the conditions have to be right, too. That’s why so many of the previous NHRA top speed records were set at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington, as that track is just 308 feet above sea level. Michigan’s U.S. 131 Motorsports Park is a bit higher, measuring 755 feet above sea level, according to the NHRA.
Speaking strictly about the machinery, Top Fuel dragsters are engineering marvels. They produce something like 12,000 horsepower—the same as nearly seven Bugatti Tourbillons—from a supercharged, 500-cubic-inch Hemi V8. The rear tires are 36 inches tall and 17 inches wide, lasting just 1.5 miles or so until they have to be discarded. Meanwhile, the front tires are super skinny, as they’re meant to cut through the air with minimal resistance. All this and more helps them achieve the unthinkable, like Langdon’s pass.
346.96 MPH! Shawn Langdon resets the national speed record
You can’t help but wonder when we’ll see a Top Fuel dragster hit 350 mph. I imagine today’s cars could do it if they were allowed to run a full quarter-mile, but the NHRA tracks were shortened from 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet for safety’s sake. Brittany Force was the first to break into the 340s with her 341.59-mph pass in April of 2025.
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
