Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel driver Khalid alBalooshi makes a run during last month’s Sonoma NHRA Nationals in California. PICTURE: Gary Nastase


Agencies/Brainerd, Minnesota

Some goals have been realized; others, not yet, but the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the two-time World Championship team owned by HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani, is closing in on one of its biggest goals of the season- qualifying both cars for the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs.  
This weekend’s 32nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, the 17th of 24 races making up the United States’ NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Qualifying is set for today and tomorrow with eliminations scheduled for Sunday.
The Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Team began this season with several goals. Both teams win a race, check. Both teams in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout for race winners, check. Both teams advance into the Countdown to the Championship NHRA playoffs, one check, one incomplete.  Clinch the top seed in the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, to be determined soon.  Win the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Championship: to be determined in November.  
Second-year driver Khalid alBalooshi missed the Countdown in his rookie season, but he and his gold Al-Anabi team were nothing short of stellar in the six races that comprise the Countdown.  The gold team won a race and had a semi-final finish in the season’s last two races marching up the point standings to an 11th-place finish, the highest-possible finish for a team that did not make the playoffs.  It was a great achievement for alBalooshi, the rookie Top Fuel driver, and it provided the foundation for 2013.  
This year, alBalooshi is a strong sixth in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings with a win among two final rounds and two semi-final appearances, and he continues to qualifying consistently well.  
With two races remaining in the regular season, alBalooshi is in fantastic form and is poised to clinch his playoff berth – possibly this weekend.  The top-10 drivers in the point standings qualify for the playoffs, and alBalooshi enters this weekend’s race in Minnesota leading 11th place by 257 points.  
As long as alBalooshi leaves Minnesota with a lead of at least 154 points over 11th place, he will clinch his spot in the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, and another Al-Anabi goal would be checked off the list.
“Our team is excited to race this weekend in Brainerd,” alBalooshi said.  “In Seattle, our car was very good and very fast.  I think we could have won the race; Jason also thinks we could have won the race.  A spark plug broke, and the engine lost a cylinder.  These things happen, but we know we are a very good team.”  
“Our car is one of the fastest in the show.  We are excited to get our car back on the track this weekend and do our best the win the race.  We won a race already this year, we are in the Traxxas Shootout, and now we need to get in the Countdown.  That is our next goal, and I hope we can do this weekend.”
Silver Al-Anabi driver Shawn Langdon and his team have a different goal.  They enter this weekend’s race leading the point standings by 147 points on the strength of four wins, three runner-up finishes, four semi-final appearances and strong qualifying.  Should Langdon leave Minnesota leading the point standings by at least 154 points, he would clinch the top seed in the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs, and yet another season goal would be achieved.   
“The Al-Anabi team has made huge strides in these last few races; the car has been running really well,” Langdon said.  “We are qualifying better, and the car has been running really well on race day.  It was nice to go on the Western Swing and get that win in Sonoma to extend our points lead, and if all goes well this weekend in Brainerd, we hope to leave there with the top seed in the Countdown. If we can keep pace with Schumacher and Massey this weekend, we should be in pretty good shape.”