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Doug Kalitta, driver of "Big Red", the 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools flagship Top Fuel dragster, is hoping that he and his Mac Tools team will regain their winning stagger this weekend, Sept. 14-17, at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at historic Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn.
For only the fourth time this season in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and for the first time since the NHRA event in Columbus, Ohio, in May, Kalitta was ousted in the first round of final eliminations at the previous event two weeks ago in Indianapolis. Kalitta, who has 34 elimination-round wins in the 18 events contested so far this year, is now looking to rebound from the Indy-opening anomaly in Reading and continue his pursuit of the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel championship.
"That's drag racing for you," Kalitta said. "Sometimes you're on top of the world and the next moment you think you're as low as you can go. This sport is very humbling. We'll move on. Now, the most important thing on our minds is winning as many rounds as possible in the remaining races. Rahn (Tobler, crew chief) and the guys have given me a great race car to drive all year, and I'm sure that will continue in the races we have left beginning this weekend in Reading."
Kalitta holds a 54-point lead in POWERade Top Fuel championship points with five races remaining on the 2006 schedule.
Kalitta won the 2002 Reading event. He was the No. 1 qualifier at Maple Grove Raceway in the 2004 event.
Kalitta won back-to-back events in Bristol, Tenn., and Atlanta and then consecutively won again at events in Topeka, Kans., and Chicago earlier this season. His last win came in Memphis in August. He leads Top Fuel, the NHRA's quickest and fastest racing class, with five wins in 2006. His five wins this season ties a career-high mark for victories in a season that he set last year.
Kalitta, a 42-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is a two-time Top Fuel championship points runner-up (2003-2004) and the 1998 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for rookie excellence. He is now in his ninth season in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing and has 29 career Top Fuel victories in 52 final-round appearances. Before joining the quarter-mile set, Kalitta raced in open-wheel competition and won the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Championship. He is also the owner and president of Kalitta Charters, a charter airline service based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Mich., alongside Kalitta Air, an airline freight service owned by his uncle, race team owner, and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta.
The Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Sept. 15, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and 6:00 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:00 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals is the 19th of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) POWERade Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by now legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. His son Scott Kalitta drives the Kalitta Air Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Kalitta Motorsports-managed and Ken Black-owned Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Rahn Tobler (Mac Tools dragster), Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster), Jon Oberhofer (StriVectin-SD dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the Kalitta Air Funny Car.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Zantrex-3 and Fischer Honda.
NHRA Top Fuel Points Leader Doug Kalitta Ready to Resume Championship Run in Reading
Doug Kalitta, driver of "Big Red", the 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools flagship Top Fuel dragster, is hoping that he and his Mac Tools team will regain their winning stagger this weekend, Sept. 14-17, at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at historic Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn.
For only the fourth time this season in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and for the first time since the NHRA event in Columbus, Ohio, in May, Kalitta was ousted in the first round of final eliminations at the previous event two weeks ago in Indianapolis. Kalitta, who has 34 elimination-round wins in the 18 events contested so far this year, is now looking to rebound from the Indy-opening anomaly in Reading and continue his pursuit of the 2006 NHRA Top Fuel championship.
"That's drag racing for you," Kalitta said. "Sometimes you're on top of the world and the next moment you think you're as low as you can go. This sport is very humbling. We'll move on. Now, the most important thing on our minds is winning as many rounds as possible in the remaining races. Rahn (Tobler, crew chief) and the guys have given me a great race car to drive all year, and I'm sure that will continue in the races we have left beginning this weekend in Reading."
Kalitta holds a 54-point lead in POWERade Top Fuel championship points with five races remaining on the 2006 schedule.
Kalitta won the 2002 Reading event. He was the No. 1 qualifier at Maple Grove Raceway in the 2004 event.
Kalitta won back-to-back events in Bristol, Tenn., and Atlanta and then consecutively won again at events in Topeka, Kans., and Chicago earlier this season. His last win came in Memphis in August. He leads Top Fuel, the NHRA's quickest and fastest racing class, with five wins in 2006. His five wins this season ties a career-high mark for victories in a season that he set last year.
Kalitta, a 42-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is a two-time Top Fuel championship points runner-up (2003-2004) and the 1998 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for rookie excellence. He is now in his ninth season in NHRA Top Fuel drag racing and has 29 career Top Fuel victories in 52 final-round appearances. Before joining the quarter-mile set, Kalitta raced in open-wheel competition and won the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Championship. He is also the owner and president of Kalitta Charters, a charter airline service based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, Mich., alongside Kalitta Air, an airline freight service owned by his uncle, race team owner, and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta.
The Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Sept. 15, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and 6:00 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:00 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals is the 19th of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) POWERade Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by now legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. His son Scott Kalitta drives the Kalitta Air Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Kalitta Motorsports-managed and Ken Black-owned Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Rahn Tobler (Mac Tools dragster), Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster), Jon Oberhofer (StriVectin-SD dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the Kalitta Air Funny Car.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Zantrex-3 and Fischer Honda.
