YPSILANTI, Mich. (Sept. 24, 2024) – It’s playoff time in drag racing – Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools Toyota team find themselves right where they want to be: in the thick of the battle for the 2025 NHRA Top Fuel championship. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs resumes Sept. 27-29, 2024 at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill., the third of six playoff races.
The top of the standings is tight in Top Fuel, and the reigning champ is right there. Kalitta is locked in a tight battle with points leader Antron Brown, second-place Justin Ashley and his teammate, third-place Shawn Langdon, just five points ahead of him. The top-four positions are separated by just 67 points, and second through fourth are separated by 14 points.
“That’s what makes this fun,” Kalitta said. “This championship battle is the opportunity we all pray for at the beginning of the year – to be in it at the end. We’re in the hunt and all my guys are hungry to win. Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) have this Mac Tools Toyota group focused on the task at hand – they’re digging hard. It was nice to go some rounds in Charlotte last weekend – we want to keep that going and see what we can do in these last four races.”
World Wide Technology Raceway has been good to Kalitta over the years. He has four wins in six final rounds at the suburban St. Louis race track, and notching win No. 5 this weekend would be perfect timing for a playoff push.
“I’m looking forward to St. Louis,” Kalitta said. “We’ve had some luck there, and I know everybody will be hungry; we’ll have to work our tails off there. My guys are up to the challenge, and I’m real proud of the job they’re doing. We all know what these Countdown races mean, and we’re working hard. We’re trying to make it happen, and there’s plenty of rounds to go so we’re in a good spot.”
Race Information: NHRA Midwest Nationals World Wide Technology Raceway; Madison, Ill
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
2023 NHRA Midwest Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon; lost to Leah Pruett.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 600 events, 55 wins, 62 runner-up, 792 round wins, 58 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
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The top of the standings is tight in Top Fuel, and the reigning champ is right there. Kalitta is locked in a tight battle with points leader Antron Brown, second-place Justin Ashley and his teammate, third-place Shawn Langdon, just five points ahead of him. The top-four positions are separated by just 67 points, and second through fourth are separated by 14 points.
“That’s what makes this fun,” Kalitta said. “This championship battle is the opportunity we all pray for at the beginning of the year – to be in it at the end. We’re in the hunt and all my guys are hungry to win. Alan and Mac (Crew Chief Alan Johnson and Assistant Crew Chief Mac Savage) have this Mac Tools Toyota group focused on the task at hand – they’re digging hard. It was nice to go some rounds in Charlotte last weekend – we want to keep that going and see what we can do in these last four races.”
World Wide Technology Raceway has been good to Kalitta over the years. He has four wins in six final rounds at the suburban St. Louis race track, and notching win No. 5 this weekend would be perfect timing for a playoff push.
“I’m looking forward to St. Louis,” Kalitta said. “We’ve had some luck there, and I know everybody will be hungry; we’ll have to work our tails off there. My guys are up to the challenge, and I’m real proud of the job they’re doing. We all know what these Countdown races mean, and we’re working hard. We’re trying to make it happen, and there’s plenty of rounds to go so we’re in a good spot.”
Race Information: NHRA Midwest Nationals World Wide Technology Raceway; Madison, Ill
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show 1: 7:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 on FS1
- Qualifying Show 2: 2-3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 on FS1
- Finals: 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 on FS1
2023 NHRA Midwest Nationals Recap: Qualified No. 1; defeated Lex Joon; lost to Leah Pruett.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 600 events, 55 wins, 62 runner-up, 792 round wins, 58 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
- Gatornationals: Qualified No. 7; defeated Clay Millican; lost to Steve Torrence.
- Pomona: Qualified No. 6; defeated Jasmine Salinas; lost to Billy Torrence.
- Phoenix: Qualified No. 3; defeated Terry Totten; lost to Justin Ashley.
- Las Vegas 4W: Qualified No. 1; defeated Shawn Langdon in the first round, Brittany Force and Josh Hart in the semifinals followed by Justin Ashley, Steve Torrence and Tony Stewart in the final round.
- Charlotte 4W: Qualified No. 1; defeated Shawn Reed and Cody Krohn in the first round, Billy Torrence and Jasmine Salinas in the semifinals before beating Antron Brown but losing to Justin Ashley and Clay Millican in the final round.
- Chicago: Qualified No. 3; lost to Justin Ashley.
- Epping: Qualified No. 1; defeated Scott Farley, Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher.
- Bristol: Qualified No. 14; defeated Antron Brown, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force; lost to Tony Schumacher.
- Richmond: Qualified No. 2: after first-round bye, defeated Josh Hart, Tony Stewart and Shawn Langdon.
- Norwalk: Qualified No. 1; defeated Kyle Wurtzel, Billy Torrence and Steve Torrence; lost to Antron Brown.
- Seattle: Qualified No. 4; defeated Billy Torrence and Jasmine Salinas; lost to Steve Torrence.
- Sonoma: Qualified No. 1; lost to Ron August, Jr.
- Brainerd: Qualified No. 4; defeated Antron Brown; lost to Shawn Langdon.
- Indianapolis: Did not qualify.
- Reading: Qualified No. 3; lost to Dan Mercier
- Charlotte: Qualified No. 3; defeated Tony Stewart and Shawn Langdon; lost to Antron Brown.
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