YPSILANTI, Mich. (Nov. 12, 2024) – Doug Kalitta enters the season’s final race with a shot at successfully defending his 2023 NHRA Top Fuel championship. He’ll need a nearly perfect weekend to make it happen, but come-from-behind championship wins have happened before. The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs conclude Nov. 15-17, 2024 at the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., the last of six playoff races.
One year ago, Kalitta entered this race 15 points behind points leader Steve Torrence. He would win the 2023 title in a “winner-take-all” final round against Leah Pruett. Kalitta enters this year’s final race tied with Torrence for fourth place in the NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings. He and Torrence trail third-place Shawn Langdon by 40 points, second-place Antron Brown by 41 points, points leader Justin Ashley by 85 and lead sixth-place Clay Millican by eight points.
Trailing Ashley by 85 points, repeating as NHRA Top Fuel champion is definitely a tall task – Kalitta must have a phenomenal weekend and get some significant help from not only Ashley but also the other drivers ahead of him in the standings. While multiple scenarios in which Kalitta could repeat as champion exist, the bottom line is the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer needs to win the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals and hope the rest of the chips fall in his favor. With points-and-a-half being awarded this weekend, a round win is worth 30 points instead of 20 adding extra intrigue to the different scenarios.
“I know that I never say never, and that’ll be our attitude this weekend,” Kalitta said. “It’s kind of interesting with points and a half going into the last race. I think we’re going to have to get a little bit lucky to pull this thing off, but it’s definitely still mathematically possible. We’ll go there to collect as many points as we can and let it let it be what it’ll be. Pomona has been a great track for me over the years, so we’ll see what happens.”
Indeed. Kalitta enjoys prolific Pomona stats. He has seven wins in 14 final-round appearances along with six No. 1 qualifiers. In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip is also Crew Chief Alan Johnson’s home track, and the legendary tuner has won countless races and clinched multiple championships with race wins at the historic track. Kalitta experienced the thrill of winning the Top Fuel title last year but also knows the agony of the near miss with six runner-up finishes before winning his first-career championship last year.
“We really have the car to do it so that’s the interesting part of this whole scenario,” Kalitta added. “It would be awesome to get the win this weekend and see how this all shakes out. We have an opportunity to win it, and that’s what it’s all about. Obviously, the team effort and the camaraderie that goes along with it, working with my team and then being able to do it together make it really special. I definitely have the best guys in the business, and nothing they do will be surprising. This Mac Tools Toyota team is hungry to get it done.”
Race Information: In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals In ‘n Out Burger Drag Strip, Pomona, Calif.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
2023 In ‘n Out NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No 5.; defeated Dan Mercier, Josh Hart, Justin Ashley and Leah Pruett to win the race and clinch the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel championship following a winner-take-all final round.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 605 events, 55 wins, 62 runner-up, 794 round wins, 58 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
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One year ago, Kalitta entered this race 15 points behind points leader Steve Torrence. He would win the 2023 title in a “winner-take-all” final round against Leah Pruett. Kalitta enters this year’s final race tied with Torrence for fourth place in the NHRA Mission Foods Top Fuel point standings. He and Torrence trail third-place Shawn Langdon by 40 points, second-place Antron Brown by 41 points, points leader Justin Ashley by 85 and lead sixth-place Clay Millican by eight points.
Trailing Ashley by 85 points, repeating as NHRA Top Fuel champion is definitely a tall task – Kalitta must have a phenomenal weekend and get some significant help from not only Ashley but also the other drivers ahead of him in the standings. While multiple scenarios in which Kalitta could repeat as champion exist, the bottom line is the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Famer needs to win the In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals and hope the rest of the chips fall in his favor. With points-and-a-half being awarded this weekend, a round win is worth 30 points instead of 20 adding extra intrigue to the different scenarios.
“I know that I never say never, and that’ll be our attitude this weekend,” Kalitta said. “It’s kind of interesting with points and a half going into the last race. I think we’re going to have to get a little bit lucky to pull this thing off, but it’s definitely still mathematically possible. We’ll go there to collect as many points as we can and let it let it be what it’ll be. Pomona has been a great track for me over the years, so we’ll see what happens.”
Indeed. Kalitta enjoys prolific Pomona stats. He has seven wins in 14 final-round appearances along with six No. 1 qualifiers. In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip is also Crew Chief Alan Johnson’s home track, and the legendary tuner has won countless races and clinched multiple championships with race wins at the historic track. Kalitta experienced the thrill of winning the Top Fuel title last year but also knows the agony of the near miss with six runner-up finishes before winning his first-career championship last year.
“We really have the car to do it so that’s the interesting part of this whole scenario,” Kalitta added. “It would be awesome to get the win this weekend and see how this all shakes out. We have an opportunity to win it, and that’s what it’s all about. Obviously, the team effort and the camaraderie that goes along with it, working with my team and then being able to do it together make it really special. I definitely have the best guys in the business, and nothing they do will be surprising. This Mac Tools Toyota team is hungry to get it done.”
Race Information: In ‘n Out Burger NHRA Finals In ‘n Out Burger Drag Strip, Pomona, Calif.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 10 a.m.-Noon Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Finals: 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
- Post Show: 7-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17 on FS1
2023 In ‘n Out NHRA Finals Recap: Qualified No 5.; defeated Dan Mercier, Josh Hart, Justin Ashley and Leah Pruett to win the race and clinch the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel championship following a winner-take-all final round.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 605 events, 55 wins, 62 runner-up, 794 round wins, 58 No. 1 qualifiers.
2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Results to Date (wins in italics):
- Gainesville: 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.
- St. Louis: Qualified No. 12; lost to Shawn Langdon.
- Dallas: Qualified No. 10; lost to Clay Millican.
- Las Vegas: Qualified No. 3; defeated Ida Zetterstrom, Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon; lost to B. Force.
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