Doug Kalitta, Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster
Finals Broadcast Replay (eastern time): 5-8 p.m. Monday, May 4 on FS2
Qualifying: Doug Kalitta was the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Southern Nationals; it was his first of the season and the 67th of his career. During the final round of qualifying Saturday afternoon, Kalitta blasted down the track with a 3.657-second effort at 342.37 mph to claim the No. 1 spot. Kalitta’s run was NHRA’s quickest elapsed time of the season and the fifth-fastest run in NHRA history.
Eliminations: Kalitta had a first round bye and defeated Leah Pruett and Justin Ashley to reach an all-Team Kalitta final round; it was Kalitta’s 6th head-to-head final round against Shawn Langdon, and Langdon led the series 3-2. In the final, the drivers left the starting line almost together, but Kalitta dropped a cylinder almost immediately, and Langdon won with a 3.808-second pass at 333.16 mph. Langdon now leads the final-round head-to-head with Kalitta 4-2.
When Kalitta advanced to the semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the next race. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the second round at the last race will re-run semifinals and final earning additional purse and championship bonus points.
With J.R. Todd making the Funny Car final, the NHRA Southern Nationals was the first race since 2014 that three Kalitta Motorsports cars raced in the final round. In 2014, Kalitta and Todd raced in the Top Fuel final while Alexis Dejoria raced for team Kalitta in the Funny Car final.
Unofficial Point Standings: Kalitta leaves South Georgia in second place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails his teammate, Shawn Langdon, by four points and leads third-place Leah Pruett by 125 points.
Kalitta on South Georgia:“ Obviously, we would’ve loved to get the win for this Mac Tools team today, but all in all, it was a strong weekend for us. Racing at Southern Georgia Motorsports Park was really special — it’s an incredible facility, and the fans here were outstanding all weekend. Hats off to Shawn and his team; they ran a great race in the final. We’ll take this momentum, keep building, and get ready for Chicago.”
Doug Kalitta Photo Courtesy: NHRA
Next Race: Team Kalitta will be back in action May 15-17, 2026 at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill. For additional information, please visit www.nhra.com. For additional information on Kalitta Motorsports, please visit www.teamkalitta.com.
The post Doug Kalitta Races in Third Final Round of Season first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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Finals Broadcast Replay (eastern time): 5-8 p.m. Monday, May 4 on FS2
Qualifying: Doug Kalitta was the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Southern Nationals; it was his first of the season and the 67th of his career. During the final round of qualifying Saturday afternoon, Kalitta blasted down the track with a 3.657-second effort at 342.37 mph to claim the No. 1 spot. Kalitta’s run was NHRA’s quickest elapsed time of the season and the fifth-fastest run in NHRA history.
Eliminations: Kalitta had a first round bye and defeated Leah Pruett and Justin Ashley to reach an all-Team Kalitta final round; it was Kalitta’s 6th head-to-head final round against Shawn Langdon, and Langdon led the series 3-2. In the final, the drivers left the starting line almost together, but Kalitta dropped a cylinder almost immediately, and Langdon won with a 3.808-second pass at 333.16 mph. Langdon now leads the final-round head-to-head with Kalitta 4-2.
When Kalitta advanced to the semifinals, he earned a spot in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the next race. During Saturday’s qualifying sessions, the drivers who reached the second round at the last race will re-run semifinals and final earning additional purse and championship bonus points.
With J.R. Todd making the Funny Car final, the NHRA Southern Nationals was the first race since 2014 that three Kalitta Motorsports cars raced in the final round. In 2014, Kalitta and Todd raced in the Top Fuel final while Alexis Dejoria raced for team Kalitta in the Funny Car final.
Unofficial Point Standings: Kalitta leaves South Georgia in second place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails his teammate, Shawn Langdon, by four points and leads third-place Leah Pruett by 125 points.
Kalitta on South Georgia:“ Obviously, we would’ve loved to get the win for this Mac Tools team today, but all in all, it was a strong weekend for us. Racing at Southern Georgia Motorsports Park was really special — it’s an incredible facility, and the fans here were outstanding all weekend. Hats off to Shawn and his team; they ran a great race in the final. We’ll take this momentum, keep building, and get ready for Chicago.”
Doug Kalitta Photo Courtesy: NHRA
Next Race: Team Kalitta will be back in action May 15-17, 2026 at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill. For additional information, please visit www.nhra.com. For additional information on Kalitta Motorsports, please visit www.teamkalitta.com.
The post Doug Kalitta Races in Third Final Round of Season first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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