Doug Kalitta, Aflac Top Fuel Dragster
2025 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Recap:. Qualified No. 2; defeated Ron August, Josh Hart, Bye and Antron Brown.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 636 events, 60 wins, 70 runners-up, 861 round wins, 68 No. 1 qualifiers.
Current Points Position: 2
Pre-Race Notes:
Pre-Race Quotes:
“I think performance wise, the start of the second half of the season is about the time we kind of stepped up our program last year, and I think that’s kind of where we are again this year. Things have been kind of clicking along here lately. Going to Sonoma, probably one of my best tracks, I’m always geeked about going to Sonoma, and it’s Alan’s (Crew Chief Alan Johnson) hometown track, too so it’s just a good place for us. We won the thing last year so hopefully, we can do it again this year.
“To catch Shawn and those guys, we just need to step up our consistency. Those guys have been a little more consistent than us so we need to step it up a little bit in all areas, and we should be good. We did it last year; going rounds is what we have to do. My guys are doing a great job like they did last year, and I’m comfortable with it.
“We all watch what everybody’s doing with their reaction times, and somehow, you just have to man up and improve. For me, I have to work at it a little bit every day; you try not to go crazy with it because you don’t want to get too focused on it. For me, I have to work at it a little harder these days. Fortunately, this year, it’s been working out for me so it’s one of those things that definitely drives you. Trying to keep up with Shawn (Langdon) over the years, for instance, it’s just a constant process. Drag Racing has always been a humbling sport for everything we do.
“I’ve been real fortunate to have some good success in Sonoma over the years including last year. The conditions there are almost always really good. When the sun goes down, it really cools off so it’s one of those places where, with our tune-up and everything we’re doing, I think it’ll be a good track for us.”
Kalitta Photo Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
For Doug Kalitta’s 2026 race-by-race results, please click here.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
The post Doug Kalitta Seeks Two Straight at Sonoma first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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2025 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Recap:. Qualified No. 2; defeated Ron August, Josh Hart, Bye and Antron Brown.
Doug Kalitta Career Stats: 636 events, 60 wins, 70 runners-up, 861 round wins, 68 No. 1 qualifiers.
Current Points Position: 2
Pre-Race Notes:
- Doug Kalitta enters the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals in second place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings entering the first race of the second half of the season and the final four races of the regular season; he trails his teammate, Shawn Langdon, by 150 points and leads third-place Leah Pruett by 129 points. Team Kalitta has been one-two in points since the second race of the season.
- Kalitta is the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals defending champion. His win there last year was his sixth in seven final rounds so when he reaches the Sonoma finals, history suggests he’ll win the race. He also has four No. 1 qualifiers at the wine country track.
- The two-time and defending NHRA Top Fuel champion has a win, four runners-up, three semifinals and two No. 1 qualifiers this season. With Kalitta’s Charlotte win, and Langdon’s four wins, the Team Kalitta dragsters won five of the season’s first 10 races and competed in 37 of the 39 rounds of racing.
- Kalitta’s 60 race wins place him fourth all-time in Top Fuel wins and 12th overall. His 68 career No. 1 qualifiers place him tied with Kenny Bernstein for seventh all-time. He is seventh all-time in round wins.
- Kalitta is a two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion (2023, ’25) and a member of the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Pre-Race Quotes:
“I think performance wise, the start of the second half of the season is about the time we kind of stepped up our program last year, and I think that’s kind of where we are again this year. Things have been kind of clicking along here lately. Going to Sonoma, probably one of my best tracks, I’m always geeked about going to Sonoma, and it’s Alan’s (Crew Chief Alan Johnson) hometown track, too so it’s just a good place for us. We won the thing last year so hopefully, we can do it again this year.
“To catch Shawn and those guys, we just need to step up our consistency. Those guys have been a little more consistent than us so we need to step it up a little bit in all areas, and we should be good. We did it last year; going rounds is what we have to do. My guys are doing a great job like they did last year, and I’m comfortable with it.
“We all watch what everybody’s doing with their reaction times, and somehow, you just have to man up and improve. For me, I have to work at it a little bit every day; you try not to go crazy with it because you don’t want to get too focused on it. For me, I have to work at it a little harder these days. Fortunately, this year, it’s been working out for me so it’s one of those things that definitely drives you. Trying to keep up with Shawn (Langdon) over the years, for instance, it’s just a constant process. Drag Racing has always been a humbling sport for everything we do.
“I’ve been real fortunate to have some good success in Sonoma over the years including last year. The conditions there are almost always really good. When the sun goes down, it really cools off so it’s one of those places where, with our tune-up and everything we’re doing, I think it’ll be a good track for us.”
Kalitta Photo Courtesy: Kalitta Motorsports
For Doug Kalitta’s 2026 race-by-race results, please click here.
TV Schedule (All times eastern):
- Qualifying Show: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, July 19 on FS1
- Finals: 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday, July 19 on FS1
The post Doug Kalitta Seeks Two Straight at Sonoma first appeared on Team Kalitta Motorsports.
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