Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools Team Ready to Keep "Big Red' Rolling in Reading
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/d_kalitta.jpg" alt="d_kalitta" align="right"borders="0"/>
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Doug Kalitta, driver of the "Big Red", nitro-fueled, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, built up some late "regular" season momentum at the previous event in Brainerd, Minn., with a trip to the semi-final round. This weekend, Aug. 14-17, Kalitta and his team hope to expound on their performance with a trip to the winner's circle at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
Kalitta's trip to the semifinals in Brainerd was his first trip to the semis since the St. Louis event in early May. It was the Mac Tools team's fourth semi-final finish of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series season.
"Brainerd was a big lift for the Mac Tools team," Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. "We really needed to go some rounds and get some of the "bugs" worked out of our race car; we were able to do both in Brainerd.
"We've been fighting some mechanical problems with our car almost all year long, but we've made nine consecutive laps now without those same problems, so hopefully we have that behind us now, and we can concentrate on keeping our car consistent and winning rounds in Reading, and possibly get another trophy at Maple Grove."
Kalitta is currently in 9th place in POWERade championship points. Only the top ten pro drivers in points in their respective classes will be eligible for the 2008 Countdown to the Championship - Countdown to 1 "playoffs" that begin at the 19th event in Concord, N.C. Kalitta is 16 points ahead of the driver in 10th position, his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Dave Grubnic, and 29 points ahead of the driver in 11th position.
Kalitta claimed the Top Fuel title trophy in Reading in 2002 by defeating Kenny Bernstein in the final round.
Beginning with the 13th event in Denver, the NHRA instituted a new racing distance for the nitro-fueled classes of Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster to 1,000 ft., as opposed to the traditional distance of 1,320 ft., or a quarter of a mile, as a temporary safety solution to help the drivers of the world's quickest and fastest racing safely bring their cars to a stop more efficiently. The unprecedented action is in response to the tragic death of Kalitta Motorsports' Scott Kalitta, Doug's cousin, who died in a high-speed Funny Car qualifying accident in Englishtown, N.J., June 21.
Doug, unofficially, recorded the quickest 1,000-ft. elapsed time in NHRA history, 3.758 sec., in Joliet, Ill., in 2004.
Since winning the NHRA's equivalent of Rookie of the Year, the Automobile Club of Southern California's Road to the Future Award after the 1998 drag racing season, Doug has driven his dragster to 30 Top Fuel national event titles, which places him in sixth in career wins for the sport's quickest and fastest class. In the past five NHRA seasons, he has solidified his place among the best Top Fuel pilots of all-time. In 2006, he won a career-high five national events in 2006 and led the POWERade points for almost the entire second half of the season. After finishing just 14 points shy of his first NHRA championship, Doug garnered his third career runner-up points finish in 2006. He was also points runner-up in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, he won one event - the event held in Richmond, Va.
Qualifying begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at noon and 3:00 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
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. Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the DHL Top Fuel dragster, Jeff Arend drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, and Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (KB Racing, LLC dragster) and Glenn Mikres (DHL Funny Car). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola. Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante are co-crew chiefs on the Mac Tools dragster.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/d_kalitta.jpg" alt="d_kalitta" align="right"borders="0"/>
MOHNTON, Pa. -- Doug Kalitta, driver of the "Big Red", nitro-fueled, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, built up some late "regular" season momentum at the previous event in Brainerd, Minn., with a trip to the semi-final round. This weekend, Aug. 14-17, Kalitta and his team hope to expound on their performance with a trip to the winner's circle at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
Kalitta's trip to the semifinals in Brainerd was his first trip to the semis since the St. Louis event in early May. It was the Mac Tools team's fourth semi-final finish of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series season.
"Brainerd was a big lift for the Mac Tools team," Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. "We really needed to go some rounds and get some of the "bugs" worked out of our race car; we were able to do both in Brainerd.
"We've been fighting some mechanical problems with our car almost all year long, but we've made nine consecutive laps now without those same problems, so hopefully we have that behind us now, and we can concentrate on keeping our car consistent and winning rounds in Reading, and possibly get another trophy at Maple Grove."
Kalitta is currently in 9th place in POWERade championship points. Only the top ten pro drivers in points in their respective classes will be eligible for the 2008 Countdown to the Championship - Countdown to 1 "playoffs" that begin at the 19th event in Concord, N.C. Kalitta is 16 points ahead of the driver in 10th position, his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Dave Grubnic, and 29 points ahead of the driver in 11th position.
Kalitta claimed the Top Fuel title trophy in Reading in 2002 by defeating Kenny Bernstein in the final round.
Beginning with the 13th event in Denver, the NHRA instituted a new racing distance for the nitro-fueled classes of Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster to 1,000 ft., as opposed to the traditional distance of 1,320 ft., or a quarter of a mile, as a temporary safety solution to help the drivers of the world's quickest and fastest racing safely bring their cars to a stop more efficiently. The unprecedented action is in response to the tragic death of Kalitta Motorsports' Scott Kalitta, Doug's cousin, who died in a high-speed Funny Car qualifying accident in Englishtown, N.J., June 21.
Doug, unofficially, recorded the quickest 1,000-ft. elapsed time in NHRA history, 3.758 sec., in Joliet, Ill., in 2004.
Since winning the NHRA's equivalent of Rookie of the Year, the Automobile Club of Southern California's Road to the Future Award after the 1998 drag racing season, Doug has driven his dragster to 30 Top Fuel national event titles, which places him in sixth in career wins for the sport's quickest and fastest class. In the past five NHRA seasons, he has solidified his place among the best Top Fuel pilots of all-time. In 2006, he won a career-high five national events in 2006 and led the POWERade points for almost the entire second half of the season. After finishing just 14 points shy of his first NHRA championship, Doug garnered his third career runner-up points finish in 2006. He was also points runner-up in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, he won one event - the event held in Richmond, Va.
Qualifying begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at noon and 3:00 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
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. Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the DHL Top Fuel dragster, Jeff Arend drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, and Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (KB Racing, LLC dragster) and Glenn Mikres (DHL Funny Car). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola. Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante are co-crew chiefs on the Mac Tools dragster.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.
