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Doug Kalitta, driver of “Big Red”, the 8,000 horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, made a semi-final appearance Sunday at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at scenic Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colo., but more importantly for the Top Fuel racing veteran and his team is that he is now the POWERade championship points leader (978) by 22 points over second place holder Melanie Troxel.
Kalitta leads Top Fuel, the NHRA’s quickest and fastest racing class, with four wins in 2006 and has climbed from 9th to 1st place in POWERade championship points since April. He made a meteoric 232-point climb in points in the last eight events to take the lead. It marks only the third time that Kalitta has led the points in his career. He last led the points last season after the St. Louis event.
“It’s great to be back in the points lead again,” Kalitta said. “The competition out here in Top Fuel this year is tremendous so it’s a big accomplishment for our Mac Tools team. Now we just have to stay consistent down the road for the rest of the season and hope we’re right there in the end.”
Kalitta, the No. 1 qualifier, raced the No. 16 qualifier Scott Palmer (5.563 sec., 176.47 mph) in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Kalitta easily took the opening round win, 4.937 sec., 302.89 mph to 6.283 sec., 151.95 mph. In round two, Kalitta displayed his starting line prowess and used a holeshot (better starting line reaction time) to get by a quicker David Baca, 5.023 sec., 302.28 mph to 5.013 sec., 295.01 mph. Kalitta left the starting line .06 sec. quicker than Baca. In the semifinals, Kalitta’s racing day ended with a loss to the Alan Johnson-tuned Top Fueler, 4.912 sec., 300.53 mph to 4.783 sec., 322.27 mph.
Kalitta takes over points lead with semifinal run
Doug Kalitta, driver of “Big Red”, the 8,000 horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, made a semi-final appearance Sunday at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at scenic Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colo., but more importantly for the Top Fuel racing veteran and his team is that he is now the POWERade championship points leader (978) by 22 points over second place holder Melanie Troxel.
Kalitta leads Top Fuel, the NHRA’s quickest and fastest racing class, with four wins in 2006 and has climbed from 9th to 1st place in POWERade championship points since April. He made a meteoric 232-point climb in points in the last eight events to take the lead. It marks only the third time that Kalitta has led the points in his career. He last led the points last season after the St. Louis event.
“It’s great to be back in the points lead again,” Kalitta said. “The competition out here in Top Fuel this year is tremendous so it’s a big accomplishment for our Mac Tools team. Now we just have to stay consistent down the road for the rest of the season and hope we’re right there in the end.”
Kalitta, the No. 1 qualifier, raced the No. 16 qualifier Scott Palmer (5.563 sec., 176.47 mph) in the first round of eliminations Sunday. Kalitta easily took the opening round win, 4.937 sec., 302.89 mph to 6.283 sec., 151.95 mph. In round two, Kalitta displayed his starting line prowess and used a holeshot (better starting line reaction time) to get by a quicker David Baca, 5.023 sec., 302.28 mph to 5.013 sec., 295.01 mph. Kalitta left the starting line .06 sec. quicker than Baca. In the semifinals, Kalitta’s racing day ended with a loss to the Alan Johnson-tuned Top Fueler, 4.912 sec., 300.53 mph to 4.783 sec., 322.27 mph.
