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PETERSBURG, Va., (Oct. 3, 2006) – This weekend, Oct. 6-8, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Va., just a few miles south of Richmond, for the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals. The world’s elite cast of drag racing stars has not visited the commonwealth on the east coast since 2000.
Doug Kalitta, driver of the bright red Mac Tools flagship Top Fuel dragster and nine-year quarter-mile veteran, has one streak that he would like to continue and another streak he would like to end this weekend in his revisit to Virginia . In the three events that he has competed in at Virginia Motorsports Park (1998, 1999 and 2000), Kalitta has qualified in the top-half of the eliminations field in each, but also in each year his quest for the winner’s circle has been squelched in the second round.
“Hopefully we can at least double our round-win total in Virginia this weekend,” Kalitta said. “With only three races left this year, every single point counts, so we certainly want to qualify well and hopefully go some rounds.
“We should see some great performances at VMP. The track is very close to sea level and the weather is supposed to be cool. I know our Mac Tools team will be trying to put up some big numbers for the fans.”
Kalitta and crew chief Rahn Tobler will be looking to improve on Kalitta’s VMP bests of 4.648 seconds (2000) and 308.11 mph (1998).
Kalitta holds a 52-point lead in POWERade Top Fuel championship points over second place with three events remaining on the 2006 NHRA national event schedule. Kalitta took over the points lead near the mid-season point in July in Denver and has held the top spot ever since.
Kalitta won back-to-back events in Bristol , Tenn. , and Atlanta and then consecutively won again at events in Topeka , Kans. , and Chicago earlier this season. His last win came in Memphis in August. He leads Top Fuel, the NHRA’s quickest and fastest racing class, with five wins in 2006. His five wins this season ties a career-high mark for victories in a season that he set last year.
Kalitta, a 42-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is a two-time Top Fuel championship points runner-up (2003-2004) and the 1998 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for rookie excellence. He has 29 career Top Fuel victories in 52 final-round appearances. Before joining the quarter-mile set, Kalitta raced in open-wheel competition and won the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Championship. He is also the owner and president of Kalitta Charters, a charter airline service based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti , Mich. , alongside Kalitta Air, an airline freight service owned by his uncle, race team owner, and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Oct. 6, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals is the 21st of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
NHRA Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta hoping for the same and more in Virginia
PETERSBURG, Va., (Oct. 3, 2006) – This weekend, Oct. 6-8, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg, Va., just a few miles south of Richmond, for the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals. The world’s elite cast of drag racing stars has not visited the commonwealth on the east coast since 2000.
Doug Kalitta, driver of the bright red Mac Tools flagship Top Fuel dragster and nine-year quarter-mile veteran, has one streak that he would like to continue and another streak he would like to end this weekend in his revisit to Virginia . In the three events that he has competed in at Virginia Motorsports Park (1998, 1999 and 2000), Kalitta has qualified in the top-half of the eliminations field in each, but also in each year his quest for the winner’s circle has been squelched in the second round.
“Hopefully we can at least double our round-win total in Virginia this weekend,” Kalitta said. “With only three races left this year, every single point counts, so we certainly want to qualify well and hopefully go some rounds.
“We should see some great performances at VMP. The track is very close to sea level and the weather is supposed to be cool. I know our Mac Tools team will be trying to put up some big numbers for the fans.”
Kalitta and crew chief Rahn Tobler will be looking to improve on Kalitta’s VMP bests of 4.648 seconds (2000) and 308.11 mph (1998).
Kalitta holds a 52-point lead in POWERade Top Fuel championship points over second place with three events remaining on the 2006 NHRA national event schedule. Kalitta took over the points lead near the mid-season point in July in Denver and has held the top spot ever since.
Kalitta won back-to-back events in Bristol , Tenn. , and Atlanta and then consecutively won again at events in Topeka , Kans. , and Chicago earlier this season. His last win came in Memphis in August. He leads Top Fuel, the NHRA’s quickest and fastest racing class, with five wins in 2006. His five wins this season ties a career-high mark for victories in a season that he set last year.
Kalitta, a 42-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is a two-time Top Fuel championship points runner-up (2003-2004) and the 1998 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for rookie excellence. He has 29 career Top Fuel victories in 52 final-round appearances. Before joining the quarter-mile set, Kalitta raced in open-wheel competition and won the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Championship. He is also the owner and president of Kalitta Charters, a charter airline service based at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti , Mich. , alongside Kalitta Air, an airline freight service owned by his uncle, race team owner, and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Oct. 6, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals is the 21st of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
