RACER.com: Connie Kalitta article

[robinjackson]

RACER.com publishes a portrait of Connie Kalitta:

INSIGHT: The house that Connie Kalitta built

Connie Kalitta throws his employees two Christmas parties. The founder of one of the most successful organizations in the NHRA hosts the first in recognition of Kalitta Motorsports. His cargo airli…

racer.com

Interestingly, the author is RACER's NASCAR specialist Kelly Crandall, who attended her first NHRA race at Bristol this year (according to the article she subsequently wrote).

 

[Cliff]

This was a good article. They didn't mention Connie is blind in one eye, and drove T/F that way for years. I work p/t at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix, and see his cargo planes there all the time.

 

[Butch]

Connie definitely built his own success 100% by himself.

 

[mick]

much applause to racer.com and the writer of this excellent article. now if DHL could maybe recognize NHRA.
non-existent on dhl facebook and this website. https://inmotion.dhl/en/ ......would be nice to see that change.
there should be a DHL funny car on display in the cincinnati airport

 

[MHayes]

Connie definitely built his own success 100% by himself.

That is a statement I'm guessing he would disagree with.

 

[SundayNiagara]

Kind of a puff piece, but still a good read. There are many Connie storys out there that probably will never be told.

 

[none]

As a former Kalitta Motorsports employee I have a lifetime invitation to the Motorsports party, and two years ago I was invited to speak at the Kalitta Air Party. It was a really nice affair. Connie appreciates his employees and treats them well.

Alan

 

[mw6789]

Excellent article. Their description of Connie Kalitta reminded me a lot of former NASCAR driver Mark Martin's father Julian Martin who I had the pleasure of knowing and being business neighbors with before his untimely death in 1998. Rough and gruff on the outside, but at the end of the day a heart of gold and took care of those employees who kept his trucking business rolling. Old school guys for sure.

 

[NITRO JUNKIE]

Great article, I’ve been lucky enough to meet him a couple times. Great guy.

 

[J. S.]

It's good to see an in-depth article like this on the Racer.com website, which normally only gets NHRA press releases to publish. I don't even click on them because I already get better NHRA coverage on other sites. Maybe we will see more of these from time to time from Crandall. I would welcome it.

 

[J. S.]

"Much applause to racer.com and the writer of this excellent article. Now if DHL could maybe recognize NHRA.
non-existent on dhl facebook and this website. https://inmotion.dhl/en/ ......would be nice to see that change.
there should be a DHL funny car on display in the Cincinnati airport".

I think this is a real good point, as I am always amazed at how little most sponsors do to active their sponsorships of the NHRA fuel cars. The only sponsor I can think of off hand that has done a real good job with that in the recent past has been Ron Capps and NAPA when they also had Michael Waltrip. Not sure if Ron has been featured in Napa ads recently. Have we seen Brittany Force in any Advance Auto Parts or Monster commercials or print ads? Other than ads in National Dragster (where they're preaching to the choir) I haven't noticed any. She is a natural, plus she's a former TF champ.

 

[Cliff]

Miller Beer might be the exception. I heard about Larry Dixon being "schooled" to talk with fans and that Miller put the drag racing team on a par with NASCAR, etc. This would probably apply to Budweiser & Kenny Bernstein, since they gave Kenny a Clydesdale.

 

[vegasnitro]

"Much applause to racer.com and the writer of this excellent article. Now if DHL could maybe recognize NHRA.
non-existent on dhl facebook and this website. https://inmotion.dhl/en/ ......would be nice to see that change.
there should be a DHL funny car on display in the Cincinnati airport".

I think this is a real good point, as I am always amazed at how little most sponsors do to active their sponsorships of the NHRA fuel cars. The only sponsor I can think of off hand that has done a real good job with that in the recent past has been Ron Capps and NAPA when they also had Michael Waltrip. Not sure if Ron has been featured in Napa ads recently. Have we seen Brittany Force in any Advance Auto Parts or Monster commercials or print ads? Other than ads in National Dragster (where they're preaching to the choir) I haven't noticed any. She is a natural, plus she's a former TF champ.

Antron Brown is in a Toyota commercial that has aired during Sunday Night Football the last couple of weeks. Sunday Night Football is the highest rated TV show in America.

EDIT: Nice Hybrid!!!!

 

[Cliff]

What if our team was built for speed? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

[mick]

i saw that toyota commercial. was very surprised. slow that commercial down and see the dragstrip with large grandstand and skyboxes on rt. side of track and
toyota/nhra billboards on left. that had to be digitally rendered......pretty cool.

 

[Butch]

Another great read is { 2008 Nightmare Kalitta Air - 44 Tragic Days } those 44 days he lived through
would have crushed most people. Connie is one strong man, and I'm happy to see he is still enjoying
life.

 

[Paul]

Another great read is { 2008 Nightmare Kalitta Air - 44 Tragic Days } those 44 days he lived through
would have crushed most people. Connie is one strong man, and I'm happy to see he is still enjoying
life.

No parent should have to bury their kid, as a parent, I can't even to begin to imagine what he went through after E-Town 2008. Connie and that team have a special place in my heart after witnessing what they went through that day, that was by far the worst day I have ever had at a race track. Seeing that DHL car win for the first time with Jeff Arend and seeing the car win the title in 2015 and last year was awesome. I hope somehow Doug can pull it off next weekend.