FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 16 of 24
Brainerd Int’l Raceway
Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 7-10, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com


Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools team look to log third triumph in Brainerd


BRAINERD, Minn., (Aug. 6, 2008) – Doug Kalitta, driver of the “Big Red”, nitro-fueled, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, will attempt to win his third event in Paul Bunyan’s stomping grounds this weekend, Aug. 7-10, at the annual running of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event at Brainerd Int’l Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.

Kalitta claimed Brainerd Top Fuel title trophies in 2005 and 2003 in the land of the fictional forester and his blue ox, Babe.

“I really like racing in Brainerd,” Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “The fans up there are great. Our Mac Tools team has been working very hard since Sonoma (Calif., previous event) to get our car ready to race again this weekend. We’ve been struggling this year, and we just couldn’t seem to get on the right track, so the guys basically stripped our car down last week and started over.

We went to Martin (Mich., a non-NHRA sanctioned track) yesterday and made three laps, and it was a very successful outing. We’re 10th in points right now, so we’ve got to do whatever it takes to get our car as competitive as we possibly can. I’m anxious to get back out on the track in Brainerd and see what we have. From what we’ve seen so far, I’m sure it will be good.”

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 that begins at the 19th event in Concord, N.C. Kalitta is just nine points ahead of the driver in 11th position going into the event in Brainerd, the 16th event.

This week Kalitta Motorsports announced that veteran nitro tuner Nick Boninfante will join the Mac Tools dragster team as co-crew chief alongside current co-crew chief Jon Oberhofer.

“I’m excited about Nicky coming on board with us,” Kalitta continued. “I think he’s going to be a big help to us. He has a lot of experience and a fresh set of eyes will be beneficial I’m sure.”

Boninfante begins his second stint at Kalitta Motorsports in Brainerd. He first worked for the team as a clutch specialist on team owner and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta’s Top Fuel team in 1991 and 1992. From 1993 until 1996, Boninfante served as clutch specialist on Scott Kalitta’s Top Fuel machine where he and the team won back-to-back world championships (1994-1995).

Doug’s most recent victory was at least season’s event in Richmond, Va., in October.

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. (CT) and 6:15 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.