KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 7 of 24
O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals
Gateway Int’l Raceway
Madison, Ill.
May 2-4, 2008
Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com
Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools team hoping to make Top Fuel history in St. Louis
MADISON, Ill., (April 29, 2008) – This weekend, May 2-4, Doug Kalitta, driver of the 8,000-horsepower “Big Red” Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, and his team will be looking to make history and go into the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series record’s book as the first four-time event champion at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, during the annual running of the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Kalitta, an 11-year Top Fuel veteran, visited the winner’s circle at GIR in 2004, 2003, and 2001.
“Getting a fourth win at Gateway this weekend would be a great accomplishment in different ways for our Mac Tools team,” Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “Winning four times at any track is something to be proud of, but we would be happy to see the winner’s circle no matter where we’re racing. The competition in Top Fuel this year is intense, and every round win is an achievement. Gateway has been good to us in the past so hopefully we’ll break through with our first win this season there.”
Kalitta and his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Dave Grubnic will also compete in the “NHRA on Dirt” event Thursday night, May 1, at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. The event features an autograph session with Kalitta, Grubnic, and other participating stars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Series that begins at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Kalitta and Grubnic and their straight-line racing cohorts will take to the dirt oval of Tri-City Speedway at approximately 7:15 p.m. Tri-City Speedway is located eight miles north if GIR on Hwy. 203.
Kalitta returned to his oval racing roots a couple of weeks ago, April 13, in Las Vegas to win the NHRA Stars in Short Track Cars charity race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring.
Kalitta’s racing career began on oval tracks. He was ARCA/WWAR Midget Rookie of the Year in 1990 and USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year in 1991. In 1994, he was crowned the USAC National Sprint Car Champion. He followed his title with runner-up points finishes in 1995 and 1996.
At the previous NHRA national event last weekend at Atlanta Dragway, Kalitta and the Mac Tools team qualified in the No. 7 position for final eliminations. Kalitta’s dragster suffered mechanical failures almost immediately after his first round match-up with Doug Herbert began. Herbert was then able to get the win (5.103 seconds to 4.724 sec.).
Kalitta is currently in 10th place in POWERade Top Fuel championship points. He holds the track record for speed at GIR, 330.55 mph (2006).
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, Kalitta 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, Kalitta 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, Kalitta 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.
The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:00 p.m. (CT) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. 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.
The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals is the 7th of 24 national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
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. His son, Scott Kalitta, drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed 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), Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief), and Richard Hogan (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres and as the crew chief on the Kalitta Motorsports dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.