FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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, Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster – No. 5 qualifier (4.524 seconds, 312.42 mph) advanced to semifinals

Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools team take out both rival tool cars in trip to St. Louis semifinals

MADISON, Ill., (May 4, 2008) – Doug Kalitta, driver of the “Big Red” Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, made his third semi-final round appearance of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series Sunday during eliminations of the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the mighty Mississippi River from St. Louis.

Kalitta, the No. 5 qualifier (4.524 seconds, 312.42 mph), snapped up a decisive win over No. 12 qualifier and rival tool car driver Doug Herbert in round one, 4.549 sec., 315.64 mph to 7.609 sec., 97.81 mph. In the second round, Kalitta and the Mac Tools team took Antron Brown, driver of another rival tool dragster, to the mat for their second win light of the day, 4.773 sec., 283.07 mph to 10.922 sec., 64.35 mph.

In the semifinals, Kalitta and the Mac Tools team looked to stand tall with a trip to the final round and possibly get their fourth title trophy at GIR, but their day was shortened by Rod Fuller and his team when Kalitta’s “Big Red” rail suffered traction problems, and that allowed Fuller to get the upset win, 6.202 sec., 156.46 mph to 4.591 sec., 320.51 mph.

“Yeah, it was a really good weekend for our Mac Tools team,” Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “Our car is getting better and better as we go, so I’m really excited to see what the rest of the season holds for us. It’s always a good race when you can get wins over other tool cars, so we’re very happy about that.”

Kalitta is now in 8th place in POWERade Top Fuel championship points.

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 was 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.