FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 23 of 24
ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com



Mac Tools driver Doug Kalitta seeking to soar to 350 in Las Vegas


LAS VEGAS, (Oct. 28, 2008) –Doug Kalitta, driver of the “Big Red”, Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, spends his weekends behind the wheel of his 8,000-horsepower, Nitro-fueled race car in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, but during the week, Kalitta spends his time in the skies as the owner and president of Kalitta Charters, an air charter service based in Ypsilanti, Mich.

In aviation lingo, an airplane flying at flight level 350, or FL350, is flying at pressure altitude 35,000 feet, an optimal long-range cruising altitude. This weekend, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, Kalitta and his team are looking to ascend to an earthly echelon of 350 at the annual running of the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Currently, Kalitta stands on 346 career elimination-round wins in his 11-year NHRA Top Fuel career. With an event win this weekend in Las Vegas, Kalitta would fly to 350 round wins and continue to add new heights to his terrestrial tenure.

“We always look forward to this race, but getting to 350 this weekend would be a great accomplishment for the whole team,” Kalitta, a 44-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “Our Mac Tools machine certainly has the potential to go out this weekend and pick up the four we need. Hopefully we can get a good spot in qualifying and go for it on Sunday.

“I really enjoy both aspects of my life. I’m not sure if I could pick either flying or racing as my favorite. I’m just thankful that I’m able to do both.

Kalitta won the fall event in Las Vegas in 2004 and holds the quarter-mile speed record at The Strip, 335.57 mph (April, 2004).

Kalitta is in 9th place in POWERade championship points and in the NHRA Countdown to 1 postseason.

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, which will be observed for the remainder of the 2008 season, 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.

Qualifying for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals begins Friday for the Nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 1:30 p.m. (PT) and 4:00 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions take place 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.


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.