Scott Kalitta And DHL Team Looking To Prove Themselves

Apr 23, 2008

COMMERCE, Ga.,– This weekend, April 24-27, The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to Dixie for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., a few miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Scott Kalitta, driver of the bright yellow and red, nitro-fueled DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, is hoping that the journey to Georgia will provide a southern revival of performance for him and his team.

Kalitta and the DHL team go to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals with a new hope after failing to qualify at the previous two NHRA national events in Houston and Las Vegas.

“We stayed to test in Las Vegas, and we found some things that should help us out when get on the track in Atlanta,” Kalitta, a 46-year old resident of Palmetto, Fla., said. “We know that our DHL car can make as much or more horsepower than any car out there, but applying that horsepower to the track is always tricky, and it got us sidetracked for a couple of races. We feel really good about the race this weekend. Hopefully everything will work out as planned, and we can go for the win on Sunday.”

Kalitta is currently in 19th place in 2008 POWERade Funny Car championship points.

Kalitta is the son of team owner and drag racing legend Conrad “Connie” Kalitta. He returned to the Funny Car class in 2006 after many successful years at the helm of a Top Fuel dragster. He won the NHRA Top Fuel World Championship in 1994 and 1995 as well as 17 NHRA national event trophies, but got his first professional NHRA national event win under the carbon fiber canopy of a Funny Car in Houston in 1989.

The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 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 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals is the 6th 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.