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At this weekend’s, Sept. 20-23, annual running of the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Tex., just a few miles south of Dallas, Scott Kalitta, driver of the bright yellow and red-striped DHL Toyota Solara Nitro Funny Car, is hoping to make a strong statement to his team’s naysayers as the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series hits its final stretch.
“I’ve heard there’s some people out there that think we’re a pushover,” Kalitta, a 45-year old resident of Palmetto, Fla., said. “We certainly aren’t having the year that we expected to have, but we’re out there trying our hardest to win as many rounds as we can and possibly spoil some of the fun of the other teams. We’d like nothing better than to steal some of the thunder from the front-running teams as we wind down the season.”
Kalitta holds the track record for speed (Top Fuel) at the Texas Motorplex, 333.95 mph (2003). He also won the Top Fuel title trophy in 1995 at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals.
Kalitta is the son of team owner and drag racing legend Conrad “Connie” Kalitta. He returned to the Funny Car class last season 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 O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with one qualifying session at 4:30 p. m. (CT). One more qualifying session follows on Friday at 7:30 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.
The O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals is the 20th of 23 national events in the 2007 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 Zantrex-3 Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Kalitta Motorsports-managed and Ken Black-owned Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by tuning consultant and drag racing legend Dick LaHaie. He is also assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster) and Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster). 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 Zantrex-3 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, and Toyota.
