Through six races this season Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools Top Fuel team have been working on building off their solid qualifying efforts. The perennial championship contender has qualified no worse than sixth at every race this season including his 51st No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. With new crew chiefs Alan Johnson and Brian Husen onboard Kalitta is looking to chase down his 50th career Top Fuel win at this weekend’s NHRA Virginia Nationals.
“We have had some good luck in Richmond the last few years we raced there. I am looking forward to getting back there because I know there are a lot of passionate fans in the area,” said Kalitta. “This Mac Tools team has been making some good runs lately and I think we will continue to keep getting better. We are all working together and I have a lot of confidence in this Mac Tools team.”
The NHRA hasn’t competed at Virginia Motorsports Park since 2019 and a year before the two-year hiatus Kalitta raced to a runner-up finish from the No. 4 qualifier position. On that race day Kalitta took out Canadian Dan Mercier, Leah Pruett and teammate Richie Crampton before dropping a close final round to Steve Torrence. The veteran driver is looking forward to getting back to Virginia.
“This weekend will be a great opportunity to build some momentum heading into two really busy months,” said Kalitta. “We are back to traditional side-by-side racing for the rest of the year and we will just have to take it one round at a time. That night session on Friday will be real important to get off on the right foot. I know Alan and Brian have a lot of experience, so I expect to be just fine.”
Kalitta has tasted success at Virginia Motorsport Park winning the Top Fuel title in 2007 outrunning Melanie Troxel for the win. The track has been resurfaced and now boasts and all-concrete racing surface which yields quick and fast times for the 11,000 horsepower Top Fuel dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars.
Qualifying will begin on Friday night with a lone session under the lights followed by two qualifying sessions on Saturday. The final eliminations will begin on Sunday at noon ET with the race broadcast airing on FS1 starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.
2019 NHRA Virginia Nationals Highlights: Qual. No. 5, Lost to Scott Palmer
Last Event Recap 2022 Circle K Four-Wide Nationals: Qual 4; Beat Alex Laughlin, Doug Foley; Lost to Mike Salinas, Cameron Ferre
Career Stats: 550 events, 543 starts, 726 round wins, 49 wins, 107 finals, 51 No. 1 qualifiers
2022 Results
Winternationals: Qual. 5; Lost to Tony Schumacher
Arizona Nationals: Qual. 1; Lost to Rob Passey
Gatornationals: Qual 5; Beat Alex Laughlin; Lost to Mike Salinas
Las Vegas1: Qual 6; Lost to Leah Pruett and Shawn Langdon
Houston: Qual 3; Lost to Billy Torrence
Charlotte1: Qual 4; Beat Alex Laughlin, Doug Foley; Lost to Mike Salinas, Cameron Ferre
Kalitta Motorsports PR
