NHRA Top Fueler Doug Kalitta goes back-to-back in Bristol to pick up first win of 2006

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 30, 2006) - Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster driver Doug Kalitta was in a win drought. The 24-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event winner had not won a Top Fuel title since the Brainerd, Minn., event last August, until today. For the third time in his nine-year drag racing career and for the second consecutive year, Doug won the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., Sunday to bring his career win total to the quarter-century mark.

Doug, the inaugural winner of the Bristol event in 2001, made the fastest quarter-mile lap of the weekend in the final round of Sunday's final eliminations to easily defeat a traction-losing, tire-smoking Rod Fuller, 4.537 seconds, 331.53 mph to 13.077 sec., 73.32 mph. Doug's speed of 331.53 mph also set a new track record for speed at Bristol Dragway for the Mac Tools team.

"Boy, we needed that one," Doug said. "It's been a while.

"Rahn (Tobler, crew chief) and my guys had our car running great all weekend. We stayed consistent and made good laps in both lanes. Now we're back in the championship hunt and that's the most important thing to us right now."

With his win in Bristol, Doug, who has now been to 48 final rounds, moved up from 6th place in POWERade championship points to 3rd. He is now tied for 7th place on the NHRA all-time Top Fuel wins list.

Doug defeated Scott Weis in round one of eliminations. He sent Brandon Bernstein home early with a holeshot (starting line advantage (.078 sec. to .091 sec.)) win in round two, 4.546 sec., 329.75 mph to 4.537 sec., 329.67 mph. The margin of victory at the finish line was a mere .0043 sec. In the semifinals, Doug and Tobler defeated the Alan Johnson-tuned dragster (4.536 sec., 330.72 mph to 5.579 sec., 173.94 mph) to go to the money round.

Doug, a 41-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is a two-time Top Fuel championship points runner-up (2003-2004) and the 1998 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for rookie excellence. Before joining the quarter-mile set, Doug raced in open-wheel competition and won the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car Championship.

Doug's Top Fuel Kalitta Motorsports teammate and native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the StriVectin-SD dragster, also made an impressive showing in Bristol with his semi-final round effort. Grubnic was victorious over Bob Vandergriff Jr. in round one. He then put Clay Millican on the trailer in round two, but a malfunctioning blower (supercharger) kept him out of his second consecutive final of 2006 in the semifinals against Fuller, 4.640 sec., 320.20 mph to 4.533 sec., 327.66 mph.

Doug's cousin Scott Kalitta, driving his new Kalitta Air Monte Carlo Funny Car flopper, qualified No. 9 (4.821 sec., 320.66 mph) for Sunday's eliminations, his best qualifying effort of 2006 so far. Scott, the son of team owner and drag racing legend Connie Kalitta, lost in the first round to Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, 4.782 sec., 296.50 mph to 9.757 sec., 84.91 mph.

Rookie Top Fueler Hillary Will, driving the Kalitta Motorsports-managed, Ken Black-owned dragster, qualified in the No. 2 position. She lost her opening round match-up with Morgan Lucas.

The O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals was the 6th of 23 national events in the 2006 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 Kalitta Air 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 StriVectin-SD 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 crew chiefs Rahn Tobler (Mac Tools dragster), Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster), Jon Oberhofer (StriVectin-SD dragster), Johnny West (Kalitta Air Funny Car) and Larry Meyer (Kalitta Air Funny Car co-crew chief).

Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Zantrex-3 and Fischer Honda.