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MIXING IT UP IN CHICAGOThe domination of Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and John Force
in Funny Car has seemingly ended over the last few NHRA national events.
It now appears that almost anyone has the chance of winning these classes,
just as Pro Stock has been this entire year. Here are some team notes
from the Craftsman 75th Anniversary Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in
Joliet, Ill.
TOP FUEL KALITTA STARTING A STREAK?
Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools/Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster team proved to themselves and to the rest of their competition in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series that their win two weeks ago in Reading, Penn., was not merely a single flash of excellence, but the beginning of what may be a string of wins as they took home the trophy again. The win was the team's second of the season and vaulted them from sixth to fourth in NHRA Top Fuel championship points. Kalitta qualified fourth in the sixteen-dragster field with a blistering 4.569-second, 320.13-mph performance. He faced off against the number 13 qualifier, Jim Cavalieri in the first round of eliminations. Cavalieri and his Peek Brothers team made a valiant effort (4.669 seconds, 316.01 mph), but came up short as Kalitta streaked to the win with a very strong run of 4.586 seconds at 326.32 mph to set low elapsed time and top speed of eliminations. With a 4.593 seconds, 325.45 mph run, the Mac Tools team easily defeated a tire-smoking dragster driven by Jim Head in the second round to set up a semi-final showdown with number one qualifier, Doug Herbert in the Snap-On Tools race car.
Kalitta won a close race with a 4.662-second, 322.19-mph pass to Herbert's Johnny West-tuned dragster's 4.673-second, 303.78 mph attempt. In the finals, Kalitta lined up against Darrell Russell. As he had done in each of the three previous rounds, Kalitta got off the starting line first and cruised to the victory with a 4.594-second, 323.27 mph blast after Russell had traction problems almost immediately after going green. The win is the tenth of Kalitta's career and ties him with his uncle and crew chief, Connie Kalitta, on the NHRA career Top Fuel win list. - Todd Myers |
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