Doug Kalitta and his Mac Tools team may be poised to win their first Top Fuel world championship. A season of consistency has continued into a solid Countdown run that has the veteran driver only 33 points out of first place. There is a quartet of teams within striking distance of the top spot but Kalitta has been the most consistent and steady throughout the season. Over the past five races the Mac Tools team has tallied three final rounds including a win at the U.S. Nationals.

The U.S. Nationals win a first in 21 previous attempts gave Kalitta some momentum going into the Countdown. He took a runner-up finish in Reading, PA, to teammate Richie Crampton and followed that up with another final round appearance in Charlotte.

"We have everything we need to win this championship and that is because of Connie Kalitta. I started working on his Top Fuel dragster over 30 years ago. To win the Top Fuel championship would be really special to everyone on this team and at Kalitta Motorsports. I think we have a really good chance and it will be a battle with Steve (Torrence) and Brittany (Force) and Billy (Torrence). With points and a half in Pomona you never know what could happen."

His history at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has seen additional success. He has two wins to his credit including a win in 2015 over Larry Dixon as well as a runner-up finish in 2007. The three final round appearances have Kalitta ready to capture his first championship.

"I have been close to the championship before and I would love to win the championship this season. I have the race car that can do it and I feel as confident behind the wheel as I ever have. There are two races left in the season and I want to win them both," added Kalitta.  (Ron Lewis photo)   [10/30/19]

The national consumer education and advocacy campaign, Your Car. Your Data. Your Choice™ will return as co-primary sponsor with Parts Plus on the Clay Millican Top Fuel dragster at Las Vegas.

Millican first partnered with the campaign (www.yourcaryourdata.org) at Bristol and since then he has represented the campaign, most recently during a trip to Washington, DC, where he and other driver voiced support for car owners and drivers right to access and control their car data. Following his visit, Millican wrote a guest column, “Car Data Not Just For Pro Racers” that was published in Automotive News on Oct. 21.

Following the Las Vegas race, the dragster will be displayed at AAPEX Show on Nov. 5-7 at the Sands Expo Convention Center and Millican will be on hand at select times and also will speak on a panel discussion regarding the connected car and car data.  (Chris Haverly photo)  [10/30/19]

Now that the Agent has your attention, Bob Tasca is going to get the opportunity prior to NHRA's penultimate Countdown event at the Strip at Las Vegas to go really fast. He has been invited by the Air Force to fly in one of their F-15 fighter jets.

Usually when this happens it is in the Air Force’s Thunderbirds or the Navy's Blue Angels, but Tasca will be in a fighter plane capable of speeds exceeding 1500 mph and 60,000 feet of altitude. The Agent wonders if Uber has these on call?   [10/30/19]