Its not if, it’s when – Doug Kalitta first win of 2024
Coming off Doug Kalitta’s first world championship to close out 2023, the Kalitta Motorsports Mac Tools Top Fuel race team has enjoyed a spectacular 2024 thus far.
Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon and Funny Car’s J.R. Todd both won in Gainesville, giving the team its first-ever double-event win, then followed up by Kalitta’s victory in Las Vegas gave the team its fourth win already this year.
When Alan Johnson is your crew chief and you’re the reigning 2024 top fuel world champion, it is not if you will win a race in 2024, but when.
“When” happened Sunday when Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools sponsored Kalitta Motorsports top fuel race team captured the victory at the 4-Wide Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Doug Kalitta qualified number one with a 3.738 ET at 336.82 MPH. Kaliita has qualified #1 54 times and that is the 3rd most in top fuel.
In first round eliminations Kalitta Motorsports Mac Tools Top Fuel race team ran a 3.738 ET at 336.82 MPH, then in round two Kalitta ran 3.751 ET at 336.65 ET. Now moves onto the finals. Kalitta had lane choice in the finals.
In the final quad, Kalitta left the line last however clocked the quickest elapsed time of the event at 3.715 seconds at 333.58 mph to defeat Justin Ashley (3.745), Steve Torrence (3.745) and NASCAR legend Tony Stewart (3.769), who was in his first career final round.
Kalitta now has three Las Vegas wins in eight final-round appearances, and this was his 53rd national event win. Prior to Sunday, Kalitta had three quarterfinal finishes in the season’s three races and entered the Vegas race sixth in points.
Competing in the 4-Wide format isn’t easy, but Kalitta has embraced the challenge the format presents.
Kalitta leaves Las Vegas in fourth place in the NHRA Top Fuel point standings. He trails third-place Steve Torrence by 10 points and leads fifth-place Billy Torrence by 41 points.
Almost a Sweep 4-Wide – Las Vegas & Charlotte
After getting his first career 4-Wide victory, Kalitta wanted to make it two in a row when the team arrived at Charlotte, N.C., for another 4-Wide Nationals on April 26-28.
“We’re going to try (to sweep the 4-Wide races). I just love being out here, Just trying to make Connie proud of us all.” said Doug entering the back-to-back 4-wide races.
After three rounds of qualifying on Friday and Saturday, Kalitta’s run of 3.691-seconds at 337.92 mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster held up through two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, handing the reigning world champion his second straight No. 1 spot and the 55th in his career.
The result of taking the top position worked well in Las Vegas for Kalitta, as he claimed his first career 4-wide win and looks to replicate that during eliminations rounds on Sunday.
In first round eliminations Kalitta Motorsports Mac Tools Top Fuel race team ran a 3.729 ET at 334.98 MPH. Kalitta with the starting line advantage advanced to the next round. Salinas is last off the line, but first to the stripe to win the quad.
Billy Torrence goes up in smoke and Millican stays in the groove with low E.T. of the quad for the win to advance to the final. Kalitta is third off the line and second to the stripe to go to the final. Doug runs 3.760 seconds at 334.57 mph.
During final round Juston Ashley is first off the line and first to the stripe to win the Wally. Antron Brown is second off the line but is up in smoke and clicks it off. Clay Millican is third off the line and second to the stripe for the runner-up. Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools Top Fuel race team is right there with him, running a 3.725 ET at 326.00 mph to Millican’s 3.722 ET, with Ashley crossing the finish line with a 2.710 second pass.
The final round was a real drag race to the finish with Doug Kalitta almost making it a two-race 4-wide sweep. Doug now sits second in points only 4 points back of Top Fuel leader Justin Ashley holding on with 472 points.Kalitta Motorsports Mac Tools Top Fuel race will prepare for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals May 17-19 ay in Chicago, Illinois.