KALITTA PUTS TOYOTA ON POLE IN NHRA NORWALK QUALIFYING

NORWALK, OH – Doug Kalitta ran a 3.709-second pass to set a new track E.T. record and earn number one qualifier honors in Top Fuel to lead Toyota in preparation for Sunday’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

It is Kalitta’s first pole of the season and his third consecutive at Summit Motorsports Park and fourth overall in Norwalk.  It marks his 48th career Top Fuel number one qualifier.

“Fortunately, Jim (Oberhofer) and the Mac Tools Toyota guys had a great tune-up for the track,” said Kalitta, who won at the Ohio track in 2015. “We got to about half track and it was really pulling. I knew it was on a good run. This is our home track and we’ll be ready tomorrow.”

Antron Brown, the 2014 winner in Norwalk, established a new track speed record with a 332.26 mph pass on Friday and then ran the second-quickest time on Saturday on the way to qualifying fifth in Top Fuel, while defending race champion Shawn Langdon placed tenth.  Langdon enters tomorrow’s race 11th in the Top Fuel point standings and will match-up against the 10th-place driver Terry McMillen as he tries to move into the final berth in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.  Troy Coughlin Jr., qualified 14th in his first Top Fuel appearance at his home track.

For the second week in a row, Alexis DeJoria was the top qualifying Toyota in Funny Car, with a seventh in her Tequila Patron Camry.  She finished in the top four in two of the four sessions. Cruz Pedregon was third-quick in today’s final session to also qualify in the top half of the field in the eighth spot in his Snap-On Camry. Del Worsham placed tenth and will match-up with DeJoria in round one Sunday, while J.R. Todd rounded out the Toyota contingent in 12th.

Today’s qualifying can be seen tonight at midnight on FS1, with Sunday’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series eliminations being televised on FS1 at 6:00 p.m. (all times EDT).