Sonoma Nationals Dominance Has Doug Kalitta Confident

Sonoma, CA – When Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools Top Fuel team roll into Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s Sonoma Nationals it will be a welcome stop for the perennial NHRA Top Fuel championship contender. Kalitta is looking for his 50th career Top Fuel win and the friendly confines of the beautiful track located in the heart of wine country could be just the location for him to jump back into the winner’s circle. It has been two years since any NHRA teams flew down the race track in Sonoma and all the competitors are eager to get back on one of the fastest and quickest tracks on the tour.

Kalitta is the winningest Top Fuel driver in Sonoma Raceway history with five wins and six final round appearances. It has been some time since he hoisted the winner’s trophy but that does not take away from his streak of dominance that began in 1998 and led to three consecutive victories and then back-to-back wins in 2004 and 2005. A 2002 runner-up finish was bracketed in the middle of those two streaks.

“It has been a little while since I have won the Sonoma Nationals,” said Kalitta, in advance of the Western Swing. “I have had great success there and I am real hungry to get another win there for sure. It will be fun to get back up there and I think we have the race car to get the job done.”

This season Kalitta has raced to two runner-up finishes and a handful of quarterfinal finishes. Race day success is the goal for Kalitta as his Mac Tools team takes on the second race of the three races in three weekends swing.

“We didn’t get the win in Denver but that is a whole different ballgame up on the mountain,” said Kalitta. “We are down at sea level in Sonoma and Friday night could be a really quick session. We will be ready to give it our best for sure.”

The team has been working to find the consistency that led them to strong finishes the past two seasons and has the veteran chasing his first Top Fuel championship. As the season moves to the halfway mark the 49-time Top Fuel national event winner knows getting momentum will be a key ingredient to success.

“I have a lot of confidence in these Mac Tools guys,” said Kalitta. “We have been battling together for a long time and we know what we need to do to win. I think we are getting in position to string some success together and I would like to start this weekend in Sonoma.”

2019 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Highlights (event not contested in 2020):  Qual. No. 5; Beat Scott Palmer; Lost to Antron Brown

Last Event Recap (2021 NHRA Mile-High Nationals): Qual. No. 4; Lost to Leah Pruett

Career Stats: 532 events, 525 starts, 720 round wins, 49 wins, 107 finals, 50 No. 1 qualifiers

2021 Season:
Gatornationals: Qual. No. 4; Beat Arthur Allen; Lost to Justin Ashley
Las Vegas1: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 3; Beat Troy Buff and Rob Passey, Beat Shawn Langdon and Leah Pruett; Lost to Steve Torrence
Atlanta: Qual. No. 9; Lost to Antron Brown
Charlotte1: Qual. No. 12; Beat Josh Hart, Billy Torrence, Kyle Wurtzel; Lost to Brittany Force, Josh Hart
Houston: RUNNER-UP; Qual. No. 9; Beat Brittany Force, Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon; Lost to Steve Torrence
Epping: Qual. No. 5; Beat Shawn Langdon, Lost to Mike Salinas
Norwalk: Qual. No. 11; Lost to Antron Brown
Denver: Qual. No. 4; Lost to Leah Pruett