Doug Kalitta
Encyclopedia
Doug Kalitta is an American
auto racing
driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan
.
Kalitta formerly raced in USAC
events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint competitions. In 1998 he joined the NHRA, becoming a top fuel
drag racer. Kalitta finished second in the top fuel points race in 2003, 2004, and 2006. He is sixth on the all-time top fuel wins list; the most recent of his 31 victories came in February 2009.
Kalitta's father is the now-deceased Doug Kalitta Sr., and he is the nephew of Connie Kalitta
, a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
. Scott Kalitta
, an NHRA driver who died June 21, 2008 in a racing accident, is his cousin. He owns the airline Kalitta Charters
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
.
Kalitta formerly raced in USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint competitions. In 1998 he joined the NHRA, becoming a top fuel
Top Fuel
Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...
drag racer. Kalitta finished second in the top fuel points race in 2003, 2004, and 2006. He is sixth on the all-time top fuel wins list; the most recent of his 31 victories came in February 2009.
Kalitta's father is the now-deceased Doug Kalitta Sr., and he is the nephew of Connie Kalitta
Connie Kalitta
Conrad "Connie" Kalitta is the CEO of Kalitta Air and a retired American drag racing driver, once known as "The Bounty Hunter".He grew up in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was a 1957 graduate of Mount Clemens High School....
, a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum for American motorsports legends. It was originally located in Novi, Michigan and it moved to the Detroit Science Center in 2009.-Museum:...
. Scott Kalitta
Scott Kalitta
Scott Kalitta was an American drag racer who competed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes in the National Hot Rod Association Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He was killed at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, after an accident during qualifying...
, an NHRA driver who died June 21, 2008 in a racing accident, is his cousin. He owns the airline Kalitta Charters
Kalitta Charters
Kalitta Charters is an American charter airline based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Its main base is Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, with one satellite base located in Morristown, Tennessee. The company is owned and run by Doug Kalitta....
.