Indy ORP: Scott Kalitta final report

Scott Kalitta, DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, No. 14 qualifier -- defeated in round one

Scott Kalitta and the DHL team almost bag big first round upset in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, (Sept. 3, 2007) -- At the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis Labor Day Monday, drag racing veteran Scott Kalitta, driver of the DHL Toyota Solara Nitro Funny Car, came .13 seconds away from pulling off a big first round upset at the biggest and most prestigious drag racing event in the world.

Kalitta, the No. 14 qualifier, matched up with No. 3 qualifier Jack Beckman in round one. The two flopper pilots left the starting line almost dead even. The two 7,000-horsepower race cars stayed almost side-by-side all the way down the famed quarter-mile at Indy, but Beckman began pulling away right before the finish line to get the close win, 5.032 sec., 289.26 mph to 4.902 sec., 318.24 mph.

"We certainly gave them a good run," Kalitta, a 45-year old resident of Palmetto, Fla., said. "Our DHL Toyota Solara car ran pretty good out there in the heat, and we were right there with them until way down track. I'm glad we were able to go out there and give the fans a good show with a pretty close race."

-credit: km