Reading: Doug Kalitta preview

Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools team ready to keep "Big Red" rolling in Reading

READING, Pa., (Aug. 13, 2008) -- Doug Kalitta, driver of the "Big Red", nitro-fueled, 8,000-horsepower Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, built up some late "regular" season momentum at the previous event in Brainerd, Minn., with a trip to the semi-final round. This weekend, Aug. 14-17, Kalitta and his team hope to expound on their performance with a trip to the winner's circle at the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.

Kalitta's trip to the semifinals in Brainerd was his first trip to the semis since the St. Louis event in early May. It was the Mac Tools team's fourth semi-final finish of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series season.

"Brainerd was a big lift for the Mac Tools team," Kalitta, a 43-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. "We really needed to go some rounds and get some of the "bugs" worked out of our race car; we were able to do both in Brainerd.

"We've been fighting some mechanical problems with our car almost all year long, but we've made nine consecutive laps now without those same problems, so hopefully we have that behind us now, and we can concentrate on keeping our car consistent and winning rounds in Reading, and possibly get another trophy at Maple Grove."

Kalitta is currently in 9th place in POWERade championship points. Only the top ten pro drivers in points in their respective classes will be eligible for the 2008 Countdown to the Championship -- Countdown to 1 "playoffs" that begin at the 19th event in Concord, N.C. Kalitta is 16 points ahead of the driver in 10th position, his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Dave Grubnic, and 29 points ahead of the driver in 11th position.

-credit: km