QUICK FACTS
Category: Top Fuel
2009 car: Kalitta Motorsports dragster
Crew chief: Jim Oberhofer
Team owner: Connie Kalitta
2009 wins/final rounds: 1/3
Career wins/final rounds: 31/58
Best points finish: 2nd (2003 - '04 and 2006)
First start: Pomona 1 1998
First victory: Sonoma 1998
First No. 1 qualifying position: Sonoma 1998
Career No. 1 qualifying awards: 28
Career-best elapsed time 1/4 mile: 4.420 seconds (Chicago 1 2004)
Career-best elapsed time 1000-foot: 3.815 (Richmond, 2008)
Career-best speed 1/4 mile: 335.57 mph (Las Vegas 1 2004)
Career-best speed 1000 foot: 313.95 (Pomona 1, 2009)
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Residence: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Hometown: Mt. Clemens, Mich.
Date of Birth: August 20, 1964
Wife: Josie
Son: Mitchell (2/13/01)
Daughter: Avery (7/15/03)
Height/weight: 5'11", 180 lbs.
Hobbies: Boating, fishing and hunting
Notables: President of Kalitta Charters; Earned his Lear jet license at age 21; Former USAC National Sprint Car champion
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2008: Advanced to the Countdown to 1 playoffs for the first time. Posted runner-up finish at Indianapolis.
2007: Kalitta earned his only win of the season in Richmond, one week before a runner-up finish in Las Vegas. Extended streak of seasons with at least one win to ten.
2006: Led the POWERade Series standings for 11 races of the season; Raced to five victories in five final rounds; Matched his career best points finish of second (also 2003 and '04) No. 1 qualifier two times; Posted ninth consectutive POWERade Top 10 finish. He also won the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout bonus race in 2006 for the third time in his storied career. His other Shootout trophies came in 2003 and 1998.
2005: Led the POWERade point standings after 10 events; Raced to five victories in seven final rounds; Won at Sonoma for the fifth time; No. 1 qualifier three times; Posted eighth consecutive POWERade Top 10 finish
2004: Finished second in POWERade point standings for second consecutive season; Qualified No. 1 a category-leading seven times; Won four of eight final round appearances; Led POWERade point standings for first time in his career; Clocked fastest speed in NHRA history, a 335.57 mph blast at Las Vegas 1; Runner-up at 50th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals; Recorded quickest run in NHRA history, a 4.420 second performance at Chicago 1
2003: Posted a career-best 2nd place points finish, his sixth straight top-10 finish; led category in No. 1 qualifying positions with nine; set national speed record with 333.25 mph effort at Pomona 2; won $100,000 Budweiser Shootout for the second time in his career; qualified No. 1 at first five races, tying category record set by Gary Beck in 1983
2002: Finished fourth in POWERade standings with three victories
2001: Won three events; Finished third in the point standings; Was runner-up in the Budweiser Shootout at Pomona
2000: Finished fifth in the standings for second consecutive year and won third consecutive Sonoma race
1999: Qualified for all 22 national events; Won at Sonoma for the second straight season; Was runner-up in Budweiser Shootout, his second straight final round in the bonus program
1998: Replaced cousin Scott Kalitta, a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, and went on to win Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award; Won $100,000 Budweiser Shootout for select Top Fuel drivers at Pomona 2
1994: USAC National Sprint Car champion
