DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. — This weekend’s temperatures and heat indices promise to rise into the triple digits in Central Virginia, which is just fine with some of the visitors coming to Dinwiddie.
“Conditions were warm,” recalled NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta. “Hopefully that will play into our hands again.”
Kalitta won the Top Fuel title at last year’s Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park when he defeated former NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in the finals. It was Kalitta’s last victory on the NHRA circuit, and he’s hoping to repeat on his return trip.
“We’re really hungry for a win,” Kalitta told CBS 6 Sports. “My car has been running really well this season, but for whatever reason, we’re still trying to get that first win.”
Kalitta is currently fifth in the Top Fuel standings, which are led by Stewart, who has three wins already this year but has yet to win at VMP. Despite his success in his relatively new endeavor, Stewart has been welcomed into the drag racing fraternity for the added exposure he brings.
“We’re super excited to have him in the NHRA,” Kalitta explained. “He’s stepping our game up with the social media stuff. He’s definitely not a car you can take lightly.”
VMP is also the site where 16-time Funny Car series champion John Force had a fiery crash during eliminations last year. Force spent the next month in MCV’s neurological unit with a traumatic brain injury, and even though he comes to every race, he has yet to get back into a race car.
“John’s team has really developed and put forward a lot of the safety things we’re putting on all our cars,” Kalitta said. “They’ve stepped up all the head restraint stuff. He’s doing well. His three cars on his race team are all running well, so I’m pretty sure he’s happy with that.”
The threat of that kind of accident happening to any driver in this sport is something they deal with every time they strap in. Kalitta’s cousin, Scott, was killed in an NHRA accident in 2008. Dwelling on it at all takes away from what makes these drivers some of the best in the world.
“It’s the risk that we take. You have to be focused on winning. It’s part of our DNA.”
Kalitta has been an NHRA regular since 1998, and his uncle Connie is in the Motorsports Hall of Fame. What keeps him going is not just his competitive streak but the success he continues to have entering his third decade in the sport. Kalitta won his first series title just two seasons ago and finished second in points last year.
“Knowing you have a car with which you can run up front every weekend,” Kalitta explained. “But it’s a good question. I’ve been at it a long time. I just enjoy it.”
Tickets are available for all three days of the American Rebel Light Virginia Nationals here.
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