MARTIN, Mich. — Starting the Countdown to the Championship playoffs at a first-time facility on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour poses a stout challenge right off the bat for any driver seeking a championship.
But for points leader and reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta, this weekend’s Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park is almost like a dream come true.
The two-time world champ hails from nearby Ypsilanti and this weekend marks the first NHRA national event in Michigan in more than 65 years. It’s a first-time appearance at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park on a national event-level scale, too, adding even more incentive for Kalitta to start the Countdown to the Championship strong.
He enters the playoffs as points leader with wins at three of the past four races and a victory in front of a home crowd in his 12,000-horsepower Applied Innovation dragster would mark a memorable moment for the standout veteran.
“The Michigan race is pretty exciting and it’s been a number of years since NHRA has made it to Michigan, so it’s pretty close for us,” Kalitta said. “We’ve had a lot of excitement with our employees and sponsors. We’re looking forward to that race. We’re going to have a ton of people at our hospitality and just part of our weekend. As far as I’m concerned, the more the merrier, but it’ll be business as usual, really. Each qualifying run’s going to be important.”
The highly-anticipated debut at US 131 Motorsports Park is the first of six playoff races and the 15th of 20 events during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.
To add to the magnitude of the weekend, Doug, Connie and Scott Kalitta will all be honored during the weekend as part of NHRA’s 75th anniversary celebration. Connie and Doug will both be recognized as two of the Top 75 drivers in NHRA history.
Kalitta, though, will be focused on starting the Countdown to the Championship in strong fashion. A four-time winner in 2026, Kalitta opens the playoffs with a 26-point lead over teammate Shawn Langdon, with Leah Pruett and Tony Stewart in third and fourth, respectively.
The action starts with two rounds of qualifying on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday, where Kalitta hopes to get an early jump on what he hopes is another fulfilling championship run.
“It was close (in the regular season) and as the season goes on, it always seems to come to Pomona and it’s going to be a tight battle there,” said Kalitta, who has 63 career wins. “It should definitely be a fun time to be part of this. Hopefully we can continue to go some rounds and see if we’re in the mix in Pomona (at the In-N-Out Burger Finals).”
