Scott Kalitta
| Scott Kalitta | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
February 18, 1962 Mt. Clemens, Michigan |
| Died | June 21, 2008 (aged 46) Englishtown, New Jersey |
| Related to | Connie Kalitta, Doug Kalitta |
| Top Fuel | |
| Years active | 1982–1997; 1999; 2003–2008 |
| Wins | 18 |
| Poles | 20 |
| Best finish | champion in 1994, 1995 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1994, 1995 | Top Fuel Season Champion |
Scott D. Kalitta (February 18, 1962 – June 21, 2008) was an American drag racer who competed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He was killed at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, after an accident during qualifying. He had 17 career Top Fuel wins and 1 career Funny Car win, and at his death he was one of fourteen drivers to win in both divisions.
Kalitta was son of veteran NHRA driver and crew chief Connie Kalitta, and cousin of teammate Doug Kalitta.
He made his home in Snead Island, Florida, with wife, Kathy and two sons, Colin and Corey. He was a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Scott Kalitta's career began in 1982 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. His first career #1 qualifier happened at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana event in 1988. He got his first win in 1989 in Funny Car at the event in Houston, Texas.
He moved to Top Fuel during the 1990s.
The next two years were big for Kalitta, as he would win the Top Fuel championship both years. In 1994, he became the first Top Fuel driver to have four straight event wins (Columbus, Topeka, Denver and Sonoma) and he won five events that season. He won six events and 45 rounds of competition in 1995 to win the championship. His 1996 season saw him win the $100,000 Budweiser Shootout at Sonoma en route to a second-place points finish. He had the top speed at a series best eight races that season. Kalitta won the Topeka event for a fourth straight year in 1997. He retired in October of that season.
Kalitta came back in 1999, making one final round in ten starts. Kalitta returned to Top Fuel in 2003 after a three-year layoff. He made two final rounds and set a speed record at 333.95 miles per hour (537.44 km/h), but didn't certify the speed with a fast enough backup run to claim the national record. In 2004 he recorded one win in two final round appearances. He was the top qualified at both Las Vegas event, and finished in the Top five in season points. His 2005 season saw him win two events.
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