NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Doug Kalitta is one hell of a wheelman. We take him for granted sometimes. He cuts lights better than .060 in his sleep and his easy-going nature ensures he won’t battle Doug Herbert for the “Dougzilla” nickname anytime soon. I don’t know if that’s what makes him such a killer in the seat of his Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, but I do know he’s so darn good. 

Kalitta showed off another arrow in his quiver at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals while racing Terry McMillen, who is certainly no slouch while piloting his Amalie Motor Oil Top Fueler. Kalitta’s dragster smoked the tires right at the hit, forcing the veteran racer to pedal his car almost immediately after smashing the gas the first time. Watch the video yourself below. 

What’s incredible about getting the car to recover so quickly is that Kalitta had almost no time to react. He effectively put his foot down and then ripped it back up before feathering it down again in order to get the car to go without blowing the tires off a second time. That got his dragster back under power long enough to catch McMillen, who encountered problems off his own midway down the track. 

McMillen did his best to pedal as well, though it appears his car had problems that no one would have been able to manage. He ended up having the best seat in the house for Kalitta’s second-round victory, as the Mac Tools dragster blew past him at 248-mph. 

Perhaps most spectacular is how relaxed Kalitta seems after the run. Yes, he’s a little out of breath, but you could have told me he’s about to get into the car and I would have believed you. The man has ice in his veins – and that’s as good a bet as any as to why he’s one of the best drivers in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing history.