NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Never one to get too emotional, Doug Kalitta couldn’t hide his enthusiasm as the veteran Top Fuel driver prepares for a 2022 season full of promise heading into this weekend’s NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Change was in the air in the Top Fuel ranks at Kalitta Motorsports, with notable names like Alan Johnson, Brian Husen, and Jason McCulloch joining the team to get Kalitta and Shawn Langdon back to their winning ways. Sitting on 49 career wins after a rare winless year in 2021, Kalitta has high hopes with Johnson and Husen calling the shots.

“My excitement level to get this season started ranks right up there when I look back at my career,” Kalitta said. “I am happy we have the teams that we do for all our race cars with the additional of Alan and Brian on the Mac Tools dragster and Jason [McCulloch] over on the DHL dragster with Kurt [Elliott] and Connie [Kalitta]. There are a lot of good dragsters and good Funny Cars, and I like our chances with the teams we have assembled.”

Kalitta, of course, is after that elusive Top Fuel championship, and adding Johnson represents as good a chance as any to get it done.

But the team also has to get back into a winning rhythm. Kalitta’s last victory came in 2020, which has him looking for a hot start and an opportunity to finally get that 50th win.

He’s been dynamite at the Winternationals, especially when it takes place in its traditional February spot. That didn’t happen last year, but before that, Kalitta had gone to final rounds from 2016-2020, winning three straight season openers from 2018-20.

Doing it again this weekend would go a long way in boosting the team’s confidence during what Kalitta believes could be a big year.

“[Pomona] just means a lot to me. I would love to go back there and keep that February winning streak going,” Kalitta said. “This whole year is going to be great. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me to work with Alan and Brian. I just want to have fun with it. All my guys are excited about the possibilities, and we are just ready to get the season started and see what we can do.”

As for Langdon, he’s just as eager to get back to the winner’s circle after advancing to just one final round a year ago. That’s not a situation the former world champ is used to, but the team made the necessary changes to reverse those fortunes. 

The addition of McCulloch has Langdon confident, and he’s been impressed by the way McCulloch has meshed with drag racing legend Kalitta and veteran crew chief Elliott. Combined, it could be a remarkable combo, and that’s what Langdon is banking heading into the opening weekend of the 2022 campaign.

“We have a good chemistry, and we understand each other,” Langdon said. “We have a lot if similar philosophies, and our racing mentality is on the same path. This is a great group of guys, and we have a great DHL Kalitta Air team over here. This is a team that is ready to win. We just need to keep putting in the work. It is going to be a good transition adding Alan, Brian, and Jason to our Top Fuel dragster teams. I am excited for the future of Kalitta Motorsports.”