Doug Kalitta has done just about everything in 2025 – except win on Sunday. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues June 6-8 at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.
Kalitta has quite a list of 2025 accomplishments:
- Five No. 1 qualifiers in seven races; qualified second and fourth at the other two.
- Three Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge wins: Las Vegas, Charlotte, Epping, N.H.
- Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout win.
- Runner-up finish in Phoenix.
This team has literally done everything except win a race, and one would think no team is more due for a race win than Kalitta’s Aflac Toyota team.
“I’ve had a great-running car all year but haven’t gotten the win yet so we’re real hungry for that,” Kalitta said. “Bristol would be a great place to do it. We’ve been good in qualifying and good on Saturdays so we’ll to keep our heads down, try to go rounds and hope like heck we can have a good Sunday. We’ll give it all we’ve got. We’re hopefully a win waiting to happen. People definitely realize we’re there every weekend. We just have to hopefully make it to the final to have a shot at it, and we’ll give it another try this weekend.”
Kalitta and his teammate, Shawn Langdon, are undefeated in the season’s six Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge races in which the semifinalists from the previous event run the semifinals and finals again for additional purse and championship bonus points. In addition to Kalitta’s three wins in the Saturday races, Langdon won in Phoenix, Pomona, Calif., and Chicago. The Saturday races are great for the fans and quite useful for the drivers, and Kalitta will be in the event this weekend.
“It’s a great concept; we’re already running, and we have a sponsor willing to do everything they’re doing for us,” Kalitta said. “It’s a great idea; it gives fans a race to watch on Saturday. It’s been a while since I raced Sprint Cars, but that was kinda the deal. You were racing every day you went to the track. It’s competitive and obviously gets you ready for race day. It was great to beat Tony (Stewart) in the (Mission) final in Epping last week – his car’s been running really well. Across the board, I don’t think anybody’s complaining; we just appreciate everything Mission Foods is doing. We’ve been very fortunate, and now, it’s gotten to the point where we’ve gotta somehow keep the streak going.”
This story was originally published on June 4, 2025. 
