Doug Kalitta didn’t leave Seattle with a trophy, but he left no doubt that the Mac Tools Toyota team is peaking at the right time. As the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Kalitta enters with confidence, momentum – and unfinished business.
Last weekend, Kalitta was on an absolute tear at Pacific Raceways, qualifying No. 1 for the sixth time in just 11 events this season. On race day, his first-round pass was the quickest and fastest of his legendary career: a blistering 3.628 seconds at 341.34 mph, good for the second-quickest and third-fastest run in NHRA history at the time. A 3.676 in round two carried him into the semifinals, where he was leading Brittany Force before engine issues ended his day.
“Sunday was another opportunity, and we were hoping to get to the final and have a shot at it,” said Kalitta. “I felt really good about the weekend. The car was really good, and we definitely had a good opportunity. You have to take advantage of those opportunities when you have them – we’re hoping to have another opportunity this weekend in Sonoma and give it another shot.”
Kalitta, who has 55 national event wins in his career, hasn’t visited the winner’s circle yet in 2025. But with the performance the team showed in Seattle, that may change quickly. With three races remaining in the regular season, including Sonoma, Brainerd, and the U.S. Nationals, the veteran racer is still in striking distance of the points lead – and the new $150,000 regular-season championship bonus.
“This is definitely the time to start picking up the pace and get all those gremlins out of the way,” Kalitta said. “We have Sonoma this weekend; then it’s Brainerd, and Indy will be here before you know it. It’s amazing how quickly this year’s gone.”
The 2025 campaign has seen Kalitta consistently near the top of the qualifying sheets, with six No. 1 starts and strong round wins early in eliminations. But race day luck hasn’t always followed. Still, with a deep team behind him and major support from Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem, SealMaster, and a nationwide network of franchisees, Kalitta remains locked in.
“We have a heck of an effort with all the Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem and SealMaster folks – we’ve got a lot of support from all the Mac Tools franchisees and the fans,” he said. “We’re looking forward to Sonoma and enjoying the rest of our West Coast stretch.”
Kalitta has been a force at Sonoma Raceway in the past, qualifying No. 1 last year and making numerous deep runs over the course of his career. If the team’s recent performance is any indication, he may be poised to return to the winner’s circle in Wine Country.
This story was originally published on July 22, 2025. 
