The object of a drag race is to drive as quick and fast as you can to the finish line.
As Doug Kalitta knows all too well, the goal is also to turn on the win light. He's now turned the win light on 12 times in a row on race day; the equivalent of three consecutive national event victories. In winning the NHRA Kansas Nationals at Heartland-Park - Topeka, Kalitta has already established himself as a Countdown to the Championship contender.
Kalitta isn't the only one streaking as Matt Hagan scored his second consecutive 2016 Funny Car win and Jason Line maintained the KB Racing stranglehold with his fifth win in eight consecutive final rounds.
The eighth stop on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series produced national records and personal bests in qualifying, but on race day required a different kind of driving skill.
Good thing for Kalitta he once raced open-wheel sprint cars because the experience came in handy in a traction-challenged Top Fuel final again defending series champion Antron Brown. He needed only a 5.425 elapsed time at 238 miles per hour to secure the victory and pad his point standings lead.
“The thing just went up in smoke instantly, so I just worked it trying to get it down the track and fortunately, never seen Antron (Brown) until the very end," said Kalitta. "“You just take what you can get as quickly as you can do it. Fortunately, I got there just a little quicker than Antron. It was exciting. These wins don’t come easy.”’
No. 1 qualifier and new national record holder Brittany Force was eliminated in the second round after committing a foul start against Brown. The Monster Energy-sponsored driver left the starting line .001 too early.
For Hagan, racing against teammate Jack Beckman in the Funny Car final round wasn't the same as the speed competition the two engaged in during Friday's record-setting Q-2 session.
Hagan's winning final round run likely resembled driving his pick-up truck through a muddy pasture back on his Christiansburg, Va.-based farm. He established himself as the quickest Funny Car driver in the world with a 335-mile per hour blast on Friday but could only manage 174 miles per hour at 5.72 seconds.
"That’s why we drive these things because they’re just like riding a bull," Hagan explained. "You never know what you’re going to get. It’s a wild ride out there, but man, my adrenaline is still pumping."
Drag racing fans were treated to an adrenaline rush at the expense of Tim Wilkerson during the semi-finals. The two-time 2016 winner launched in his race against Beckman, reportedly broke an oil line which forced his car to turn hard right into the wall and spin out. He was uninjured in the accident.
There were no races where they needed to feather the throttle, nor were they ever out of control but when it came to the race this weekend the KB Racing trio resembled an old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fee locomotive thundering through Heartland Park - Topeka.
Line overcame a holeshot from Greg Anderson and tracked him down for a 6.664, 207.85 to 6.687, 207.02 decision.
This win marked the first time in Topeka for Line.
“Man, it means everything to get this first win,' line said. 'This place has been rough on me; that’s for sure. I’ve never done anything good here at all, so it’s unbelievable. To beat him (Greg Anderson) in the finals, you know, he’s tough. I’m not the greatest driver out here, so the fact that my win light came on, that’s all I care about.'
The stars of NHRA will be back in action in two weeks with the NHRA New England Nationals.
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Bobby Bennett is the Publisher/Editor of CompetitionPlus.com, a leading independent online drag racing magazine, since 1999. For the latest in dragster news worldwide, visit www.competitionplus.com or follow on Twitter @competitionplus
