Former USAC champion Doug Kalitta taught his drag racing comrades a lesson in why they should stick to the straight-line. He won last Saturday’s 12-lap NHRA Circle Track Challenge at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kalitta, who started ninth in the 15-car field of NHRA all-stars, took the lead from Greeneville's Allen Johnson on lap 10 after stalking him for several laps around the .533-mile oval.

“I tell you, it was tough out there,” he said. “I had to work hard out there but I had a lot of fun. I really appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to do this.

“I had to get up in the wall a little to get past Allen and I tell you, it was so much fun. I was just glad to be able to get around these guys at the end.”

Former USAC champion Doug Kalitta taught his drag racing comrades a lesson in why they should stick to the straight-line. He won last Saturday’s 12-lap NHRA Circle Track Challenge at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kalitta, who started ninth in the 15-car field of NHRA all-stars, took the lead from Greeneville's Allen Johnson on lap 10 after stalking him for several laps around the .533-mile oval.

“I tell you, it was tough out there,” he said. “I had to work hard out there but I had a lot of fun. I really appreciate the fact that I had the opportunity to do this.

“I had to get up in the wall a little to get past Allen and I tell you, it was so much fun. I was just glad to be able to get around these guys at the end.”

Ron Capps finished second in the NHRA portion of the race, followed by Antron Brown and Greg Anderson. Both Capps and Brown had round track experience. Last night's race was Anderson's first on an oval.

Anderson started 12th and patiently made his way to the front after Justin Humphreys and Gary Scelzi found trouble in the early laps. For the Pro Stock legend, driving on a circle track proved to be a lot of fun.

Other NHRA stars taking part in the Circle Track Challenge were Beckman, Johnson, Justin Humphreys, Jeg Coughlin, Gary Scelzi, Jason Line, Cory McClenathan, J.R. Todd, Kurt Johnson and Tony Schumacher.

NOT HIS DAY ON THE OVAL – Gary Scelzi won the oval track event prior to the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, Mo., and

many of his fellow racers joked that was because he wrecked everyone else.

He didn’t win the Bristol Motor Speedway event and not because he was unable to generate carnage.

“I didn't crash anybody, but two things happened,” Scelzi admitted. “I ran out of brakes and I ran out of talent all at the same time. And, those soft walls, regardless of what anyone says, are not soft. It hit a ton. I tried to stop the thing, obviously I had no brakes, so I just said I would shut the motor off and let it die on compression which it may have done it if had a drive line in it. So I just kinda looped and loffed and flipped and flooped her all the way around to the front straightaway.”

Regardless of the end result, Scelzi enjoyed the moment.

“We had a good time,” Scelzi said. “I think I had something for them. This thing really had some motor I just wished it had some brakes.”