Doug Kalitta can now check this off his bucket list.

For the first time in his career, Kalitta has won three races in a row.

Kalitta made it a hat trick when he won a pedalfest in his Mac Tools dragster past reigning world champion Antron Brown Sunday at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

Kalitta clocked a 5.452-second time at 238.86 mph - while losing body panels - to hold off Brown’s 5.687-second effort at 298.60 mph.

“My car, I don’t think the thing ever really hooked up,” said Kalitta, who made his NHRA Top Fuel debut in 1998. “Fortunately, I got there a little quicker than Antron because he went blowing by me right at the finish line. If this was a quarter-mile, I think I probably would have gotten beat. The panels look like they were having issues, but the thing was still running good. Jim (Oberhofer, Kalitta’s crew chief) and everybody on this Mac Tools car worked their tails off (Sunday). It’s pretty exciting (to win three races in a row). I’m definitely proud of my guys and the opportunity I have here with Connie (Kalitta).”

This was Kalitta’s 41st career national event victory and third this season. Kalitta will remain in the points lead as he departs Topeka. He placed a career-best second in the point standings in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Kalitta now has two career wins at Topeka (2006 and 2016). His cousin, the late Scott Kalitta, has the most Top Fuel wins in Heartland Park history with six.

“Scott, this was like his track, he loved this place (Heartland Park),” Doug said. “It’s just real special to come and have success at a place Scott loved to race at. It’s great that this whole team has kept this legacy going at this track. It’s a cool facility.”

Kalitta ousted Rob Passey, Clay Millican, Steve Torrence and then Brown during his Sunday victory march.

“We exploded a supercharger in the first round and we changed everything we had and after that the parts damage wasn’t too bad actually,” Kalitta said. “I was a little surprised in the final there, with it smoking the tires, but I’m just happy to get the win.”

Kalitta has won 12 rounds in a row and he last lost in eliminations when he finished third in the Four-Wide Nationals finals in Charlotte, N.C., to Brittany Force and Brown April 24 at zMax Dragway.

“We have a lot of momentum and we keep winning rounds,” Kalitta said. “My guys are doing a great job and we will just keep doing what we are doing. This is a really good car and a really good team. We’ve brought the building of the cars, the frames in-house this year, and that has helped us this year and it’s all those little things that hopefully keep adding up.”

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