Just one day after Doug Kalitta clinched his second NHRA Top Fuel championship in three seasons, NHRA officials canceled the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip due to persistent rainfall and unsafe track conditions. The decision ended the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with no professional passes completed and eliminated any chance for a last-day upset.
After continuous efforts from the NHRA Safety Safari and repeated consultations with safety officials, the sanctioning body determined the racing surface could not be brought back to competition standards. The race was canceled mid-afternoon as deteriorating conditions and a poor forecast offered no viable options to continue.
Kalitta arrived in Pomona needing only a qualifying attempt to secure the title. When rain washed out every round of qualifying and forced NHRA to set the field on points, the Michigan native clinched the championship. His 2025 crown marks the sixth title for Kalitta Motorsports.
The team also secured a milestone result with Shawn Langdon finishing second in points, delivering Kalitta Motorsports its first one-two Top Fuel season. It is only the second time in NHRA history that a single organization locked out the top two positions, mirroring Don Schumacher Racing’s sweep in 2012.
“It’s kind of disappointing, really,” Kalitta said. “We were definitely hoping to get a shot at the track, but unfortunately, it needs a lot of work after all that rain.”
Kalitta added that the team was prepared for a full-weekend fight had conditions allowed. “Even though the sun came out, the forecast still just isn’t looking good,” he said. “It’s just one of those deals.”
Kalitta’s second championship comes two years after he won his long-awaited first NHRA title in 2023. He secured the 2025 crown before eliminations after all four qualifying sessions were rained out and the field was set off points entering the final race.
The run to the championship was defined by early Countdown dominance. Kalitta reached the final round at the first four playoff events, winning St. Louis and Dallas to take control of the title chase.
“I’ve never had a relaxing Pomona at the end of the year,” Kalitta said. “It’s always seemed to come down to the last race, the last day.”
He credited crew chief Alan Johnson and the team’s ability to produce consistent full pulls. “Going A to B a lot of times has been nice — just not doing something stupid on the track and getting a good solid run,” he said.
Kalitta’s playoff charge began in Reading, Pa., where he advanced to the semifinals after a significant on-track incident. In the second round, Kalitta’s dragster suffered a front-tire issue after crossing the stripe, making contact with Tony Stewart’s car. Both drivers walked away and Kalitta’s team immediately rolled out a yet-unrun backup car.
“We were just talking earlier, and Alan said, ‘well, if we have to wreck a car in Reading every year, I guess that’s what we have to do to win the championship,’” Kalitta said. “He’s just got it figured out with the technology of all these pieces on this car.”
Despite the setback, Kalitta reached the final round and left Reading with a slim points lead he never surrendered.
From there, his march to the title accelerated. He reached another final in Charlotte, then dominated St. Louis as the No. 1 qualifier before winning the event. In Dallas, he added a second straight win and extended his points cushion to 141 entering the final two races.
Crew chief Johnson said the team focused on peaking late. “Everything we worked on throughout the year played out how we envisioned it,” he said. “We got the job done.”
Kalitta’s semifinal appearance in Las Vegas further widened the gap, leaving him one qualifying attempt away from clinching the championship in Pomona. Rain handled the rest.
His second title brings Team Kalitta’s championship total to six and marks the 14th championship of Johnson’s career with seven different drivers.
Kalitta acknowledged the family significance of the moment. “My cousin (Scott Kalitta) did it back-to-back 1994, ’95, so I managed to tie him,” he said. “It’s just a dream come true.”
The 49-time event winner said the team’s chemistry has been critical. “It’s a hell of an opportunity to drive for Connie,” Kalitta said. “It’s so competitive out here; we’re all friends, but we all want to beat everyone else.”
Kalitta Motorsports General Manager Chad Head said the achievement carries weight across the organization. “Doing this with Mac Tools, two out of the last three years, is just really exciting,” Head said. “Hopefully, Kalitta Motorsports can continue to win championships in this sport for a long time.”
