It took longer than expected, but veteran Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta finally returned to the winner’s circle.
Kalitta, the 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion, won for the first time in 2025 when he claimed the title at the Denso NHRA Sonoma (CA) Nationals on Sunday.
Kalitta clocked a 3.752-second elapsed time at 334.57 mph to defeat Antron Brown, who slowed to 4.067 seconds at 229.74 mph due to engine issues.
“We’ve been trying to get us a win for quite a while, obviously qualifying well, and so for me it’s definitely a confidence builder,” said Kalitta, who has led the field into eliminations six times this season. “Hopefully that’s what I’ve needed to get past getting, obviously, to the final round, I’m getting these opportunities to win. Back in the day when I first started, this was the first place I won at. So, it definitely has a lot of cool history for me, and it’s always nice to come out here.
“Antron’s never easy in the final, so I don’t know what happened with his car, but I was just happy that the light came on. It’s been a while. It was the first one of the year for us, so it’s definitely going to be … It’s good timing for me and my team going into the stretch here.”
Kalitta, driving the Mac Tools Toyota dragster for Kalitta Motorsports, captured his 56th career Wally and his sixth win at Sonoma Raceway, the most of any Top Fuel driver at the facility. Kalitta broke a tie he had been in with Brown for career Top Fuel wins at the track.
“I’ve always been saying that this is my favorite track just because I had won my first race here and it’s just beautiful here,” Kalitta said. “My wife, she always seems to come to this race and does all the wine stuff, so it’s always been a fun place for her and our families. I knew it was going to be a tight race. I was glad I got lane choice, and it’s maybe just psychological, I think all the lanes were probably about the same. It was definitely good to get by Antron. It’s always good when your Mac guys are here and you beat a tool car, so that was a good day for us.”
Kalitta’s first Wally came in 1998, when he defeated Bruce Sarver in the final round at Sonoma.
“We were in it the whole weekend, so I think Alan liked it, but I really think this is such a nice track,” said Kalitta about being in the left lane all weekend. “I’m pretty sure it’s pretty even out there, but we stayed in the left. It’s interesting when you’re staging the car, you pull up just far enough and there’s this bump thing that the car settles past and then… Anyways, I don’t know if it’s that way in a Funny Car, but … it was definitely a good run for us all weekend – or all day today in that left lane – for sure.”
Kalitta previously had wins in Sonoma in 1998-2000 and 2004-05. This was Kalitta’s first win since Richmond, Va., on June 23, 2024. Kalitta is fourth in the points standings, 120 points behind his teammate Shawn Langdon. Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley are second and third, respectively.
Kalitta improved his round record to 19-11 for the season. After qualifying No. 2 with a 3.661-second elapsed time at 332.84 mph, Kalitta ousted Ron August Jr., Josh Hart, received a bye run in the semifinals, and then outran Brown in the finals.
“Ron’s beat us a couple different times. We never can take him lightly, but, no, he had a good run,” Kalitta said. “Yeah, it was definitely needed to go down the track, and fortunately we had a really good run.”
Kalitta’s been no stranger to winning this season except that his victories have come on Saturdays in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge races, which he has won four times.
“e’ve been winning Saturdays, and I just knew it was a matter of time,” he said. “My guys, we’re all hungry right now. There’s some big money up for the regular-season championship thing, which I think we might be a little far back, but it’s drag racing – who knows what’s going to happen? I’m just real proud of my team, and definitely getting the first win of the year here is definitely special.”
The timing of Kalitta’s first win of the season couldn’t have been better as he’s trying to end up the regular season champ, which means a $150,000 bonus.
“I struggled a little bit today. I think I just needed some confidence and a win. So yeah, I just got to shake it off and just race. My lights weren’t the greatest today, but I’m working hard at it and definitely keep working at it,” Kalitta said.
There two races remaining in the regular season – the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, set Aug. 14-17, in Brainerd, Minn and the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, slated for Aug. 27 through Sept. 1 in Indianapolis.
