Mac Tools Dragster driver Doug Kalitta, the No. 2-seeded Top Fuel contender, said the topic of his repeated bridesmaid status is “definitely one of those subjects like getting your teeth pulled. You know, you don’t really feel like sitting around and talking about it – at least I wouldn’t.”

So don’t expect a flood of frustration from the low-key Michigan airline owner who once again is resigned to missing out on a championship. He put his situation in perspective.

“You know, mathematically, 150 points behind with two races to go, you know we’re going to give it all we got. We’re not going to give up, obviously, until mathematically you can’t,” Kalitta said. “It’s disappointing that unfortunately we lost a little ground. So, it’s just one of those deals. You know the competition level in all the classes, and it just reiterates how important the last six races are. You’ve really got to have your s--- straight and be going rounds and not make any mistakes. So it is what it is at this point. We’ve got a great team, and we’re just going to go out here and see if we can do all we can here in the last two races and see what happens.”

Part of what has happened is Kalitta landed in – yep – the tentative No. 2 slot in the order Friday.

Kalitta has a USAC Sprint Car national title. Does he need an NHRA Top Fuel championship to validate his efforts?

“No. I’m just real proud of really everybody that’s got me to this point. That would mean more to me than anything, to do something like that [win a championship] for everybody that’s helped me along here. But, no, hopefully that won’t be the situation by the time I get done running these things. But, I don’t think so, really,” Kalitta said.

He said what inspires him to return year after year and fighting tooth and nail is simple. He does it for the satisfaction.

“The competition level out here is what does it, really,” Kalitta said. “It’s just tough. And you’ve got such a great group. And we’ve been working on everything that we do. We’re definitely making strides with all of our teams here. And obviously with Del winning the championship last year, getting one for the home team was great. So, it motivated all of us to try and get it again this year. But yeah, it’s just competition. It’s tough.”

He said he doesn’t spend any time comparing himself to Funny Car’s Ron Capps, who’s in a similar situation.

“But it would be great to see him get it done,” he said. “You know, he’s got a good-running car. And [NAPA crew chief] Rahn Tobler, he’s got a few championships under his belt already, so they’re in a good position,” he said.

Kalitta won this race last October, as well as in 2004. He has reached four finals here (one in the fall of 2007 and three in the spring, in 2003, 2005, and 2014).

“Las Vegas is a great track for Kalitta Motorsports as a whole,” he said. “I won the Toyota Nationals last season, and then we had that great all-Kalitta Toyota Funny Car final here in the spring. I am very proud of this Mac Tools Toyota team. They continue to fight and work hard. We are going to go into the Toyota Nationals planning to win and using that momentum to finish the season strong."   

He said life without drag racing “would definitely be different. You know, my kids are getting up there in age, too, that they’ll probably move out here before too long. That’s how quickly they grow up,” He said, “I’ve raced probably since 1982, chasing, like when I first started working with Connie, that’s when I started working with him, we were chasing some points thing then. And then my sprint car stuff. I did that for like 10 years. And been out here for 20, so it’s been quite a while I’ve been racing, trying to succeed at the points championship thing. It’s a great opportunity to be out racing in any kind of division. And certainly out here racing the Top Fuel class is pretty cool.”

He said his competitive fires still are stoked. “Just to see the opportunity with what we’re doing with the in-house chassis stuff, just all the advancements that we’re making, motivates I think all the drivers here [at Kalitta Motorsports], especially me, that we’ve got a great chance at running ahead of these guys. Because that’s really what it takes. You’ve got to have a great car and solid performances, and obviously driving the thing, as well,” he said.

“It takes the whole team effort. It’s definitely not just one little piece that makes it happen out here. It’s cool to see how far we’ve come here. My car this year’s been running really well. We’ve just had some bad breaks. Obviously the last couple races, I screwed up the one deal in Reading, and then last weekend we had an opportunity that we just didn’t make it happen running Antron second round. So, it’s those kind of deals that you know, you just have to try to avoid.”