Kalitta Motorsports, a legendary professional drag racing team founded
and owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta and
based in Ypsilanti, Mich., just minutes from the Detroit city limits,
will compete in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series with one
full-time entry, the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car driven by Jeff Arend.
Also in 2009, Kalitta Motorsports will celebrate 50 years of drag
racing by Connie as he commemorates the golden landmark as a driver, tuner, and owner.
Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante will serve as co-crew chiefs on the
nitro-fueled DHL Funny Car in 2009, replacing Glenn Mikres who was
relieved of his duties as crew chief of the DHL car after the
conclusion of last season. Arend joined Kalitta Motorsports last season
to assume the driving duties of the DHL entry after the tragic death of
Scott Kalitta as the result of injuries he suffered in a high-speed
racing accident in June in New Jersey.
Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta, Connie’s nephew, will compete in the
2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in the Top Fuel class on a
part-time, race-by-race basis as the team searches for full-time
primary sponsor. Doug’s Top Fuel entry will be helmed by crew chief Jim
Oberhofer and assistant crew chief Troy Fasching. Doug, a two-time Top
Fuel championship runner-up and 30-time NHRA national event winner, and
Kalitta Motorsports were notified last December that longtime backer
Mac Tools would not return as the dragster’s primary sponsor in 2009,
but will remain with Kalitta Motorsports as an associate sponsor.