Mac Tools and Kalitta Motorsports aren’t ready to put an expiration date on one of drag racing’s longest-running sponsorship relationships.
The companies announced Saturday they have signed a multiyear extension that will keep Mac Tools as the primary sponsor of Doug Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster. The agreement comes during the 25th anniversary season of a partnership that has followed Kalitta through much of his NHRA career.
“This is a truly special moment for Mac Tools,” Mac Tools President Phil Cox said. “What we’ve built with Kalitta Motorsports over more than 25 years is far more than a sponsorship – it’s a relationship rooted in trust, shared passion and a commitment to winning the right way. Doug Kalitta and the entire Kalitta organization have been outstanding ambassadors for our brand, and they mean so much to our franchisees, our customers and our team.”
The extension comes at a time when Kalitta and Mac Tools in the middle of another championship run. Kalitta entered the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals with four victories, a three-race winning streak and a 67-point advantage over Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon.
Kalitta has also clinched his second consecutive Mission Foods Challenge season championship. The Indianapolis weekend closes the NHRA regular season before points are reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
For Mac Tools, the sponsorship has remained a constant through changes in cars, crew members and championship formats.
“Long-term partner relationships are pretty unusual, but we’re really lucky to have been with Mac Tools for a quarter century,” Kalitta said. “We’re real fortunate to be able to go even longer. Mac Tools is a significant part of what we’ve got going on at Kalitta Motorsports.”
Kalitta said the relationship has extended well beyond putting the Mac Tools name on the side of his dragster. Through the years, he has developed relationships with the company’s franchise owners and their families while Mac Tools has remained one of Kalitta Motorsports’ cornerstone partners.
“They’ve been with me since the early days of my career, and we’ve built relationships with so many Mac Tools franchise owners and their families over the years,” Kalitta said. “We have two championships together, but all my guys are hungry to win another one. We’re looking forward to more great times together, and I really can’t thank them enough for staying with us all these years – thanks to Phil Cox and his team for continuing to make it happen.”
