Doug Kalitta won the Top Fuel final of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park, defeating Tony Stewart and clinching his fourth bonus race victory of the season.
Kalitta’s 3.953-second pass at 294.37 mph came in a high-stakes moment, as he entered the round not yet qualified for eliminations. The win also secured him the No. 15 spot in the field.
“Usually, it’s just a one-race thing, but it’s our home track and we’ve got our pits full with all of our guests,” Kalitta said. “The timing was good to get down the track and get in the show.”
With the victory, Kalitta has earned 18 bonus points toward the Countdown to the Championship. “Obviously, we appreciate everything Mission Foods does,” he said. “The whole concept is good, and we’re real fortunate that we got down the track.”
Stewart smoked the tires early in the final, while Kalitta relied on a late push and adjustments from his team, led by Alan Johnson. “I’ve got such confidence in my group,” Kalitta said. “I was just really hoping to get the win and then make it down the track.”
In Funny Car, Daniel Wilkerson picked up his second consecutive Mission Challenge win, defeating points leader Austin Prock with a 4.151, 305.56 run in his Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang.
Wilkerson praised his team’s performance in that duel, as well as a semifinal victory over Jack Beckman. “Both of these wins have come in warm conditions, but we’ve navigated it well,” he said.
The win was a key moment for Wilkerson’s young driving career and for the team led by his father and crew chief, Tim Wilkerson.
“Having not won anything ourselves yet since I took over driving, these wins are a serious morale boost and a serious confidence boost,” he said.
He also acknowledged the added benefit of racing Saturday. “Getting to run on Saturday, actually, I think it’s starting to help me a little bit,” Wilkerson said. “To get to practice racing is going to help me a lot.”
Gaige Herrera collected his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the season in Pro Stock Motorcycle. He posted a 6.831-second run at 198.15 mph after Angie Smith red-lit.
“Yesterday, we were kind of scratching our heads, especially after the last two runs,” Herrera said. “We were here late working on the bikes, just trying to figure out what we needed to do.”
The win provided a timely boost of confidence heading into race day. “Getting the Mission Foods win here for the third time is awesome,” Herrera said. “It gives me a little cushion and a lot of confidence going in tomorrow.”
