Toyota earns seventh consecutive Top Fuel victory
CONCORD, N.C. (September 24, 2023) – After claiming his long-awaited 50th career victory last weekend, Doug Kalitta won his second straight NHRA Top Fuel event in the Betway Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway on Sunday. Kalitta defeated no. 1 qualifier Mike Salinas in the category final Sunday afternoon. With his stellar run in Charlotte, Kalitta now leads the Top Fuel points standings as the Countdown to the Championship approaches its halfway point next weekend.
Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon were the other Toyota Top Fuel drivers that advanced on Sunday, and both were eliminated in the second round of competition.
In Funny Car, it was a tough Carolina Nationals for Toyota’s three drivers. Battling adversity throughout the weekend, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria were eliminated in the first round on Sunday. All three Toyota Funny Car drivers will have an immediate chance to bounce back next weekend in the Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
zMAX Dragway
Race 17 of 21
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Winner | W 3.718 vs. S. Torrence (3.725) W 3.741 vs. S. Langdon (4.907) W 3.745 vs. L. Pruett (3.778) W 3.696 vs. M. Salinas (3.718) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.686) vs. S. Massey (3.745) L 5.050 vs. L. Pruett (3.829) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.764) vs. T. Schumacher (4.257) L 4.907 vs. D. Kalitta (3.741) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L 3.725 vs. D. Kalitta (3.718) |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L 4.922 vs. L. Pruett (3.708) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L 3.947 vs. P. Lee (3.919) |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L 4.729 vs. D. Richards (4.176) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L 6.692 vs. B. Tasca III (3.871) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Winner
Can you take us through your day?
“Well, the sun was out most of today, which was much different to what we’ve been running most of the weekend with all the cloud cover and low temperatures. So yeah, it was really nice to get this win today. We were getting 74s times down the track and we really had to tune the car up for the final. Mike (Salinas) was right there at the end; Mr. 300 I guess you could call him now. Overall, it was a great run today for my guys.”
What’s it like to be back in the points lead?
“It’s been a while, that’s for sure. With Alan Johnson (crew chief), Brian Husen (co-crew chief) and all those guys on the team, they’re used to winning championships. I’m glad I’ll be along for the ride with wherever we end up with. It’s a great start to the Countdown for us, and I just have a ton of support from everyone’s who been following me over the years. This should be a good run, and we’ll keep plugging away at it.”