About Connie
He is one of the most successful professional drag racers and crew chiefs in NHRA’s Top Fuel class – ever
Connie Kalitta is a legend. not just in NHRA Drag Racing but in all of Motorsports. He is one of the most successful professional drag racers and crew chiefs in NHRA’s Top Fuel class – ever. Driving a Top Fuel dragster adorned with “The Bounty Hunter” livery, Kalitta was a threat to win every time he eased up to the starting line. Kalitta set the world speed record on multiple occasions and won three championships in other sanctioning bodies during his driving career.Kalitta may be best known for his fleet of cargo aircraft flying all over the world. Ironically, it was money earned in drag racing that enabled him to purchase the Cessna 310 that allowed him to start the business that would eventually become Kalitta Air, which Kalitta founded in November of 2000 with three Boeing 747 aircraft. Today, that fleet of cargo aircraft includes 22 747s, 15 777s are capable of air express delivery of virtually any type of freight. The company provides scheduled or on-demand charter service for customers in the United States and around the world. He was enshrined into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in April, 2019. Kalitta is a six-time World Championship Team Owner taking titles in 1994 and ’95 with his son, Scott, with Del Worsham in 2015, with J.R. Todd in 2018 and with his nephew, Doug, in 2023 and 2025.
How it all began
Chasing the Dream
Connie Kalitta’s journey began with humble roots and a passion for speed that led him into competitive NHRA drag racing in 1959. Early in his career, he earned the nickname “The Bounty Hunter” by displaying his competitors’ names on his car and crossing them off after defeating them on the track.
In 1964, Connie became the first driver to exceed 200 mph in NHRA competition at the prestigious U.S. Nationals. The following year, he became a factory-backed Ford Top Fuel driver. By 1967, he had won four premier races across multiple sanctioning bodies, including NHRA, IHRA, AHRA, and NASCAR. He used his racing winnings to purchase a Cessna 310, driven by his desire to learn to fly and explore new opportunities in aviation. Connie continued driving Top Fuel dragsters and nitro Funny Cars into the early 1970s before shifting his focus toward building an aviation cargo business.
Owner, Driver, Championship Crew Chief
Connie’s impact on drag racing extended beyond his accomplishments behind the wheel. In 1977, he served as a championship crew chief, helping make history as a woman became the first to win an NHRA World Championship and join the prestigious 250-mph Club.
Connie continued to build his own racing legacy, capturing IHRA Top Fuel World Championships in 1979 and 1982. As his aviation business grew, he balanced his entrepreneurial pursuits with occasional returns to the racetrack throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His ability to succeed as a driver, owner, and crew chief cemented his reputation as one of drag racing’s most versatile and influential figures.
Setting Records and Hanging up the Driving Gloves
In 1989, Connie became the first driver to officially break the 290-mph barrier, recording a remarkable 291.54 mph. Five years later, he won the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals, adding another defining achievement to his driving career. Already inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992, Connie stepped away from driving in the mid-1990s, shifting his focus toward leading and developing the racing organization he had built.
The Legacy and Future
Beginning in 1998, Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, took over the team’s Top Fuel driving duties while Connie continued to guide the organization as an owner and crew chief. Alongside his son, Scott Kalitta, Doug helped carry on the family tradition of competing in Top Fuel dragsters and nitro Funny Cars.
In 2001, during NHRA’s 50th anniversary celebration, Connie was ranked No. 21 among the sport’s Top 50 drivers of all time. In 2016, he received NHRA’s first Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to drag racing. Today, Kalitta Motorsports has earned more than 145 NHRA national event victories and multiple world championships, continuing a tradition of performance and excellence that Connie established decades ago.
The next generation is already making its mark. Connie’s grandson, Mitchell, son of Doug, is competing in the Sportsman ranks in A/Fuel Dragster, while grandsons Corey and Colin contribute to the family’s aviation operations at Kalitta Air. Today, Kalitta Motorsports fields two Top Fuel dragsters, driven by Doug Kalitta and Shawn Langdon, along with a nitro Funny Car driven by J.R. Todd. With family members carrying the Kalitta name forward both in the air and on the racetrack, Connie’s legacy continues to evolve with each new generation.
Gallery
