Event 24: Auto Club Finals Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Pomona, Calif November 11-13

J.R. Todd, driver of the SealMaster Top Fuel Dragster

Q1: 3.768 sec. at 324.36 MPH
Q2: 3.739 sec. at 321.58 MPH
Q3: 3.680 sec. at 327.82 MPH
Q4: 3.758 sec. at 306.12 MPH

Bonus Points: 5 pts. (Second best in the first session, best in the third session)
Starting Position: 1st
First Round Matchup: Troy Buff

Quotable: “That surprised me. When I drove by the scoreboards and saw the 3.68, I thought that was pretty impressive from Connie, Rob and all of the SealMaster Toyota guys. This thing has been trying to run really well for a long time now and here these last couple races it has really come together. Hopefully we are going in the right direction for 2017 in this SealMaster Toyota machine.”

Note: This is Todd’s first no. 1 qualifier of the season, first at Auto Club Raceway of Pomona and ninth of his career. His 3.680 second pass is a career-best and a new track record. The pass is tied for the fifth-best run in NHRA Top Fuel history. Todd and Kalitta start first and second for the first time since Dallas in 2014.

Doug Kalitta, driver of the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster

Q1: 4.704 sec. at 138.76 MPH
Q2: 5.149 sec. at 142.29 MPH
Q3: 3.764 sec. at 324.83 MPH
Q4: 3.709 sec. at 327.90 MPH

Bonus Points: 3 pts (Best of final session)
Starting Position: 2nd
First Round Matchup: Shawn Reed

Quotable: “Great way to end qualifying for the Mac Tools, Red Line Oil Toyota team. Jim O and the Mac Tools team put a great number on the board and I am excited to go for the trophy tomorrow!”

Del Worsham, driver of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car

Q1: 5.979 sec. at 118.36 MPH
Q2: 7.022 sec. at 98.83 MPH
Q3: 3.912 sec. at 327.35 MPH
Q4: 3.970 sec. at 294.75 MPH

Starting Position: 8th
First Round Matchup: Tim Wilkerson

Quotable: “The DHL team struggled a little in qualifying on Friday, but we did better today. We did not end up where we wanted, but this DHL Toyota is still strong and I feel good about our chances to repeat what we did last season at the Auto Club Finals.”

PR Contact:

(Doug Kalitta, Del Worsham, J.R. Todd)
Cody Poor
cody@kalittaracing.com

Jeff Arend, driver of the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car

Q1: 4.408 sec. at 204.91 MPH
Q2: 3.930 sec. at 317.19 MPH
Q3: 6.149 sec. at 109.34 MPH
Q4: 5.803 sec. at 120.90 MPH

Starting Position: 10th
First Round Matchup: Matt Hagan
Note: The 3.930 second elapsed time is a career-best for Arend.

For further requests for Jeff Arend or Alexis DeJoria, please contact:

Allison McCormick
allison@alexisdejoria.com

Paul Lee, driver of the McLeod Racing Toyota Camry Funny Car

Q1: 3.935 sec. at 305.36 MPH
Q2: 3.950 sec. at 324.83 MPH
Q3: 3.973 sec. at 316.82 MPH
Q4: 3.941 sec. at 320.89 MPH

Starting Position: 11th
First Round Matchup: Robert Hight
Note: The 3.935 elapsed time is a new career-best for Lee.

For further requests for Paul Lee, please contact:

Krista Baldwin
Krista.Baldwin@McLeodRacing.com

#NHRAonFOX Telecast information:
11/13 Qualifying (FS1) – 11:30am – 12:30pm
11/13 Race (FS1) – 4:00pm – 7:00pm – LIVE

All times are EST.

About Kalitta Motorsports:

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with six world championships and over 100 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

Team Kalitta is the home of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car World Champion, Del Worsham. He drives the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. J.R. Todd drives the SealMaster Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. Team Kalitta also manages the McLeod Racing Toyota Camry Funny Car driven by Paul Lee. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car, Tommy DeLago and Glen Huszar on the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car, Todd Smith on the McLeod Racing Toyota Camry Funny Car, Rob Flynn on the SealMaster Top Fuel dragster and Jim Oberhofer on the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster.

Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include ARP, AutoDesk CAM, Champion, Cogistics, Darton Sleeves, DHL, Justice Brothers, Kalitta Air, Mac Tools, Optima Batteries, Phoenix Fuel Converter, Red Line Oil, SealMaster, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Tequila Patrón, TMS Titanium, Toyota and Ziebart.