NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Top Fuel championship contender Doug Kalitta will start the 2022 NHRA Countdown to the Championship racing a blue and white CMR Construction and Roofing Top Fuel dragster at historic Maple Grove Raceway. 

The 49-time national event winner will be looking for his second national event win at the picturesque racetrack nestled in the hills surrounding Reading, Pa. The six-race battle for the NHRA Top Fuel championship will be underway this Friday with Kalitta along with Top Fuel teammate Shawn Langdon and Funny Car teammate J.R. Todd looking to capture another world championship for Kalitta Motorsports.

“This is a big weekend for our team getting the playoffs started and running this CMR Construction and Roofing Top Fuel dragster,” said Kalitta. “CMR has been a great sponsor, and we love the opportunity to highlight their company, especially on a FOX race. They have done work on a couple of our buildings, including our shop in Ypsilanti [Mich.], and they also do a lot of charity work across the country. We are looking forward to getting the Countdown started with a strong race in Maple Grove.”

This season Kalitta has been building momentum with the new crew chief tandem of Alan Johnson and Brian Husen calling the shots, and this weekend’s race should be a great opportunity for the CMR Top Fuel dragster to continue that positive trajectory. A semifinal finish in Sonoma combined with strong qualifying efforts throughout the season has Kalitta poised to make a move in the playoffs. Earlier this year, he qualified No. 1 at the NHRA Arizona Nationals and most recently in five of the last six races he has qualified in the top half of the field.