Mac Tools Back For 23rd Season With Doug Kalitta

Doug Kalitta will carry Mac Tools sponsorship again this year in the NHRA's Top Fuel class. (Mark J. Rebilas for Toyota Racing photo)

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Kalitta Motorsports officials announced Monday that Mac Tools will return to Doug Kalitta’s NHRA Top Fuel dragster this year for its 23rd straight season as the team’s primary sponsor.

Kalitta will once again pilot the familiar red-and-white Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel dragster during the upcoming NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series campaign as he pursues back-to-back world titles.

Mac Tools’ partnership with Kalitta Motorsports, which started more than two decades ago, yielded Kalitta’s long-awaited first Top Fuel championship last year. The breakthrough crown, more than a quarter-century in the making, came after six runner-up points finishes throughout Kalitta’s career.

Kalitta secured the title during the final race of the season, the NHRA Finals at Pomona (Calif.) Dragstrip, in a dramatic winner-take-all final round against Leah Pruett (Stewart).

“Kalitta Motorsports has been an amazing ambassador of the Mac Tools brand for more than 25 years, and we congratulate Doug and the Kalitta team on their championship last year,” Mac Tools President Phil Cox said. “We believe that our partnership with Kalitta Motorsports not only benefits our brand, but also helps promote the sport of drag racing and inspire the next generation of automotive professionals. We are excited to see what the future holds for Doug and the entire Kalitta Motorsports team, and we are honored to be a part of their journey.

“As a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional-grade tools and equipment, Mac Tools is committed to supporting the automotive industry and the dedicated professionals who keep it running. We are proud to align ourselves with Doug Kalitta and his team, who exemplify the same level of skill, precision, and dedication that we strive for in our products and services.”

After earning three Wally trophies last season, including his season-ending score, Kalitta stands tied with drag-racing legend Joe Amato for fifth place on the NHRA’s all-time win list with 52 victories.

He’ll begin his pursuit of a second Top Fuel championshipand 53rd career win March 7-10 at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway, during the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

“Mac Tools stuck with our race team through some tough times over the years, and it was incredible to thank them for their loyalty by delivering a championship last season,” Kalitta said. “We are so proud to continue representing Mac Tools and all of their distributors, and we’d like nothing more than to make it two in a row.

“We think of Mac Tools as far more than a corporate partner; when you have a relationship like we have, it’s more like family than [just] a partnership.”