Quick Facts
Biography
Doug Kalitta (born August 20, 1964) is an American auto racing driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan and owner of airline Kalitta Charters.
Kalitta formerly raced in USAC events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint competitions.
In 1998 he joined the NHRA, becoming a top fuel drag racer. Kalitta finished second in the top fuel points race in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2016. He is fifth on the all-time top fuel wins list; the most recent of his 43 victories (Kalitta also has 88 career final round appearances) came in winning at the World Finals in Pomona in 2016.
Kalitta has a wife, Josie Kalitta, a son Mitchell Kalitta, and a daughter Avery Kalitta. Kalitta's father is the now-deceased Doug Kalitta Sr., and he is the nephew of Connie Kalitta, a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Scott Kalitta, an NHRA driver who died on June 21, 2008 in a racing accident, was his cousin. He owns the airline Kalitta Charters.
