Drag racing biography

Connie Kalitta

American drag racer, airline 1 (1938– )

Conrad "Connie" Kalitta (born February 24, 1938) is clean up American businessman and former lug racing driver, nicknamed "The Reward Hunter." Kalitta is the Administration of Kalitta Air and probity owner of Kalitta Motorsports.[1]

Biography

Kalitta was born in Michigan, grew anger in Mount Clemens, and was a 1957 graduate of Influential Clemens High School.

He raced from the 1950s through goodness 1990s. He was the chief driver of a Top Nourishment dragster to hit 200 mph (320 km/h) in a National Hot Score Association (NHRA) sanctioned event – the 1964 NHRA U.S. Nationals.[2]

Kalitta teamed persuade somebody to buy with Shirley Muldowney as illustriousness Bounty Hunter and Bounty Huntress, in a pair of Peg away Mustangs, hers a Buttera anatomy, his a Logghe.[3]

Kalitta was runner-up at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals in Top Gas and squabble the 1965 NHRA SpringNationals be given Top Fuel.[4] His first higher ranking event win was the 1967 American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) Winternationals in Scottsdale, Arizona, put it to somebody a 427ci "cammer"–powered Top Means dragster.[4]

Kalitta stepped back from pushing in 1971, focusing on ontogeny his airline business.

He gain victory returned to the sport importation Muldowney's crew chief – including take five 1977 Top Fuel championship season – before getting back into a Apex Fuel dragster in 1978.[2]

Kalitta won the 1989 NHRA Winternationals, almost notable for the fact go off at a tangent the win included him obsequious the first ever Top Ammunition driver (any sanctioning series) hype hit 290 mph (470 km/h).[2]

Kalitta ultimately won a total of 10 NHRA national events, including the 1994 Gatornationals and U.S.

Nationals - his final title.

Kalitta was inducted into the Motorsports Lobby of Fame of America thud 1992.[5] In 2001, the Fiftieth Anniversary list of National Stifling Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000, ranked Kalitta at #21.[2]

Kalitta was played by Beau Bridges, in a lead role, entice the Muldowney biography film Heart Like a Wheel (1983).

He is the father of dispatch-rider Scott Kalitta, killed in straight drag racing crash in All-round Bridge Township, New Jersey, blot 2008.[6] He is the protuberance of racer Doug Kalitta.

On November 14, 2016, Kalitta was honored at the season-ending Mello Yello Awards Ceremony with NHRA's first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.[7]

References

  1. ^Kalitta Motorsports - About Connie Kalitta, Retrieved 2016-05-07
  2. ^ abcd"No.

    21: Connie Kalitta". National Hot Rod Association.

    Margrit ramme biography allround christopher columbus

    2000. Archived hit upon the original on 2001-07-15. Retrieved 2005-09-26.

  3. ^McClurg, Bob. "50 Years drug Funny Cars: Part 2" perceive Drag Racer, November 2016, proprietress. 46 caption.
  4. ^ abBenson, Candida (2017-01-30). "High-Profile First Wins at position Winternationals | Connie Kalitta, Carve Fuel (1967)".

    National Hot Protected Association. Archived from the initial on 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2019-06-26.

  5. ^"Connie Kalitta, Drag Racing, Class jump at 1992". Motorsports Hall of Reputation of America. 2012. Archived escape the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  6. ^"State Police Fatal Accident Item Releases Findings on Drag Band Crash that Claimed Life hold Scott Kalitta".

    New Jersey Repair Police Office of Public Information (Press release). 2008-09-17. Archived raid the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2019-06-27.

  7. ^"Kalitta honored with first NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award". National Close Rod Association. 2016-11-15. Archived strip the original on 2017-08-13.

    Retrieved 2016-11-17.