Duration : 0:4:3

Technorati Tags: arend, bruton smith, charlotte, dhl, drag racing, four wide, funny car, kalitta, nationals, nhra, nitro, ZMax

Duration : 0:6:0

Technorati Tags: accident, Anderson, Car, Crash, death, Funny, Greg, Kalita, kalitta, Kallita, Lucas, nhra, Oil, Racing, scott, Supernationals, wreck

Duration : 0:3:19

Technorati Tags: accident, accidents, auto, automobile, Car, Crash, crashed, Crashes, dead, death, dies, Driver, Funny, In, kalitta, killed, macrostiff, nhra, scott, wreck, wrecked, Wrecks

Duration : 0:4:12

Technorati Tags: 1997, Amato, bernstein, bruce, Cristen, Englishtown, Fuel, Gary, Joe, kalitta, kenny, Louis, nhra, Powell, Sarver, Scelzi, scott, St, to, Top

His qualifying tilt of 4.517 seconds, at over 332.82 miles per hour in 2007 at WSID, stands as both the quickest and fastest one-off runs in Australian Drag Racing history, with the Speed mark still standing as the National Speed Record in ANDRA Championship Drag Racing.

Kalitta’s official National Record mark of 4.567 at the same event in 2007 in Sydney, was only just bettered by Phil Read at the last event of the Championship a fortnight ago, during the Castrol Edge Winternationals.

Speaking of team Read, Western Sydney International Dragway board Chairman Jim Read, spoke emotively of Scott Kalitta and his accomplishments.

“The news of Scott’s passing has shaken me up as much as any tragedy has,” remarked Read in a very emotive tone. “Scott like his father Connie and his cousin Doug, is passionate about Drag Racing. As everyone knows, we had Scott and a lot of the Kalitta team here in Sydney and we got to know Scott’s wife and kids… having them at our home for Christmas dinner and so on… I really struggle to find the words to say how devastated I feel about this news…”

Like so many Drag Racing teams, the Kalitta team is all about family efforts and it’s these aspects that stick in Jim Read’s mind at this time…

“His young boy Corey (14) was already living the Drag Racing dream with his dad, grinding clutch plates and just being part of it all… it’s the effect on the family which really saddens me greatly.”

The loss of Scott Kalitta will have a heavy impact in Australian Top Fuel ranks, as the knowledge sharing with both the Jim Read Racing and Santo Rapisarda teams was valuable and significant and the friendships which result from these relationships.

“I know some people question knowledge sharing but the spectacle in ANDRA Top Fuel these days with 4.5 second passes is in no small part to data gathering and learning from all that and the generosity of the Kalitta Motorsports fraternity has been a real positive influence on a few teams here — including ours,” remarked Bruce Read the Crew Chief for current Australian Top Fuel Champion — brother Phil Read.

“What is more tragic, is we have befriended the Kalitta family and the team as a whole. I have already spoken to several members of the team and you can imagine how they feel right now and its one of the dark and cloudy days we suffer as human beings, where no words can adequately cover the pain and anguish that must exist for the entire Kalitta team and family. Our thoughts are all with them at this terrible time.”

In this authors’ own mind, images of what Scott Kalitta was all about come rapid and vivid.

When he came out for the first Boxing Day event in Sydney, he had a genuine smile on his face about racing for racing’s sake, he is forever the passionate Drag Racer…

“What I am loving about racing in Australia is we are concentrating on gettin’ down that quarter mile here. Many people know I am not the biggest fan of all the media stuff, entertaining sponsors and all that. I know we have to do that (sponsors and media) but for me, it is all about racing these cars. That’s what I love to do and down here we just want to race hard and put on a good show for the Australian fans here… and that suits me just fine. Racing in Australia is about pure Drag Racing, which sometimes we can lose back home…”

May we never forget that Scott Kalitta Drag Racing passion!

Duration : 0:0:55

Technorati Tags: accident, Crash, Drag, Fuel, kalitta, killed, nhra, Racing, scott, Top

Duration : 0:2:24

Technorati Tags: 1996, 66, accident, air, al, alan, bad, bernstein, blaine, blow, blowover, brandon, burnout, Capps, Car, castrol, chicago, connie, Crash, Crashes, doug, Drag, drags, engine, ever, Explode, explosion, Fast, Fastest, fire, Force, Fuel, Funny, gainsville, gatornationals, hoffman, John, Johnson, kalitta, kenny, nationals, nhra, nitro, pass, pomona, pro, quickest, raceway, Racing, record, Ron, route, schumacher, scott, stock, tony, Top, up, Warren, wheelie, wheelstand, worlds

Duration : 0:0:42

Technorati Tags: Car, Funny, kalitta, killed, qualifier

Duration : 0:3:35

Technorati Tags: 1996, 66, accident, air, alan, bernstein, blaine, blow, blowover, brandon, burnout, Car, chicago, connie, Crash, doug, Drag, engine, ever, explosion, Fast, Fastest, fire, Force, Fuel, Funny, gainsville, gatornationals, John, Johnson, kalitta, kenny, nationals, nhra, nitro, pass, pomona, pro, quickest, raceway, Racing, record, route, schumacher, scott, stock, tony, Top, up, Warren, wheelie, worlds

NHRA Top Fuel drivers Doug Kalitta (Mac Tools) v. Hot Rod Fuller (Caterpillar) around mid- to late-afternoon on Saturday January 28 2008. Kalitta takes it with a 4.54 @ 274.33 over Fuller’s 4.66 @ 261.12. Includes start, burnout and drag.

Be sure to check out my videos from the 2008 CSK NHRA Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Arizona.

*** 6/30/08 UPDATE: A lot of people continue to ask how I shot this because the sound is so cool. I used a Fujifilm FinePix S9000 DSLR camera, no attachments/upgrades or enhancements to the sound whatsoever. Just using the on-board microphone as shipped, and did not do any baffling or other method of sound manipulation. Also did no editing to the video whatsoever. Just a lucky catch I guess!

Duration : 0:2:23

Technorati Tags: arizona, Drag, Fuel, fuller, kalitta, nhra, phoenix, Racing, Top