Courtesy Rob Goodman Kalitta Motorsports

YPSILANTI, Mich. (Feb. 6, 2025) — Kalitta Motorsports is paying tribute to the late Scott Kalitta with throwback livery at this weekend’s race in Bradenton, Fla., the team announced today. The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-9, 2025 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. 

Todd’s Team Kalitta GR Supra Funny Car will sport the bright red Kalitta Flying Service livery of the Funny Car Scott Kalitta raced to his first NHRA national event win in 1989 at this weekend’s SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. Kalitta won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 1994 and ’95 and is one of only 19 drivers to win races in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. 

After finishing second in the final season standings in 1993, Kalitta became the first Top Fuel driver to win four-straight races in 1994 reaching the winner’s circle at Columbus, Ohio, Topeka, Kan., Denver and Sonoma, Calif. He won five races that season on the way to his first NHRA Top Fuel title. The next season, he won six races and his second-consecutive season championship and followed the championships with a runner-up finish in 1996.

“It means a lot to me to run a Scott Kalitta tribute car,” Todd said. “Scott’s family lives in the area, and I’m sure they’ll be at the race again this weekend. It’s a big deal – I’ve always wanted to run a throwback car since I started with Kalitta Motorsports. I ran the “Bounty Hunter” car in my first race driving for Connie (Team Owner Connie Kalitta), and now to drive a throwback to Scott and Scott’s Funny Car that I have the honor to drive means a lot.

“I’m sure the fans will like it – any time you have any sort of throw-back, it draws a big reaction from the fans. When (Ron) Capps rolled out the Snake (Don Prudhomme) tribute cars the last two years at Indy, it went over really well with the fans. I’m really looking forward to it – I was at the shop and got to see the body. It looks sweet, and so does the throwback t-shirt design so I think it’ll be really well received by everybody.”

“Throwbacks are always really popular with the fans, and we’re all looking forward to seeing this car on the track,” Team Kalitta General Manager Chad Head said. “We did this for Connie. He leads Kalitta Air and Kalitta Motorsports – this throwback is a tribute to Scott, but it’s for Connie more than anything else – we just wanted to find a meaningful way to thank him for what he does. He didn’t know about until he saw it today – he loved it. Mission accomplished.”

About Kalitta Motorsports: 

Kalitta Motorsports is a three-car team competing in the 20-race NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Founded by team owner Conrad “Connie” Kalitta in 1959, Kalitta Motorsports fields two Top Fuel dragsters driven by 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta and 2013 NHRA Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon as well as a Funny Car driven by 2018 NHRA Funny Car champion J.R. Todd. Located in Ypsilanti, Mich., the team owns five World Championships and more than 100 national event wins through multiple sanctioning bodies. For additional information, please visit www.teamkalitta.com and follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook using @TeamKalitta.  

Contact:     Rob Goodman, Kalitta Motorsports                                                            

                    E-mail: rob@3-gsports.com