Newly crowned NHRA Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta ( near lane ) and Kalitta Motorsports teammate and past world champion Shawn Langdon charge down the 1,000-foot race course at Maple Grove Raceway during Friday night qualifying at the first race of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship , the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals . Kalitta went on to beat multi-time world champion Steve Torrence in the final round , breaking a 60-race dry spell and marking his first win with legendary tuner Alan Johnson advising the two-car Kalitta Top Fuel operation . The Countdown-opening win provided Kalitta with the launch pad he needed to win his long-awaited first world championship .

Photograph by David Hilner Maple Grove Raceway | Mohnton , Pennsylvania | Friday , September 15th , 2023

November / December 2023 DragIllustrated . com | Drag Illustrated | 15