Wed, 29 Jul 2026, 11:50 AM Two-Time, Defending Top Fuel Champion Doug Kalitta Set for Night Under Fire

Courtesy of Rob Goodman, Kalitta Motorsports Photo Courtesy Kalitta Motorsports

YPSILANTI, Mich. - - Doug Kalitta, the reigning and two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, will compete in this weekend's Night Under Fire July 31-Aug. 1 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The event blends elite drag racing with entertainment, creating an experience that attracts fans from across North America.

The Night Under Fire features four Top Fuel Dragsters, driven by Kalitta, Antron Brown, Maddi Gordon and Clay Millican, and four Funny Cars driven by Ron Capps, Spencer Hyde, Cruz Pedregon and Jordan Vandergriff. All nitro cars qualify Friday night and then compete through three rounds of racing on Saturday. The dragsters and Funny Cars run two rounds to determine a champion of each class; then the Top Fuel champion races the Funny Car champion to determine "The King of Nitro."

"It's been a long time since I've been there," Kalitta said. "You hear about it every year, and to be part of it this year, I'm pretty excited. It'll be fun; it's been going on for almost 50 years, and Bill Bader (Jr.) does a hell of a job. They have a lot of money on the line, so we're hoping to be in that race against the Funny Car and do whatever it takes to win that money. It's a great facility and it's close to home so we'll go and have some fun."

Kalitta enters this weekend's race after sweeping the NHRA's western swing; he is currently second in NHRA Top Fuel points now trailing the points leader, his teammate Shawn Langdon, by just five points with two races remaining in the regular season. He has three wins (Charlotte, Sonoma, Seattle), four runners-up, three semifinals and three No. 1 qualifiers this season.

For the first time in the history of the event, it will be live streamed on FloRacing. The race begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1 and concludes with a massive fireworks display.

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