Kalitta won five world championships and set the world's speed record on more than one occasion. His engine roars likean angry dinosaur, and in 4.86 seconds he wins the round. Im really lucky to take over Scotts car and pretty much his whole crew, even [crew chief] Ed McCulloch. Connie Kalitta Stats Category: Drag Racing CLASS OF: 1992 Biography Accomplished businessman, pilot, and drag racer, Michigan's Conrad "Connie" Kalitta would rather come up with a new path to success than trod the heavily worn path of his competitors. Connie Kalitta is a former American drag racer and owner of Kalitta Motorsports, a successful drag racing team that competes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). . After he and Muldowney split up, Kalitta returned to the cockpit and at the 1989 Winternationals became the first driver to exceed 290 mph with a pass of 291.54. So he climbed into the right seat, and I started the engines, just idling. Also a nine-seat Falcon 20. TopFuel cars can reach speeds of 320 mph. He has already been inducted into the Motorsport Hall of Fame. And the fans always want them back to the driving seat till now. CK: No. AIA was one of the world's 25 largest airlines with revenues in excess of $400 million derived from both scheduled and on-demand air charters as well as third party engine and airframe maintenance service. The sound of Connie's car crashing into the guardrail was quite a complex sound. In fact for a time it was probably the most powerful nitro engine. Even he has mentioned no fear of returning to his drivers seat again. Over the years, Kalitta grew from a one-airplane operation into a substantial airline conglomerate, American International Airways, Inc. (AIA), that used B747, L1011, DC8, B727, Twin Beech and Learjet aircraft in worldwide airfreight, air ambulance and charter passenger operations. "I have a little more motivation to beat him.". But theres not a day goes by I dont think of Scott. Also, the nickname totally justifies his actions and racing habits. We'll send you the most interesting Dragzine articles, news, car features, and videos every week. For the record, the Kalittas have met head-to-head five times,and Scott has won three of those races. COLOR PHOTO:BILL ADAMS SR. Connie, who survived this grim crash in 1990, is all smiles with Scott (center) and grandson Corey. Last year, after Scott announced his retirement and Connie said he was going to sit out the 1998 season to concentrate on the merger of his American International Airways and Kitty Hawk, the torch was handed to Doug Kalitta, Scotts cousin and Connies nephew. Captain William Rhodes has been with Kalitta Air since 2003 and brings over 35 years of experience in aviation to the Kalitta team. At knifepoint, I led him into the jet but didnt lock the door behind us. Happy Birthday, Connie Kalitta! He is also the CEO of Kalitta Air and the owner of Kalitta Motorsports. And I have four cars. "Let's just say he's not one of the other drivers," saysScott. Unfortunately, he was involved in an accidentwhen his cars engine exploded near the finish line during the final round of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Super Nationals. He has made most of his money from his business ventures. He kept a "most wanted" list of drivers he intended to beat, and then crossed off their names when he did so. Some people know him as one of the most famous retired American Track Car Racer. Its still traumatic. Free shipping for many products! Kalitta Air began service in November 2000 with three Boeing 747 aircraft, and the fleet has grown to a present total of 15 Boeing 747 aircraft and 2 Boeing 767 aircraft. Scott callsCorey four times a day to tell him he loves him. I still have to add money from my own pocket. The world's best American businessman "Connie Kalitta" has a net worth of $210 Million. Scott Kalitta, son of drag racing legend Connie Kalitta and two-time NHRA Top Fuel Dragster World Champion, died Saturday afternoon, June 21, while on a qualifying run for the Lucas Oil NHRA. It helped to find some answers to explain the crash. Both havedeveloped ways to cope with the lost time. Four more will be named later. Conrad " Connie " Kalitta (born February 24, 1938) is an American businessman and former drag racing driver, nicknamed "The Bounty Hunter". Sanderlins aviation experience began in 1963 where he served with the United States Navy. Scott, now33, won five of those finals, including a record four straight,and earned Top Fuel's overall title. The few whomeasure up to his high standards gain his friendship andrespect. The entire value of his assets is about $210 Million. "But you don't think rationally wheneverything's happening. C/D: Do you stay in touch with [former Top Fuel driver] Shirley Muldowney? Sensing that Scott was developinga taste for hanging out, Connie made him a deal: Graduate fromhigh school, and I'll build you a race car. He was 39. Disclaimer. Connie had been racing since the 1950s all through until the 1990s. Inside the AIA hospitality suite the tension is palpable. He is a famous car racing driver. Moreover, he is now an American executive and businessman, and he is still earning a lot of money from the same. 2 Future records only include new-built aircraft close to delivery and expected second-hand deliveries. The owner of the global-transport company American InternationalAirways, Connie foiled a hijacking attempt by an impeccablydressed knife-wielding nut who demanded a plane at AIA'sYpsilanti, Mich., airstrip in 1989. He started professional racing in 1960 and he was up there till 1994. Zoltans main focus at Kalitta Air is to ensure that the Companys aircraft are maintained in an airworthy condition, and that the performance of maintenance, preventative maintenance, and alterations of Kalittas aircraft are accomplished in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Company, Federal, State, and Local Regulations. He is nicknamed "The Bounty Hunter". I was going to say look at Connie Kalitta, he has a lazy eye and still flies no problembut I've heard he's also been known to fly Learjets single-pilotso maybe not the greatest example. Neither won a race, although Vogler ran second to Stan Fox in the midget feature. [2], Kalitta won the 1989 NHRA Winternationals, most notable for the fact that the win included him becoming the first ever Top Fuel driver (any sanctioning series) to hit 290mph (470km/h).[2]. For as long as there has been drag racing on the old Fairgrounds track at Pomona, there has been a Kalitta there. When we asked for a credit card, he opened his briefcase and pulled out a knife. In 2000 he became the Director of Quality Control and Aircraft Transactions at Kalitta, and in 2019 he secured his place as the Vice President of Maintenance, Engineering and Procurement. Chuck Gurney entered all four in 1993, but failed to qualify for the stock car race. That doesnt include the support equipment. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Honda also dropped him. Kalitta, who fields two dragsters and a Funny Car, will turn 84 before the 2022 season begins. Doug, 33, has never been in a drag race. Defending champion Dyson Racing has entered two Ford Riley & Scott MK IIIs for James Weaver, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Rob Dyson, Perry McCarthy, Butch Leitzinger, John Paul Jr. and Dorsey Schroeder. You must log in or register to reply here. Naturally, sometimes a guy will screw up, and Ill have to apply some retraining.. As we have already discussed Connie Kalitta has a net worth of 210 million dollars. But now the pages were turning too fast, andthe Top Fuel dragster was jerking to the right, heading into theconcrete wall, driven by explosive nitromethane and physics goneamok. West Trenton, N.J. - The New Jersey State Police has concluded its investigation of the motor vehicle racing crash that claimed the life of NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta. Kalitta Air 21,799 followers 3d Report this post Report Report BackSubmit Happy 85th Birthday to the man, the legend and our superstar, Connie Kalitta! It could be a cakewalk.. McCulloch will work alongside Elliot on the DHL/Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster for Langdon with drag racing legend Connie Kalitta making the final tuning decisions. Get-me-out-get-me-out-get-me-out. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with seven world championships and over 100 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959. He was 46. Because of his remarkable career in drag racing, his fans have also been given a nickname, The Bounty Hunter.. Required fields are marked *. Scott is president and owner of Trans Continental Airlines. When we went to zoomie headers that turn upward, there went my hearing. CA knowledge offers Net Worth, taxation, Banking & financial solutions to individuals, businesses, and organizations all over the world. February 2, 1996: Connie Kalitta performs during the NHRA Winternationals held at Pomona Dragway in California. Its something Ive always wanted to do, Hamilton said of his four-race effort. 1997 In 1997, AIA merged with Kitty Hawk Inc., and Conrad Kalitta resigned to start Kalitta Leasing for buying, selling, and leasing large aircraft. Kathleen held prior positions of Stenographer and Senior Secretary to the County Clerk managing the administrative office for 8 years while coordinating fundraisers and speaking engagements for the elected official. The Height of Connie Kalitta is 1.71m. And the 85-year old was also successful in doing so. Connie led him to the craft,and in the cockpit the hijacker grabbed for the throttle. Four years later, his one good eye focused on the blinking lights of the Christmas tree they used back then to start races, Kalitta drove his Ford dragster to victory in 7.17 seconds at 218.43. Apr 16, 2020. He started professional racing when he was 22 years old in 1960. So I have a problem walking. Thanks! C/D: You certainly must be our only interviewee to have foiled a crazed hijacker. His Chicago property is considered to be worth 30 million dollars. From childhood, he took a lot of interest in car models and car races. On top of that, I have a case of the gout. In 1993, free of the alcohol problem and reunited with tuner Johnny Goad, Graham made one of racings most remarkable comebacks. Legendary NHRA team owners Don Schumacher and Connie Kalitta will return to the Funny Car driver's seat for a special one-race-only, winner-take-all exhibition race at the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA . He has been Champion of 32 different races. It's not often thata son sees into a father's heart, and Scott Kalitta gets fewerglimpses than most. And a Challenger for West Coast races. .css-dhtls0{display:block;font-family:GlikoS,Georgia,Times,Serif;font-weight:400;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-dhtls0:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 61.25rem){.css-dhtls0{font-size:1.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}Most Fuel-Efficient Gas Cars (That Aren't Hybrid), Every 2023 Full-Size SUV Ranked from Worst to Best, 2023 Editors' Choice: Best New Cars, Trucks, SUVs. Who can help student-athletes cash in? I was going to say look at Connie Kalitta, he has a lazy eye and still flies no problem.but I've heard he's also been known to fly Learjets single-pilot.so maybe not the greatest example. April 15, 2019Legendary drag racer and air freight magnate Conrad "Connie" Kalitta was enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 13, 2019. his video belongs to the NHRA and who ever took these pictures "Read the book," Connie Kalitta had always said. C/D: Anything youd have done differently? After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010. I liked that. She graduated from Schoolcraft Community College with two AAS degrees (Secretarial and General Studies). Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. As of June 15, Scott was ranked third and hisfather was ninth. He began drag racing in the 50s, and earned the nickname, "The Bounty Hunter". As of 2021, His net worth is roughly $210 million according to our news. The former racer is an energetic personality and the owner of a business. With his Logghe of Ford Mustangs and Shirley Muldowney with her Buttera chassis of Ford Mustangs, Kalitta teamed up with each other to make the pair of Bounty Hunter and Bounty Huntress. He said that Kalita was sold at a perfect time because later in pandemic years the airline industry suffered a major loss. Studying classical philosophy and, Connie Kalitta Social Media Accounts update 2021. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. Conrad Kalitta, better known as Connie Katila, is the sole owner of a Michigan Limited Liability Company, Kalitta Air. An IRL race at Phoenix is 200 laps, and if I finish all four on Sunday, it will add up to only 150, with rests in between. Only supported aircraft types that are active with this airline are included in the calculations. He swings Corey up intohis arms. He has been a successful Motorsport team owner. We are so grateful for this man. It even has dyno testing facilities for the 90,000 horsepower jet turbines that power a 747big-time stuff. Four years later, his one good eye focused on the blinking lights of the Christmas tree they used back then to start races, Kalitta drove his Ford dragster to victory in 7.17 seconds at 218.43 mph. Conrad (Connie) Kalitta has a lifetime of experience in the airline industry that goes back to 1967 when he began transporting parts for the automotive business with a twin engine Cessna 310 that he piloted himself. A career marked by promise, success, alcoholic despair and then success again ended in the living room of his rural home in the village of Spreckles, south of Salinas. He is deaf in his left earafter spending so many years around cars and airplanes, and hehas been blind in his right eye since it was struck by a pieceof metal that had chipped off a chisel he was using when he was18. Connie Kalitta was born on February 24th. So, NHRA now demands that it be 100-percent pure nitro. CK: I never thought of retiring. Kalitta Air. "Business is business," says Connie. Ratings by Demographics This rating reflects the overall rating of Kalitta Air and is not affected by filters. Kalitta Motorsports. He is a good man in real life. Partner of USA Today Sports Digital Properties, INSIGHT: The house that Connie Kalitta built - Blueliq, Pabst to the fore as USF Pro Championships Spring Training wraps at Sebring, Alianell to return to Skip Barber Formula Race Series in 2023, Childress still basking in Busch's Fontana win, Two JGR crew members suspended over Fontana wheel violation, NASCAR tweaks rules package for short tracks, road courses, RACER's 2023 IndyCar season preview: Arrow McLaren. He was 22 years old in 1960 and he was up there till 1994 over 35 of. Driver ] Shirley Muldowney all four in 1993, free of the gout driving. 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