Championship Chemistry: Doug Kalitta and Alan Johnson Reflect on a Dominant Title Run as NHRA Heads
Two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Doug Kalitta (2023 & 2025) and legendary crew chief Alan Johnson, winner of 14 Top Fuel Championships with seven different drivers, joined EPARTRADE Industry Week fresh off one of the most commanding playoff runs in recent NHRA history. Together, driver and crew chief reflected on championship pressure, record-breaking performance, backup-car heroics, and the next generation of drag racing as the sport prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary season.
A Championship Legacy Decades in the Making
Johnson’s first Top Fuel championship came in 1997, launching a career that would span nearly three decades of sustained excellence. Along the way, he guided legends such as Tony Schumacher, Larry Dixon, Antron Brown, Brittany Force, and now Doug Kalitta to world titles.
“To win with drivers who had never won before is especially rewarding,” Johnson said. “Doug is one of the smoothest drivers to ever sit in a Top Fuel car. To finally win one together in 2023—and then back it up in 2025—has been incredibly gratifying.”
Kalitta’s long-awaited breakthrough in 2023 erased the label of “best driver to never win a championship.” Two seasons later, his second crown confirmed what the NHRA community had long believed: Doug Kalitta belongs among the all-time greats.
Playoff Domination When It Mattered Most
Kalitta Motorsports entered the 2025 Countdown with momentum—and seized control immediately. A win at Sonoma, another at Brainerd, followed by four consecutive final-round appearances in the opening rounds of the playoffs allowed the team to build an insurmountable points lead.
“It was just a total team effort,” Kalitta said. “If the guys keep that car responding the way Alan wants it to, we’re tough to beat.”
Johnson credited not just preparation, but execution under pressure.
“These cars don’t forgive mistakes,” he said. “When it counted most, the crew performed at the highest level.”
The 340-MPH Moment in Seattle
One of the signature moments of the season came at Seattle, where Kalitta recorded a 340-mph run during a first-round solo pass with ideal track conditions.
“You don’t tune a Top Fuel car to run 340—you let it happen,” Johnson explained. “We made small, precise changes in the back half of the run. That particular pass stayed on all eight cylinders to the stripe. Everything came together.”
Kalitta felt the power but had no idea what the number would be at the top end.
“It was pulling hard, straight as an arrow,” he said. “You don’t realize how fast it really was until you see the slip.”
The Backup-Car Miracle at Reading
Perhaps the most emotionally charged moment of the season occurred during the Reading, Pennsylvania playoffs, when Kalitta made contact with Tony Stewart at the top end after a rare left-front tire failure. With little time and enormous pressure, the team rolled out a never-tested backup car for the next elimination round—deep in the Countdown.
“To assemble a backup car between rounds on a 128-degree track and go win a race with it is almost unheard-of,” Johnson said. “There was a full hour of anxiety wrapped into that moment.”
Kalitta defeated Steve Torrance in the very next round, preserving the championship march.
“That was the first time in my career I ever hit another car at the top end,” Kalitta said. “To come back and win the very next round—it felt like winning the entire race right there.”
Developing the Next Generation of NHRA Leaders
Beyond championships, Kalitta Motorsports also showcased NHRA’s future. Brian Husen, now in his second season as a crew chief, guided Kalitta’s sister team to second in the championship standings and played a key role in protecting the overall points advantage in Las Vegas.
“Brian is learning fast,” Johnson said. “You only learn this job through experience—and sometimes mistakes. He’s doing outstanding work.”
Johnson emphasized the urgent need for young technical leaders in Top Fuel.
“There’s no substitute for putting in 80 hours a week and living it,” he said. “You can’t learn this in theory.”
Kalitta also credited team owner Connie Kalitta and longtime executive Chad Head for architecting the multi-team structure that now consistently delivers championships.
“Connie has burned more nitro than just about anyone,” Kalitta said. “To keep delivering for someone who’s given so much to the sport—that means everything.”
The Last-Second Call: Where Championships Are Won
One of the most compelling insights from the interview centered on the final moments before each run—when Johnson opens the clutch-control door and makes his last adjustment.
“That’s 100 percent gut,” Johnson said. “There’s no computer making that call. It’s instincts, track feel, temperature, grip—and experience. Sometimes it’s aggressive. Sometimes it’s conservative. That’s where races are truly won.”
Kalitta places complete trust in those final seconds.
“I’m very fortunate to have Alan twisting the knobs on my car,” he said. “I just focus on doing my job and hope to see that yellow light at the end.”
Racing Remains a Family Affair
Both men also spoke with pride about their children now entering the sport.
Kalitta’s son Mitch recently made passes in a dragster at the St. Louis divisional event.
“He’s cutting good lights, keeping it straight, and most importantly, having fun,” Kalitta said. “We’ll see where it leads.”
Johnson’s daughter Melanie is now campaigning in A/Fuel, continuing the family legacy.
“She’s competitive, driven, and smart,” Johnson said. “It’s in her blood.”
Eyes on NHRA 75
With NHRA preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary, Kalitta Motorsports enters the season wearing the No. 1 proudly once again. Over the past three seasons, the organization has finished first or second in points every year, capturing two championships.
“We’ve got the car. We’ve got the driver. We’ve got the team,” Johnson said. “Now it’s about execution.”
Kalitta echoed the excitement.
“It’s a privilege to represent this sport at such a historic moment,” he said. “I wish the season started tomorrow.”
A Sport Built on Family, Craft, and Grit
As Johnson reflected on his four decades in drag racing, he returned to a theme that defined both men’s careers.
“NHRA started as a family sport—and it still is one,” Johnson said. “From crew chiefs to drivers to owners to kids now climbing into cars, it’s all connected.”
As NHRA embarks on its 75th season, the championship partnership of Doug Kalitta and Alan Johnson stands as both a tribute to the sport’s history—and a powerful symbol of its future.
