Kalitta Motorsports is paying tribute to the late Scott Kalitta with a throwback livery at this weekend’s race, the Pro Superstar Shootout, 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, Colo. 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 it until he saw it today – he loved it. Mission accomplished.”
This story was originally published on February 6, 2025. 
The post J.R. Todd Will Race Throwback Kalitta Flying Service Livery at Pre-Season Event first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
