rpm.espn.com: Doug Kalitta

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Wednesday, December 11
Updated: January 3, 3:18 PM ET

Doug Kalitta
By Bill Stephens
ESPN.com

Team: Mac Tools/Kalitta Racing

Doug Kalitta
Kalitta

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Final rounds
No. 1 qualifier
Round record

2002 4 3 4 3 31-20

Career 11 24 7 151-101

2002 recap
The good: Gave Larry Dixon and Kenny Bernstein all they wanted in 2002, both in qualifying and in eliminations. Kalitta's uncle, Connie, is still a dangerous tuner and can make lots of power.

Season highlight: Kalitta won back-to-back races in Joliet, Ill., and Dallas, one of only three drivers in the class to score consecutive wins in 2002.

The bad: Between Gainesville, Fla., in March and Seattle in August, Kalitta never advanced past the second round, a string of 12 races.

Season lowlight: He lost to Yuichi Oyama in the second round of the last race of the season in Pomona, Calif., costing him a third-place points finish.

Key stat: Kalitta won three times in four races between Reading, Pa., and Dallas.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: As they say in stick-and-ball sports, this team is one player away from a championship. An A-list tuner with championship credentials could help Connie finesse the tune-ups and bring valuable experience to this eager, talented team.

Your take
Here are your thoughts on Kalitta's prospects for the 2003 season.

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