Driver

The Ypsilanti, MI native was a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion (1994, 1995) and winner of 17 Top Fuel events, putting him #16 on the all-time victory list (as of 2022), ahead of inductees Dick LaHaie, Don Prudhomme, Eddie Hill and father Connie. Scott raced Funny Cars before moving to Top Fuel, recording his first #1 qualifier in 1988 and first win in 1989. Transitioning to Top Fuel soon after, his rise to the top was rapid. In 1994, his first championship season, he became the first Top Fuel pilot to capture four straight event wins. He captured the 1995 championship with six event wins and top speed at a series-best eight races. He finished second in the championship the following year. He was killed in a 2008 qualifying accident when his engine exploded and damaged his parachutes. Because of this, the NHRA shortened Top Fuel and Funny Car distances to 1,000 ft and made other changes. When he died, Kalitta was one of only 14 drivers to win both Top Fuel and Funny Car events.