Conrad "Connie" Kalitta (born February 24, 1938 in Michigan) is the CEO of Kalitta Air and a retired American drag racing driver, once known as "The Bounty Hunter". He grew up in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and was a 1957 graduate of Mount Clemens High School. He raced from the 1950s through the 1990s. He was the first driver to hit 200 mph in an NHRA sanctioned event. He also helped Shirley Muldowney get started (in the "Bounty Huntress" car). Kalitta won 10 NHRA national events between 1967 and 1994. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992. On the 2001 National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000, Kalitta was ranked #21.[1] He was played by Beau Bridges in the Muldowney biography film Heart Like a Wheel. He is the father and uncle respectively, of racers Scott Kalitta and Doug Kalitta.
When Connie was driveing he used to have the “Man, that is flying!” on the side of the dragster and support semi. Connie was one of the old school with Eddie/Ersie Hill, Kenny Bernstein and of course John foce in funny cars.
You often saw their aircraft out at DFW. They had a small fleet of planes and Semis.