It was a record-setting session and when it was over Doug Kalitta was the last man standing.

Kalitta’s 3.731 blast at 327.82 miles per hour was one of five passes that would have set the track ET record during the Saturday evening session at Summit Motorsports Park. Spencer Massey set the record during Friday qualifying, but it lasted less than 24 hours as Kalitta, Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown and Larry Dixon all dipped below the 3.741 Massey clocked the previous night.

Brown and Kalitta went down the track together in what was the quickest side-by-side pass in track history, and one of the quickest in the history of the sport.

Brown carded a 3.739 at 321.58 to finish third on the qualifying sheet.

“I don’t know if that was the fastest side-by-side run in history, but if it wasn’t it was one of them,” Kalitta said. “It’s great for the fans to see runs like that. That’s what they come out here to see and it’s pretty exciting now, with the NHRA and what they’re doing. It’s a great time to be part of it.”

As he pulled up through the staging lanes to the starting line, Kalitta expected something special. His 2014 Hadman launched clean and kept the candles lit the entire 1,000 feet, pulling hard at the finish line.

“I knew the guys had my car loaded for bear out there so I was just hoping it would stick and we’d get a good run in,” he said. “When everybody is out there throwing numbers like that down in great conditions…it doesn’t get much better.

“The track is good and it’s pretty exciting to still be on the top at the end of all that.”

Though he had posted a record-setting number, Kalitta had to wait out a few more pairs…all big hitters…before the celebration of his first top qualifying spot could begin.

“Tony (Schumacher) went out there and ran just about the same time,” Kalitta said. “When you get towards the end of the pack is when you have to watch out, but we held on. Jim and my whole MAC Tools team, I can’t say enough about those guys.

“They’ve been working their tails off. The couple of night session things we’ve been doing this weekend have been a little different. Two nights and now they have to get back here in the morning. They’re working hard but, hopefully, having the quickest time will keep them energized.”

Kalitta will race 80 year-old Chris Karamesines, the No. 16 qualifier, in the first round of eliminations. He knows he has to be ready.

Karamesines ended up on the bump spot of the sub-four second field with a 3.953 at 307.85.

“He got down there tonight and is a guy I have a lot of respect for,” Kalitta said of the man everyone calls ‘The Greek.’ “You can’t take him lightly. He’ll go out there and rip off some super-low reaction time or have a good run. The history with him and my uncle, Connie Kalitta…it’s cool running against one of the legends of the sport.

“I do know they get a lot of enjoyment out of beating us so you can’t let them get by you. There’s a class for everybody and The Greek has proven that age doesn’t have a lot to do with it.”

Schumacher qualified second with a 3.732/322.41 pass. He will face Cory McClenathan in the first round.

Brown, the current points leader, is third on the sheet with a 3.739/321.58 pass and will face Terry McMillen in the first round…if McMillen can get ready in time.

McMillen had a wild run in evening qualifying. His second parachute failed to engage and he lost his brakes. He rolled off the end of the track, through the sand trap and into a bean field, where he turned left to avoid a creek that runs through the field.

Larry Dixon was fourth and will face teammate Dave Connolly while Spencer Massey rounded out the top five and will go up against Clay Millican.

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