Dave Grubnic and the Kalitta Motorsports team focused on four rounds in Atlanta
COMMERCE, Ga., (April 23, 2008) – This weekend, April 24-27, The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series heads south for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., a few miles northeast of the Atlanta city limits. Native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the 330-plus mph Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, is hoping for friendlier hospitality from the race track that was not so kind to him last year.
“Atlanta was mixed bag for us last year,” Grubnic, a 45-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “Our car ran pretty good in qualifying. We made three good laps out of four and ended up No. 9. I was very confident about our dragster going into race day, but we smoked the tires in the first round. I was really shocked that that happened, but that drag racing for you – very unpredictable.
“We’re doing good so far this year. We made the final round in Phoenix (second event), and we’ve definitely got a race car that’s capable of winning every time we get on the track. Hopefully, we’ll get a good qualifying spot again this year and then go some rounds this time in Atlanta.”
Grubnic is currently in 8th place in 2008 POWERade Top Fuel championship points.
In early 2004, Grubnic was hired to drive for legendary team owner Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta and Kalitta Motorsports. In the fall of ‘04, Grubnic won the lucrative and coveted Budweiser Shootout in Las Vegas, becoming only the fourth driver in the special event's history to win its $100,000 prize in his first attempt. Grubnic picked up an emotional first NHRA national event win in May, 2005 in Topeka, Kans., to become the first non-native North American to win a Top Fuel trophy. He has one other event victory to date, the 2006 running of the famed Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 3:00 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals is the 6th of 24 national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) POWERade Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by now legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. His son, Scott Kalitta, drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (KB Racing, LLC dragster), Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief), and Richard Hogan (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres and as the crew chief on the Kalitta Motorsports dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.