FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 14 of 24
Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals
Pacific Raceways
Kent, Wash.
July 18-20, 2008
Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com
Dave Grubnic, driver of the DHL Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 8 (3.862
seconds, 302.69 mph) – advanced to quarterfinals
Dave Grubnic and the DHL team reach the quarterfinals in Seattle
SEATTLE, Wash., (July 20, 2008) – Sunday during eliminations of the Schuck’s
Auto Supply NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., just a few miles
south of Seattle, native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the bright yellow,
8,000-horsepower DHL Top Fuel dragster, raced to his fourth quarter-final finish
of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Grubnic, the No. 8 qualifier (3.862 seconds, 302.69 mph), defeated his teammate
and No. 9 qualifier Hillary Will in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations,
4.136 sec., 249.81 mph to 4.650 sec., 195.73 mph. In the quarterfinals, Grubnic
and his colorfully decorated rail rolled to the starting line to “Go the Grand”
against the Alan Johnson-tuned Top Fueler. The two dragsters were side-by-side
at the beginning of the race, but Grubnic’s DHL machine began to fade behind as
it began losing valuable traction, and that let his opponent get to the
1,000-ft. finish line first for the win, 4.186 sec., 245.99 mph to 3.938 sec.,
305.77 mph.
Grubnic is currently in 9th place in POWERade championship points.
Beginning with the previous event in Denver, the NHRA instituted a new racing
distance for the nitro-fueled classes of Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster to
1,000 ft., as opposed to the traditional distance of 1,320 ft., or a quarter of
a mile, as a temporary safety solution to help the drivers of the world’s
quickest and fastest racing safely bring their cars to a stop more efficiently.
The unprecedented action is in response to the tragic death of Kalitta
Motorsports’ Scott Kalitta, who died in a high-speed Funny Car qualifying
accident in Englishtown, N.J., June 21.
Grubnic, unofficially, recorded the quickest 1,000-ft. elapsed time of the 2008
season, 3.783 sec., in Madison, Ill., in early May.
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 Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals was the 14th event of the 2008 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel 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. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the
flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives
the DHL Top Fuel dragster, and 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 dragster with assistance from co-crew
chief James Riola.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Mac Tools, Red
Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.
For more info about Kalitta Motorsports, please visit www.teamkalitta.com.