FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 19 of 24
NHRA Carolinas Nationals
zMax Dragway @ Concord
Concord, N.C.
Sept. 11-14, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com



Dave Grubnic, DHL Top Fuel dragster – No. 8 qualifier (3.876 sec., 311.92 mph), advanced to round one

Jeff Arend, DHL Funny Car – No. 15 qualifier (4.131 sec., 304.19 mph), advanced to round one


Team DHL drivers take early exits in inaugural Charlotte NHRA event


CONCORD, N.C., (Sept. 14, 2008) – Native Australian Dave Grubnic and native Canadian Jeff Arend both saw their racing days end much sooner than expected with opening round losses Sunday in final eliminations of the inaugural running of the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway @ Concord in Concord, N.C., just a few miles from the Charlotte city limits.

Grubnic qualified his bright yellow DHL Top Fuel dragster charge in the top-half of the 16-car eliminations field in the No. 8 spot, 3.876 sec., 311.92 mph. In the opening round, he faced off against the Alan Johnson-tuned dragster driven by Tony Schumacher, the No. 9 qualifier. Grubnic’s 8,000-horsepower rail began suffering traction problems on the hot and slick drag strip soon after the race began and that let his opponent in the opposite lane get to the 1,000-ft. finish line first, 4.423 seconds, 291.57 mph to 3.873 sec., 315.93 mph.

Grubnic, a 46-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., remains in 10th place in POWERade championship points and in the Countdown to 1 NHRA postseason.

Arend, a 46-year old resident of San Dimas, Calif., qualified his Nitro-fueled DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car in the No. 15 position, 4.131 sec., 304.19 mph. He rolled to the starting line in round one to race against No. 2 qualifier Robert Hight. When the lights went green, the two short wheel-based machines powered down the track side-by-side in a terrific race, but Hight was just barely able to get to the finish line stripe first, 4.196 sec., 305.22 mph to 4.142 sec., 301.81 mph, to get the win.

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals was the 19th of 24 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. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the DHL Top Fuel dragster, Jeff Arend drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, and Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed KB Racing, LLC 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) and Glenn Mikres (DHL Funny Car). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola. Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante are co-crew chiefs on the Mac Tools dragster.

Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.