Kalitta Motorsports News

Team Kalitta Sonoma Qualifying Report: Grubnic Qualifies No. 1 for First Time This Season

Posted on by admin
28
Jul

THE RESULTS:

David Grubnic – Driver of the Optima Batteries Top Fuel Dragster

  • Q1: 3.850 sec. at 317.64 mph
  • Q2: 3.765 sec. at 324.28 mph (Three bonus points for best of the session)
  • Q3: 3.806 sec. at 321.58 mph (Three bonus points for best of the session)
  • Q4: 4.886 sec. at 146.99 mph

Qualifies: No. 1

QUOTABLE:

Grubnic – “We’re tickled to bits to be No. 1, you bet. It’s been a little while for Connie (Kalitta, team owner, crew chief and drag racing legend) and the Optima Batteries team, but it’s always a good confidence booster to go into Sunday knowing that, so far, you have the best dragster in the pits underneath you.  I know Connie and the team will do all they can to do to get our car ready to go rounds tomorrow. We’re really looking forward to racing tomorrow. Also, running in Sonoma is always big for us because all of our friends from Red Line Oil (based in Benicia, Calif.) are here with us. Red Line Oil is a huge supporter of Kalitta Motorsports, and we’re happy to get that No. 1 for them at their home track.”

NOTABLE:

This is Grubnic’s first No. 1 qualifying position of 2013 and first since the event in Reading, Pa. last fall. It is the 10th time Grubnic will enter eliminations in the top spot. His 3.765-second run is a track record at Sonoma Raceway. Grubnic is an 18-year Top Fuel veteran and earned his first career Top Fuel victory in Topeka, Kan. in 2005, becoming the first racer born outside North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He has garnered three NHRA Top Fuel national event victories so far. The always-affable Grubnic is known affectionately by his peers and fans as “Grubby”.

Doug Kalitta – Driver of the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster
Q1: 3.938 sec. at 247.97 mph
Q2: 3.780 sec. at 324.83 mph (One bonus point for third best of the session and track record for speed)
Q3: 4.700 sec. at 158.67 mph
Q4: 4.725 sec. at 157.63 mph

Qualifies: No. 3

Alexis DeJoria – Driver of the Tequila Patron Toyota Camry Funny Car
Q1: NT (Broke)
Q2: 8.762 sec. at 77.01 mph
Q3: 4.241 sec. at 287.29 mph
Q4: 4.188 sec. at 303.71 mph

Qualifies: No. 16

Del Worsham – Driver of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car
Q1: 4.702 sec. at 176.17 mph
Q2: 7.832 sec. at 75.41 mph
Q3: 4.226 sec. at 299.93 mph
Q4: 4.157 sec. at 306.26 mph

Qualifies: No. 14

THE COMPETITION:

Top Fuel:
1) David Grubnic vs. 16) Terry McMillen
3) Doug Kalitta vs. 14) Brittany Force
Funny Car:
16) Alexis DeJoria vs. 1) Matt Hagan
14) Del Worsham vs. 3) Ron Capps

TV Schedule:
 
7/27 – Qualifying
   7:00 PM-9:30 PM (ET) ESPN
7/28 – Finals
   8:00 PM-11:00 PM (ET) ESPN2

Times and dates subject to change.

About Kalitta Motorsports:

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

Del Worsham drives the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car for Team Kalitta. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. David Grubnic drives the OPTIMA Batteries/Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car, by Tommy Delago and Glen Huszar on the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car,  and by Jim Oberhofer on the Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as crew chief on the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster.

Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Candlewood Suites, Red Line Oil, Technicoat Companies and JEGS.

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports including exclusive content such as videos, photos and more, please visit www.teamkalitta.com. Follow Us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamKalitta. Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KalittaMotorsports. Check out videos about Team Kalitta on our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/TeamKalitta. Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/teamkalitta.