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BRAINERD, Minn. -- This weekend, Aug. 10-13, the driving stars and fast cars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series descend upon Brainerd, Minn., for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int'l Raceway. Native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the pink and black, 8,000 horsepower StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, fondly remembers a showdown with his boss and hesitantly laments on "the one that got away."
"I have two memories that really stick in my mind about Brainerd," Grubnic said. "The first was in 1998 when I raced Connie (Kalitta, team owner and drag racing legend) for the first time in my career. I beat him in the first round, 4.74 (sec.) to 4.95. I just remember it was a great feeling taking out a legend. I had no idea that six years later he'd be my boss. I hope he's still not upset about that one."
Kalitta, a 10-time NHRA Top Fuel national event champion, settled the series at even with his future hire later in '98 when he defeated Grubnic in their only other match-up in the first round in Topeka, Kans., 5.00 to 8.68.
Grubnic continued his Brainerd recollection. "Then, there was 2004. That was my first year driving for Connie. We lost in the finals to Tony Schumacher, and that was our third straight runner-up that year, which is still very good, but I remember thinking afterwards, 'What have I got to do to win one of these things?'."
After seven runner-up finishes, Grubnic would eventually pick up an emotional first NHRA national event-win of his career in May, 2005, in Topeka to become the first non-native North American to accomplish the fete in Top Fuel.
Grubnic is currently in 5th place in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel championship points (881), 224 points behind leader and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta.
In early 2004, Grubnic, a 43-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., was hired to drive for Kalitta Motorsports after several years of driving for teams with minimal funding. Since joining Team Kalitta, Grubnic, now in his 12th season as a Top Fuel driver, has posted consecutive top-five championship points finishes. In 2004, he won the lucrative and coveted Budweiser Shootout in Las Vegas, becoming only the fourth driver in the special event's 20-year history to win its $100,000 prize in his first attempt. He also won the prestigious Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., in March of this year.
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Aug. 11, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. (CT). Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:00 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 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals is the 16th of 23 national events in the 2006 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 Kalitta Air 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 StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Kalitta Motorsports-managed and Ken Black-owned Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Rahn Tobler (Mac Tools dragster), Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster), Jon Oberhofer (StriVectin-SD dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the Kalitta Air Funny Car.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Zantrex-3 and Fischer Honda.
NHRA Top Fuel Driver Dave Grubnic Has Bittersweet Emotions About Racing in Brainerd
BRAINERD, Minn. -- This weekend, Aug. 10-13, the driving stars and fast cars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series descend upon Brainerd, Minn., for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int'l Raceway. Native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the pink and black, 8,000 horsepower StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, fondly remembers a showdown with his boss and hesitantly laments on "the one that got away."
"I have two memories that really stick in my mind about Brainerd," Grubnic said. "The first was in 1998 when I raced Connie (Kalitta, team owner and drag racing legend) for the first time in my career. I beat him in the first round, 4.74 (sec.) to 4.95. I just remember it was a great feeling taking out a legend. I had no idea that six years later he'd be my boss. I hope he's still not upset about that one."
Kalitta, a 10-time NHRA Top Fuel national event champion, settled the series at even with his future hire later in '98 when he defeated Grubnic in their only other match-up in the first round in Topeka, Kans., 5.00 to 8.68.
Grubnic continued his Brainerd recollection. "Then, there was 2004. That was my first year driving for Connie. We lost in the finals to Tony Schumacher, and that was our third straight runner-up that year, which is still very good, but I remember thinking afterwards, 'What have I got to do to win one of these things?'."
After seven runner-up finishes, Grubnic would eventually pick up an emotional first NHRA national event-win of his career in May, 2005, in Topeka to become the first non-native North American to accomplish the fete in Top Fuel.
Grubnic is currently in 5th place in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel championship points (881), 224 points behind leader and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta.
In early 2004, Grubnic, a 43-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., was hired to drive for Kalitta Motorsports after several years of driving for teams with minimal funding. Since joining Team Kalitta, Grubnic, now in his 12th season as a Top Fuel driver, has posted consecutive top-five championship points finishes. In 2004, he won the lucrative and coveted Budweiser Shootout in Las Vegas, becoming only the fourth driver in the special event's 20-year history to win its $100,000 prize in his first attempt. He also won the prestigious Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., in March of this year.
The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Aug. 11, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. (CT). Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:00 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 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals is the 16th of 23 national events in the 2006 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 Kalitta Air 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 StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Kalitta Motorsports-managed and Ken Black-owned Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Rahn Tobler (Mac Tools dragster), Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster), Jon Oberhofer (StriVectin-SD dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the Kalitta Air Funny Car.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Zantrex-3 and Fischer Honda.
