<img src="http://gallery.nitromater.com/files/6/5/d_grubnic06.jpg" alt="d_grubnic06" align="left"borders="0"/>
PETERSBURG, Va., (Oct. 4, 2006) – StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster driver and native Australian Dave Grubnic has been to the semi-final round of final eliminations in the previous two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events. This weekend, Oct. 6-8, Grubnic and his team are hoping to build on their round-winning momentum to finish the 2006 season at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg , Va. , just a few miles south of Richmond , at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals.
“It’s certainly been nice to go some rounds lately,” Grubnic said. “In Dallas , we got pretty lucky, but in Reading it was a lot more about the performance of the race car so that’s very encouraging.
“Our goal is to stay in the top five in points. It seems like everyday now that the competition just keeps getting better and better in Top Fuel, plus new cars keep coming into the class that are capable of winning right off of the trailer. The end of this season and all of next season promise to be really exciting for drivers, teams and fans. I’m just very happy to be a part of it.”
At the previous event in Reading , Penn. , Grubnic moved up one points position to 5th in the standings. He is now 273 points behind his Kalitta Motorsports teammate and points leader Doug Kalitta.
The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series competed at Virginia Motorsports Park from 1995 to 2000. This weekend marks the return to NHRA national event racing in the commonwealth.
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. In May, 2005, in Topeka , Kans. , he became the first non-native North American to win an NHRA national event in Top Fuel. He also won the prestigious Gatornationals in Gainesville , Fla. , in March of this year.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Oct. 6, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals is the 21st of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
NHRA Top Fueler Dave Grubnic looking to capitalize on momentum in Richmond
PETERSBURG, Va., (Oct. 4, 2006) – StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster driver and native Australian Dave Grubnic has been to the semi-final round of final eliminations in the previous two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events. This weekend, Oct. 6-8, Grubnic and his team are hoping to build on their round-winning momentum to finish the 2006 season at Virginia Motorsports Park in Petersburg , Va. , just a few miles south of Richmond , at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals.
“It’s certainly been nice to go some rounds lately,” Grubnic said. “In Dallas , we got pretty lucky, but in Reading it was a lot more about the performance of the race car so that’s very encouraging.
“Our goal is to stay in the top five in points. It seems like everyday now that the competition just keeps getting better and better in Top Fuel, plus new cars keep coming into the class that are capable of winning right off of the trailer. The end of this season and all of next season promise to be really exciting for drivers, teams and fans. I’m just very happy to be a part of it.”
At the previous event in Reading , Penn. , Grubnic moved up one points position to 5th in the standings. He is now 273 points behind his Kalitta Motorsports teammate and points leader Doug Kalitta.
The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series competed at Virginia Motorsports Park from 1995 to 2000. This weekend marks the return to NHRA national event racing in the commonwealth.
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. In May, 2005, in Topeka , Kans. , he became the first non-native North American to win an NHRA national event in Top Fuel. He also won the prestigious Gatornationals in Gainesville , Fla. , in March of this year.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals begins Friday, Oct. 6, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 3:30 p.m. (ET) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
The top 16 qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals is the 21st of 23 national events in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
