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SONOMA, Calif. -- Native Australian and driver of the pink and black, 8,000 horsepower StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster Dave Grubnic is impatiently eager to make another appearance in an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series' national event winner's circle. His last trip to drag racing's hallowed ground was in March of this year when he won the prestigious Gatornationals Top Fuel title in Gainesville, Fla.
This weekend's, July 28-30, Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., just may be the venue for Grubnic and his StriVectin-SD team to break through for their second NHRA national event victory of the 2006 drag racing season. Grubnic and his group of nitro specialists enter the event in California's wine country with the momentum of a runner-up finish at the previous event in Seattle.
"We're certainly ready for another trip to the winner's circle," Grubnic said. "March seems like forever ago.
"I am as confident in my StriVectin-SD team as I've ever been. We've been running very clean and consistent lately, and that's the key to going [elimination] rounds and winning races. That confidence helps me to know that we're still in the hunt for the points championship, and that's a very good feeling; Believe me."
Grubnic is 206 points away from the POWERade championship points lead.
Grubnic posted a runner-up finish in Sonoma in 2004. He was defeated by his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta in the finals.
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, and he 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.
The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals begins Friday, July 28, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (PT). Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:30 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at noon.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals is the 15th 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 Fueler Dave Grubnic Seeking Second Win of 2006 Season in Sonoma
SONOMA, Calif. -- Native Australian and driver of the pink and black, 8,000 horsepower StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster Dave Grubnic is impatiently eager to make another appearance in an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series' national event winner's circle. His last trip to drag racing's hallowed ground was in March of this year when he won the prestigious Gatornationals Top Fuel title in Gainesville, Fla.
This weekend's, July 28-30, Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., just may be the venue for Grubnic and his StriVectin-SD team to break through for their second NHRA national event victory of the 2006 drag racing season. Grubnic and his group of nitro specialists enter the event in California's wine country with the momentum of a runner-up finish at the previous event in Seattle.
"We're certainly ready for another trip to the winner's circle," Grubnic said. "March seems like forever ago.
"I am as confident in my StriVectin-SD team as I've ever been. We've been running very clean and consistent lately, and that's the key to going [elimination] rounds and winning races. That confidence helps me to know that we're still in the hunt for the points championship, and that's a very good feeling; Believe me."
Grubnic is 206 points away from the POWERade championship points lead.
Grubnic posted a runner-up finish in Sonoma in 2004. He was defeated by his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta in the finals.
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, and he 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.
The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals begins Friday, July 28, for the Top Fuel class with two qualifying sessions at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (PT). Two more qualifying sessions follow on Saturday at noon and 3:30 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at noon.
All times and dates subject to change.
The Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals is the 15th 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.
