FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 4 of 24
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston Raceway Park
Baytown, Tex.
March 28-30, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com


Dave Grubnic, Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster – No. 6 qualifier, advanced to round one

Dave Grubnic and the Kalitta Motorsports team make early exit in Houston eliminations

HOUSTON, (March 30, 2008) – Sunday during eliminations at the annual running of the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown, Tex., just a few miles out of the Houston city limits, native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, was turned away for a chance at his third career event win at the scene of his first ever NHRA final round.

Grubnic, the 1998 Top Fuel runner-up in Houston, qualified his 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled dragster in the strong No. 6 position, 4.587 seconds, 322.42 mph. In round one of eliminations, Grubnic contended against No. 11 qualifier Bruce Litton, 4.620 sec., 324.28 mph. Under the warm and humid Texas skies, Grubnic’s rail struggled to maintain valuable traction down the paved quarter-mile and that allowed Litton to advance with an upset win, 5.051 sec., 227.34 mph to 4.603 sec., 298.87 mph.

Grubnic is now in 7th place in 2008 POWERade Top Fuel championship points.

In early 2004, Grubnic was hired to drive for legendary team owner Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta and Kalitta Motorsports. In the fall of ‘04, Grubnic won the lucrative and coveted Budweiser Shootout in Las Vegas, becoming only the fourth driver in the special event's history to win its $100,000 prize in his first attempt. Grubnic 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 O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals was the 4th of 24 national 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. His son, Scott Kalitta, drives the DHL Toyota Solara 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 Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster.

Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster) and Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres and as the crew chief on the Kalitta Motorsports dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola.

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