FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 7 of 24
O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals
Gateway Int’l Raceway
Madison, Ill.
May 2-4, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com

Dave Grubnic, St. Louis Carpenters’ Union Top Fuel dragster – No. 1 qualifier (4.467 seconds, 326.32 mph) advanced to quarterfinals

Dave Grubnic and the St. Louis Carpenters’ Union team hammer home a quarter-final finish in St. Louis

MADISON, Ill., (May 4, 2008) – Sunday at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, native Australian Top Fuel dragster driver Dave Grubnic, driving this weekend for the St. Louis Carpenters’ Union,

For the first time since the 2005 NHRA Gatornationals event in Gainesville, Fla., Grubnic went into eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier. Grubnic’s booming blast of 4.467 seconds, 326.32 mph down the quarter-mile not only gave him the top qualifying slot, but it also set a new track record at GIR for elapsed time and is the quickest ET recorded by in driver in any class so far this season in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

In round one, Grubnic had no problems getting by his first opponent and No. 16 qualifier Luigi Novelli (5.772 sec., 161.25 mph). Novelli’s dragster lost traction almost immediately after the race started and Grubnic cruised down his lane to get the win light, 4.542 sec., 321.19 mph to 13.386 sec., 92.94 mph. In the quarterfinals, Grubnic and his St. Louis Carpenters’ Union team rolled to the starting line to race against Rod Fuller. Both drivers charged down the track side-by-side until Grubnic’s rail starting losing traction near half-track and that let Fuller get the victory, 5.074 sec., 209.69 mph to 4.570 sec., 325.45 mph.

“All-in-all it was a good weekend for us and the St. Louis Carpenters’ Union,” Grubnic, a 45-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “Being No. 1 qualifier was certainly uplifting to me and our whole Kalitta Motorsports team. Of course, we’re disappointed we couldn’t go for the win, but still a good outing for us. Having the quickest run of the year up on the bulletin board feels pretty special, too. “

Grubnic is remains in 9th place in 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. He has one other event victory to date, the 2006 running of the famed Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals was the 7th 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 (KB Racing, LLC dragster), Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief), and Richard Hogan (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief). 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.