Tucson Dragway

Dave Grubnic, Zantrex-3 Top Fuel dragster, No. 13 qualifier - (4.650 sec., 309.91 mph) Scott Kalitta, Kalitta Air Funny Car, DNQ

NHRA Top Fueler Doug Kalitta qualifies No. 11 in Houston; Teammate Dave Grubnic qualifies No. 13 and Scott Kalitta fails to qualify in Funny Car after abbreviated qualifying sessions due to rain

BAYTOWN, Texas, (March 31, 2007) – After persistent on-and-off-and-on precipitation from the South Texas skies Saturday at the O’ Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Baytown, just east of downtown Houston, the final two qualifying sessions for the professional, nitro-fueled racers in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series were canceled. Sunday's 16-car final elimination fields will be set from the times that were clocked by the teams in their two qualifying attempts Friday at Houston Raceway Park.

Doug Kalitta, driver of the 8,000-horsepower, bright red Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, will start Sunday's eliminations from the No. 4 qualifying slot. His 4.633-sec., 315.27-mph lap in Friday night's second qualifying session set the stage for a first round match-up with No. 6 qualifier Larry Dixon.

Doug’s teammate Dave Grubnic, driver of the electric blue and black Zantrex-3 Top Fuel dragster, goes into race day from the lucky No. 13 rung of the qualifying ladder, 4.650 sec., 309.91 mph. He will roll to the quarter-mile starting line beside his opening round opponent Morgan Lucas, the No. 4 qualifier.

Funny Car pilot and Kalitta Motorsports team driver Scott Kalitta, driver of the Kalitta Air Toyota Solara Funny Car, will have to wait until the next NHRA national event in Las Vegas in two weeks to attempt to race in eliminations as his best lap of 9.905 sec., at 90.85 mph on Friday was not enough to place him in the top 16 race cars for eliminations.

Hillary Will, driver of the Ken Black-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed KB Racing LLC Top Fueler, qualified in the No. 8 position. She will race Joe Hartley in round one tomorrow.

Sunday’s final eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. (CT)

All times and dates subject to change.

The O’ Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals is the 4th of 23 national events in the 2007 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 Zantrex-3 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 Jim Oberhofer (Hillary Will-driven dragster) and Jon Oberhofer (Zantrex-3 dragster). Connie serves as crew chief on the Kalitta Air Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres.

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

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports, please visit www.kalittaracing.com.