Archive for June, 2011

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Business is good

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Hey it’s me ………….up on a soap box today!!!

I just found out that It’s not just my die-hard enthusiasm about this business being better than it was last year!

We all have the facts now…………..yep that’s right we got the facts!!

No happy mouth Monyhan spin here at all.

The current issue of Engine Builder Magazine states and I quote:

Total engine rebuilt per month in 2009 = 14.8

Total Engine rebuilt per month in 2010 = 22.1

34% increase

Total cylinder heads rebuilt per month 2009 = 43.9

Total cylinder heads rebuilt per month 2010 = 54.8

20% increase

Total number of crankshafts ground per month in 2009 = 3.1

Total number of crankshafts ground per month in 2010 = 6.4

52% increase

This is very good news indeed. Thank you “Engine Builder” for these facts.

I have been listening to all of you with great interest this year and you are all saying “so far this year is better than last year”.

Hang on for this breaking news…….we might be winners after all. Pat yourselves on the back for job well done.

I still believe we need to maintain a high levels of service, maintain competitive prices, deliver high quality products, and never forget who the customer is.By doing all of these things we can continue to grow our businesses and enjoy this engine building buiness for many years to come.

Keep on re-building!!

See ya on the web!

dave

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TOUGH ENDING FOR WHAT HAD BEEN A GOOD WEEKEND

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Tim Wilkerson has been pecking away at his tune-up, and at pesky clutch issues, all year. On this weekend in Bristol, he felt the energy that comes with solving a problem, and throughout qualifying he was happy with the response he was getting from his Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang. At certain times, when the car would respond exactly as he had hoped, he was downright giddy. And then came Sunday.

The initial opponent on race day was Mother Nature, as rain showers set in around 9:00 a.m. and persisted until well after 2:00 p.m., eventually setting the original 12:00 noon starting time back to 4:00. Once it became clear that the race was, actually, going to be contested, the LRS team sprang into action to get ready what they knew was a competitive race car. Unfortunately, they were stopped by something remarkably difficult to believe, and they went down to defeat in the opening round.

“We put a new rear end in the car when we got here, because the last one had enough runs on it that it was time to put a new one in,” Wilkerson said. “This thing was brand spanking new when we got here, and on its fifth lap of its entire life it broke. Unbelievable. From the second I hit the throttle, I knew something was wrong and the whole car was vibrating like your washing machine on the spin cycle. I knew it wasn’t tire shake, and it never got better, so something was obviously wrong.

“We got down there around 800 feet and it just got sick and basically died down there. We weren’t sure what the problem was, but I can guarantee you I wasn’t worried about a brand new rear end. When we got back to the pit, my clutch guy knew the rear end was involved as soon as he started to take his part of the car apart. Sure enough, we opened it up and it’s broken. That’s a lousy way to end a very good and productive weekend.”

The good and productive part came during qualifying, and with each pass Wilk was getting more and more pumped up about the new approach the team has taken in the clutch department. So much so, that rare high fives were exchanged after more than one qualifying lap.

“It’s a world away from where we’ve been, and it’s really going to be a good race car now,” said the simultaneously excited and frustrated driver. “It’s finally to a point where we can tune the car how we want and the clutch will follow us, instead of us being slaves to the clutch. We hit it right on the button on Saturday, just doing exactly what we wanted it to do and it was never in any trouble. I thought we had a chance to have a big day today, but I guess I was wrong.

“You know, I still can’t believe we could be so unlucky that we go out there and break a brand new rear end. Who does that? How often does that happen? I’m not sure what to make of it all except that if adversity makes you stronger we’re all going to look like power lifters here pretty soon. We’ll just pack it all up, repair all the junk we broke, and head straight for Norwalk. It’ll get better.”

Wilk’s son, Daniel, was also racing in Bristol and he made his fourth consecutive field in his young career. To add insult to injury, salt to wounds, and misery to company, young D Wilk lost his opening round race without ever leaving the starting line, when the mag drive sheared and the car instantly lost power backing up after the burnout.

“After a long day of sitting in the rain, we found two of the most ridiculous ways to lose all in about 15 minutes there,” said the LRS driver. “I’ve seen a lot of goofy stuff, but this is a day we might try to forget, but I bet we always remember.”

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D WILK’S RACE DAY NEVER GETS OFF THE GROUND

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Dan Wilkerson, driving his beautiful Summit Racing Equipment Ford, knew he had his hands full in the first round on Sunday, during the Ford Thunder Valley Nationals. As the 16th qualifier, he never did put a completely solid lap together through two days of qualifying and he therefore had to race the No. 1 qualifier in the opening round. That top qualifier, Bob Tasca, had his Shelby Mustang “running on mean” all weekend, and the Tasca group was clearly the class of the Funny Car group on Friday and Saturday. In the end, D Wilk would simply have liked a chance to give Tasca a run for his money, but his car shut itself off when backing up from the burnout, and he never so much as made it to the starting line.

Earlier in the weekend, it was all about taking those important steps to complete the evolution of a Funny Car driver. His first lap back in the seat, after a year away from the pro ranks, was an A-to-B effort but the car was set up very soft. Later on Friday, he felt tire spin at the top end and lifted early. On Saturday, his car broke a blower belt before crossing the finish line during Q3, and then got a bit loose again on his final effort, causing the young driver to lift once again. It all added up to a 16th spot on the grid.

“If there’s one thing my dad has ingrained in me, it’s that I’m not out here to be a hero yet,” Wilkerson said. “After that last run, I was beating myself up a little, thinking I should’ve stayed with it and kept my foot down, but until you’ve been at the top end in a Funny Car it’s kind of hard to explain just how fast your brain is working and how it can talk to your foot before you can even think about it. Every lap is a learning experience, and I’m trying to soak it all up. I never want to be a guy that other racers don’t want to line up against, so we’ll just keep learning and take it step by step.”

Sunday’s proceedings were delayed by a rain storm that threatened to wash out the race, but when 4:00 p.m. rolled around the Top Fuel cars rolled under the tower and lit their engines. A few minutes later, the Funny Cars took the track. D Wilk’s father, Tim Wilkerson, was up first in the Funny Car class and when his Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford had mechanical issues (later traced to a broken rear end on the car) the younger Wilkerson felt it was time to step up and carry the family banner.

Unfortunately, after doing his burnout D Wilk began to back up to the starting line when, suddenly and mysteriously, the motor on his Summit Racing Mustang simply quit. His team pushed the car back out of the way, and Tasca took the win uncontested. Granted, Tasca’s massive 4.076 would’ve been tough to beat, or more realistically it would’ve been nearly impossible to beat, but it was a disappointing way to finish the weekend for the young Summit Racing driver.

“I couldn’t believe it,” D Wilk said. “I was just cruising back from the burnout and it quit so fast it was stunning. I figured it had to probably be ignition related, because it didn’t spool down and nothing went bang; it just stopped running. We got back to the pit and started to dissect the whole thing, and pretty soon found the culprit. We sheared the mag drive, so basically we had no ignition at that point.

“Why do Funny Cars do stuff like this? I have no idea, and I wish this one hadn’t, but we’re not the first team to have a mag drive go bad, or have other ignition or mechanical issues. It’s not like we put it together wrong, or spilled oil all over the track, or looked like idiots out there. We just had a critical piece of the motor go bad at a very unfortunate moment. The good news is, Norwalk is next weekend and that’s the big race for Summit Racing Equipment. We came here to shake the car down and get some practice time in, so hopefully we got all of these gremlins out of the way and we can come out swinging next weekend in Norwalk.”

And, hopefully, D Wilk will at least have a chance to show his stuff in round one.

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Subject: Thunder Valley

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Hello Everyone,

I hope all of you had a great weekend, and are enjoying an even better week! All of us at Team Kalitta are ready for our next event down at Bristol Dragway, in Bristol, Tennessee. Bristol Dragway is also known as Thunder Valley, because of the way it was built between two mountains, and the thunder that is created when a couple of 8000 horsepower Top Fuel or Funny Cars run down the track.

Bristol also has some other unique challenges, as it is at about 1400 feet above sea level, and usually when we are there, it is about 90 degrees with lots of humidity. With all of the high temperatures and high humidity, it makes it much harder to make that 8000 horsepower you need to run those low elapsed times and top speeds. Team Kalitta has enjoyed some success at Bristol Dragway over the years as Doug Kalitta took the “Wally” home in 2001, 2005 and 2006. I think it’s time to add another Kalitta “Bristol Wally” to the shelf!

This week, we have focused on our clutch application with Doug’s, Kalitta Air Top Fueler. We feel that we make good enough power, and that our chassis works the best that it can work, now we just need to get the clutch back in order, so Doug and his “K” car can make a trip to the Bristol Winners Circle. It sounds easy, and like a good plan, but as it is with anything, if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it. The one thing that I do know, is that Doug, myself and the rest of the Kalitta Air Team are confident that we can get the job done this weekend!

Connie and Grubby, are also confident in their Kalitta Air Top Fuel Dragster going into Bristol. That’s the one thing about Conrad that I love the most, he is confident in what he does, no matter what! Conrad doesn’t spend much time looking in the rear view mirror to see what’s behind him, he just keeps looking forward. Connie has been working on a little bit different of a motor combination for about the last year, and one of the problems he has had with it, is making the right amount of power at the higher altitude racetracks, like Bristol. This week Connie and Grubby are working on some supercharger improvements, that should help Grubbies Kalitta Air Car, make the power they need to run those low et’s and top speeds at Bristol. If anyone can figure this out, Conrad is the guy!

I talked to Jeff yesterday for a little bit, and it sounds like he has been a good little housekeeper for his wife Windy as of late, cleaning house, taking Jenna to school, mowing the lawn ect. All the things a big time driver like Jeff would do during the off weeks. I love picking on Jeff because he just enjoys it for some strange reason! While Jeff was doing his best June Cleaver impersonation, the DHL Team was not only busy getting the yellow and red DHL Funny Car ready for Bristol, they put together Alexis DeJoria’s Patron Tequila Nitro Funny Car, and even started it on Tuesday. To say that we have a dedicated group of guys here at Kalitta Motorsports is an understatement. Jon O, Andy Cetwinski, Chris “Caveman” Butler, Dave “Bigfoot” Boyer, Jared Grablel, Mike Morris and Dan Gelselman along with other Team Kalitta Top Fuel crew-members, stayed late and worked on the weekend, to make sure that Alexis is ready to test in her own Patron Tequila Funny Car, the Monday after the Norwalk event, which is the weekend following Bristol. All that I can say is, great job guys!

Well, that’s about all of my babbling today, take care everyone, and if you can’t make it to Bristol, check us out on ESPN2 on Saturday and Sunday. Oh, if you need some housework done, give Jeff a call! Sorry Jeff, you know we love you!

Jim O

Jim “O” Oberhofer
Kalitta Motorsports

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DAN WILKERSON TO MAKE 2011 DEBUT IN BRISTOL

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (June 7, 2011) — Dan Wilkerson, son of NHRA star Tim Wilkerson, will return to the NHRA Full Throttle tour, making his first 2011 appearance at the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, with primary sponsorship backing from Summit Racing Equipment. Wilkerson will also compete the following week, in his Summit Racing Ford Mustang, at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk.

It’s been a busy year for “D Wilk” since last season in Joliet, when he made his previous appearance on the Full Throttle tour. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois – Springfield, landed a job with an accounting and tax preparation firm, and has kept a toe in the drag racing waters by bracket racing at his “home track” MidState Dragway in Havana, Ill. This past weekend, D Wilk entered and won a bracket race, driving in the Super Pro class. He won six rounds of racing to take the trophy, running elapsed times in the 5.23-second range on the 1/8-mile track.

“I just want to thank Summit Racing Equipment for having some faith in me and allowing me to get back out there in the Funny Car,” Wilkerson said. “I went to the Atlanta and Topeka races, to help out with my dad’s team and soak up some of his knowledge in the tuning room, and I can’t wait to get to Bristol to strap into my Funny Car again. My brother Kevin and I went over to Havana to have some fun this past weekend, and we did pretty well. I won in my class, and he was runner-up in the Street class, racing on his motorcycle. That was a good time, but all I can think about is getting back in the Funny Car.

“Our goal in Bristol and Norwalk is to be competitive, make the show, represent Summit Racing Equipment as best as we can, and be an asset for my dad, rather than any kind of burden. We can double the data for him, and hopefully continue to run as well as we have over the last two years. Right now, we’re all set to go and the only thing holding me back is the calendar. I wish next week would get here now.”

The Bristol event will be D Wilk’s fourth foray into Nitro Funny Car racing on the NHRA tour, and he has qualified solidly at each of his prior three races, earning the No. 8 spot at Topeka and Memphis in 2009, and the No. 10 spot in Chicago last season. His ’09 Memphis start was marred by a major crash in the first round, when the rear wheels came of his Ford Shelby Mustang car and it slammed into the retaining wall at a high rate of speed. He was unhurt in the spectacular crash.

Jim Greenleaf, Motorsports and Events Manager for Summit Racing Equipment, is equally excited to get D Wilk back on the track, and like many others he sees a bright future ahead for the second-generation racer.

“Dan is a great young man, and a terrific Funny Car driver,” Greenleaf said. “He’s polished beyond his years, and really a natural in the car. He obviously gets a lot of that from his dad, and we’ve been honored to be associated with Tim for many years. For Summit Racing Equipment, this is a natural extension of our relationship with Team Wilkerson, and we know Dan will represent us well.

“It’s also pretty obvious that Dan has a very bright future in the sport, and we’re thrilled to partner with him, his dad, and the entire Team Wilkerson organization in Bristol and Norwalk. It would be a huge story if Dan were to go rounds and do some big things in the Summit Racing Ford, but it wouldn’t surprise us one bit. He’s just a success story waiting to happen.”

D Wilk hopes to enter additional races later in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle season, although specific events and details have not yet been determined.

“I’d love to race the full schedule, believe me,” Wilkerson said. “We’ve been out a few times in the past, doing it basically out of my dad’s pocket with a little bit of help here and there, but we know the best way to get me on the track is to do it with marketing partners, so that we can run the car like we want to run it. My number-one goal is to be a full-time driver on the tour, and I’m not going to take my eye off that target. In the meantime, it’s important to get out there and stay up-to-speed in the car, and Summit Racing Equipment is helping us do that. We’ll make the most of it, and hopefully the people at Summit Racing will be happy with how we raced.”

Once the calendar cooperates and works in his favor, Dan Wilkerson will be set to begin qualifying at beautiful Bristol Dragway on Friday, June 17, in his Summit Racing Equipment Shelby Mustang/

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PROGRESS BEING MADE, STEP BY STEP

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Tim Wilkerson is not unlike most people when confronted by challenges. He’d prefer to have everything fixed and put in order all in one large bite, but he also knows that Funny Cars rarely come around that way. So, he chose to see the positive after qualifying very well and winning a round on Sunday, before surprisingly smoking the tires and bowing out in round two.

Wilk’s fast running Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang again showed signs of being able to run with the quickest cars in the class, when he led off Q2 with a strong 4.094 that held for the top spot until the final pair of cars went down the track on Friday. In the end, the mark held up for the No. 3 position.

Racing Tony Pedregon in the first round on Sunday, Wilk chose his favorite spot in the pairings, going first, and selected the left lane, which appeared to be the consensus pick in the nitro classes. His 4.093 was strong and straight, and it earned him a valuable round win, coming after consecutive opening-round losses at the last two races.

Still holding lane choice in round two, he again picked the favored left lane, but those same clutch issues that have thwarted him much of the year came back to roost, and the LRS Ford smoked the hoops.

“People might not see it, but we’re getting there,” Wilkerson said. “For the most part, we had a good car, and a really fast car, all weekend. We had a good handle on it in qualifying, and it did just what we wanted to do in round one. Then, in round two it just didn’t wear quite the same and we spun the tires.

“We’ve been talking about how, for so many years, we had a slow car that we tried to make fast, but now we have a fast car we sometimes can’t slow down. With each lap, though, we learn more and we get closer to just plain having a fast car that can consistently win rounds. If you have that, you can win races.”

Wilk’s qualifying numbers have shown just how fast the LRS Ford can be. Round one in Englishtown showed just how successful it can be. Progress is being made, one step at a time.

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Grubnic Hopes to Get Kalitta Air Dragster Back on Track in Englishtown

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J., (June 1, 2011) – Native Australian David Grubnic, driver of the 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster, knows that NHRA drag racing can be a fickle sport sometimes, but he’s hoping that he and his team will be able to get the “bugs” out this weekend, June 3-5, at the annual running of the NHRA SuperNationals at famed Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

At the previous two NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events in Atlanta and Topeka, Kan., Grubnic and the Kalitta Air team have experienced highly unusual and frustrating glitches in the complex systems that make up their 300+ mph race car.

“We’ve had some bad luck at the last two events,” Grubnic, a 48-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. “Unfortunately we’ve been defeated in the opening rounds at each. Our problems in qualifying, especially in Topeka, put us way behind and it was just too big of a mountain to climb.

“We had a really unfortunate and unique problem with our fuel system, but we’ve got everything back to where it should be, and we’re ready to go some rounds this weekend in Englishtown. I would love to be able to take Connie’s (Kalitta, team owner, crew chief and drag racing legend) car to the Winner’s Circle this weekend.”

Kalitta’s only son, Scott Kalitta, was tragically killed in a racing accident while competing in Funny Car qualifying at the 2008 Englishtown event.

Grubnic was defeated by his Kalitta Air teammate, Doug Kalitta, in the opening round of final eliminations at last year’s event in Englishtown.

Event Schedule

The NHRA SuperNationals begin Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and 7:00 p.m. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each pro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Times and dates subject to change.

TV Schedule

6/4/2011 Qualifying – 5:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
6/5/2011 Eliminations – 4:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2

Times and dates subject to change.

About Kalitta Motorsports

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

Jeff Arend drives the DHL Funny Car for the team. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, drives the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster entry while Dave Grubnic drives the team’s second Top Fueler under the banner of Kalitta Air as well. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and assistant crew chief Troy Fasching on Doug’s Top Fueler and by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car. Connie serves as crew chief on the Grubnic-driven racer with help from assistant crew chief James Riola.

Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Candlewood Suites, ROCKY Boots, Red Line Oil, Technicoat Companies, OPTIMA Batteries, JEGS, and Mac Tools.

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports including exclusive content such as videos, photos and more, please visit www.teamkalitta.com. Follow Us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamKalitta. Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KalittaMotorsports. Check out videos about Team Kalitta on our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/TeamKalitta

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Two-Time Englishtown Winner Kalitta Looks to Return to Racing Triumph This Weekend

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

 ENGLISHTOWN, N.J., (June 1, 2011) – Doug Kalitta, driver of the 300+ mph, nitro-fueled Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster, is hoping that his team’s high-horsepower momentum will help carry him to the familiar and legendary Winner’s Circle at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park at this weekend’s, June 3-5, annual running of the NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.
 
Kalitta has two Top Fuel title trophies from Englishtown, 2003 and 2000. He was a semifinalist at last year’s event in Englishtown.
 
Kalitta is currently in sixth place in Full Throttle championship points, 197 points away from the lead. He has posted three semi-final showings so far this season in Las Vegas, Houston, and at the previous event in Topeka, Kan., two weeks ago.
 
“We’re really excited about racing this weekend in Englishtown,” Kalitta, a 46 year-old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “Our Kalitta Air dragster has been right there in contention to win a few races this year so we’re ready to breakthrough and get our first win of the season in Jersey.”
 
Kalitta, a 14-year drag racing veteran in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, has amassed 32 NHRA Top Fuel title trophies in 64 final-round appearances. He has finished in the top ten in Full Throttle championship points in every year of his straight-line career. He was the 1994 USAC National Sprint Car champion.

 
Event Schedule
 
The NHRA SuperNationals begin Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and 7:00 p.m. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each pro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
 
Times and dates subject to change.

 
TV Schedule
 
6/4/2011 Qualifying – 5:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
6/5/2011 Eliminations – 4:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
 
Times and dates subject to change.

 
About Kalitta Motorsports
 
Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.
 
Jeff Arend drives the DHL Funny Car for the team. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, drives the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster entry while Dave Grubnic drives the team’s second Top Fueler under the banner of Kalitta Air as well. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and assistant crew chief Troy Fasching on Doug’s Top Fueler and by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car. Connie serves as crew chief on the Grubnic-driven racer with help from assistant crew chief James Riola.
 
Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Candlewood Suites, ROCKY Boots, Red Line Oil, Technicoat Companies, OPTIMA Batteries, JEGS, and Mac Tools.
 
For more info about Kalitta Motorsports including exclusive content such as videos, photos and more, please visit www.teamkalitta.com. Follow Us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamKalitta. Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KalittaMotorsports. Check out videos about Team Kalitta on our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/TeamKalitta

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Arend Focused and Eager to Race in Englishtown

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J., (June 1, 2011) – Jeff Arend, driver of the 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled DHL Funny Car, and his DHL team have one clear and collective goal this weekend, June 3-5 – Win the annual running of the NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

“Right now, we are as determined and focused as you can possibly get,” Arend, a 48-year old resident of San Dimas, Calif., said. “The weather looks great for racing this weekend. We know there’s going to be some good numbers put up on the board and we want to be at the top of that list after every lap.

“Our DHL hot rod is one of the best on the planet and we’re eager to show that this weekend. We’ll be thinking a lot about Scott [Kalitta] this weekend, as I’m sure a lot of other teams and fans will be. We are going to do everything in our power to put his race car in the Winner’s Circle at Englishtown. Scott’s name is still on the DHL Funny Car and it always will be.”

Arend took over the controls of the DHL Funny Car in late 2008 after the tragic death of Scott Kalitta in a racing accident in June of that year in Englishtown.

Arend is currently in sixth place in Full Throttle Funny Car championship points, 209 points away from the lead. He and the DHL team have one win this season (Houston).

Arend was a quarterfinalist at last year’s event in Englishtown.

Event Schedule

The NHRA SuperNationals begin Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and 7:00 p.m. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each pro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Times and dates subject to change.

TV Schedule

6/4/2011 Qualifying – 5:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
6/5/2011 Eliminations – 4:30 PM-7:00 PM (ET) ESPN2

Times and dates subject to change.

About Kalitta Motorsports

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The team was founded and is owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. For more than 50 years, Connie has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and an owner. Kalitta Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing with five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different professional drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

Jeff Arend drives the DHL Funny Car for the team. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, drives the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster entry while Dave Grubnic drives the team’s second Top Fueler under the banner of Kalitta Air as well. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and assistant crew chief Troy Fasching on Doug’s Top Fueler and by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car. Connie serves as crew chief on the Grubnic-driven racer with help from assistant crew chief James Riola.

Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Candlewood Suites, ROCKY Boots, Red Line Oil, Technicoat Companies, OPTIMA Batteries, JEGS, and Mac Tools.

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports including exclusive content such as videos, photos and more, please visit www.teamkalitta.com. Follow Us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeamKalitta. Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KalittaMotorsports. Check out videos about Team Kalitta on our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/user/TeamKalitta

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JOHNSON SET FOR 25TH ANNIVERSARY RACE

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

IRONDALE, AL. 5.26.11 Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing standout Steve Johnson of Irondale, Ala. is having a hard time contemplating the numerical side of his career. The upcoming National Hot Rod Association SuperNationals at legendary Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ on the weekend of June 2-5 will be Johnson’s “official” 25th Anniversary of competition on the NHRA Full Throttle series tour. “I’m really having a hard time taking all of this in,” Johnson said from his race shop. “First of all, I never thought I’d be fortunate enough to be racing for a quarter century, but what’s really blowing my mind is that this will be my 302nd NHRA race.
“I hate sounding foolish, but where did all the time go? I feel like we’ve been racing for a few years, but 25? Over 300 races?
“No wonder I’m tired!”
The National Hot Rod Association is well aware of Johnson’s record, and included notice of his 25th Anniversary race in their widely-distributed Newsmakers press release dated May 24th. “Believe me,” Johnson said, “being included in Newsmakers made my day!”
Johnson is a former Drag Bike USA champion, and is also a two-time winner of drag racing’s most prestigious event, the NHRA U.S. Nationals, but the one thing he’s never been is the NHRA Full Throttle champion. He’s come close, and has been a steady Top 10 performer when the points are tallied up at the end of each season, but an NHRA title continues to elude him.
“Winning the championship’s always our ultimate goal,” he says. “Our Suzuki has run okay thus far in 2011. Okay, but not great, and if we’re going to seriously challenge for the title, it’s gotta be great, not just okay. Tim Kulungian and the rest of the team are doing a good job, and the fact that our elapsed times and speeds are improving with every race is a very positive sign.”
Right now the NHRA Full Throttle series is all about the Countdown to 10, wherein the Top 10 points earners in each of NHRA’s four professional categories of competition will qualify for post-season action in the six-race Countdown to 1 program. Johnson made the field last year, and plans on doing so again in 2011. “I’m confident in our ability to make the Countdown,” he said. “We’ve done it before, so we know what it takes. It takes consistency and really, a mixture of being both conservative and aggressive when it comes to the tune-up. You can’t over-power the race track and spin the tire, but at the same time you’ve gotta get after it. It’s really a balancing act, and our guys are on top of it.”
Johnson participated in the official certification of Odessa College in Texas by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation under which the school received its Master Accreditation honor on May 23rd. “This was a very big deal,” Johnson said. “It’s the result of a lot of individual’s long hours and total dedication towards elevating the school’s position in our educational system, and I’m honored that they asked me to participate.”
A firm believer in the value of a higher education, regardless of whether it’s earned through a trade or vocational school, or through a degree program at a four-year university, Johnson adds, “If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t realize how tough it is in today’s job market, they just aren’t paying attention. I’ve been making appearances at schools, both public and private, for probably 20 years, and if there’s one thing I do know it’s that getting an education gives you a huge step forward in not only getting a job, but advancing your career as well.”
Johnson is a voracious fan of all forms of motorsports, and with the NHRA Full Throttle taking Memorial Day weekend off, he’s torn between heading for the 100th running of the Indy 500 in Indianapolis, or the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. “Those are going to be great races, but maybe I’ll stay right here, working on our motorcycle. We need to be quick and fast when we unload our Suzuki at Englishtown. That’s the race that really counts for us!”

WHEN: June 2-5
WHERE: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ
WHAT: NHRA SuperNationals
TELEVISION: Exclusive coverage of both qualifying and final eliminations will appear on ESPN2. Check local listings for broadcast times.

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