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Results for the 28th Annual Arizona Nationals – Feb. 17-19, 2012 – Phoenix, AZ

Monday, February 20th, 2012

CHANDLER, Ariz. – SUMMIT FastNews – Results of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals:

Top Fuel
W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed

(W) Antron Brown (Matco Tools/Aaron’s Dragster) 0.054 3.793 319.82
(L) Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army Dragster) 0.057 3.813 318.17

Funny Car
W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed

(W) Robert Hight (Auto Club Mustang) 0.086 4.139 307.02
(L) Mike Neff (Castrol GTX Mustang) 0.084 4.168 309.91

Pro Stock
W/L Driver R-Time E-Time Speed

(W) Jason Line (Summit Racing Equipment GXP) 0.042 6.558 211.69
(L) Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment GXP) 0.041 6.570 211.06

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WILK CARRIES POSITIVE MOMENTUM INTO PHOENIX

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

PHOENIX (February 14, 2012) — Tim Wilkerson started the 2012 season this past weekend in Pomona, with a new car, three new crew members, and a recent history of early-season frustration that confounded him. He then squeaked into the field in the 14th spot while worrying if his team could handle the quick turn-arounds needed on race day. In the end, he pounded out a win in round one with a huge 4.06, then watched as his crew swapped motors and got him back to the lanes in time for round two. In four short days, he felt his team had grown, his performance was on track, and that things were generally all moving in the right direction for his Levi, Ray & Shoup organization.

With little time to rest, Wilk now brings his LRS Shelby Mustang to Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, for the running of this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals, and he’s pumped up to maintain the progress and momentum.

“You normally kind of look for things like a team coming together or the car coming around in terms of months or even a year, so it’s kind of funny that we could see both of those things happening over the course of four days in Pomona,” Wilkerson said. “We got better as a team every day we were there, and the car ran better as we went along. We’re not where we want to be yet, with the crew or the car, but we made a ton of progress and that’s all you can ask. The guys are working hard, giving it every ounce of energy and focus they have, and if they keep doing that they’re going to become a really great unit, and the car will reflect how well they work together.

“The hard part is just getting the repetition for the guys, because we don’t have the wherewithal to go run the wheels off the car in testing. We entered Pomona with about six laps of experience as a group, and then in qualifying there we only made one lap a day, for three days, so they never had to thrash and get it turned around under pressure. Well, we blew it up in round one and had to swap motors, so they found out early what that’s like. We weren’t as efficient as we want to be, but they learned with that deal. Now, we go right to Phoenix without a break and the guys will be right back at it. All I want to see is that they keep making progress. That’s our goal.”

This trip to Firebird Raceway is a unique one, coming just a few months after the tour last visited Phoenix. Traditionally an early-season winter race, coming right on the heels of Pomona, last year’s Phoenix event was shifted to the fall and held in mid-October. Now back in its familiar February slot, the Phoenix race should provide better action on a cooler track.

“I think we raced on about a 135-degree track last fall, if I remember correctly,” Wilkerson said. “A track that hot might make for a lot of excitement, in terms of pedal-fests, but I think the fans and the racers will always prefer a cool track and low elapsed times. At this time of year, it’s probably going to be in the 70s while were there, so the track ought to be tight and the racing should be great.

“I think we have a reputation for being a hot-weather team, but I also think that reputation is outdated. We can still give people fits on a hot track, but I went after that 4.06 in the first round at Pomona for a reason. I wanted to see if we could really get after it on a cool track, and we did, so I don’t think we need a hot track to even things up for us at all. We can run with the best, and we plan to do that this weekend. I’m pretty excited about what we can accomplish this year, and we’re all ready to see what we can do in Phoenix. As long as we just keep making progress, I’ll be happy.”

If Tim Wilkerson and his LRS team continue to make progress and maintain their momentum, the legions of Wilk Warrior fans around the world could have plenty of reasons to be happy, and those smiles could come as early as this weekend.

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Kalitta Enters the 2012 NHRA Season with New Optimism and New “Pipe”

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2012) – Doug Kalitta, driver of the 8,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster, believes that his chances of taking home the Full Throttle Top Fuel championship trophy got substantially better during the offseason with the addition of a new “horse” to the Kalitta Motorsports stable. Kalitta and his Team Kalitta teammates return to 300+ mph action this weekend, Feb. 9-12, at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona, Calif.

During a much milder than normal winter in Michigan, Kalitta and his Kalitta Air team were delivered some new “pipe” in the way of a new dragster chassis built by Brad Hadman to the team’s world headquarters in Ypsilanti. It’s the first new hot rod for Kalitta in five years, and it has the 15-year Top Fuel veteran beaming like a child with a shiny new toy at Christmas.

“Yeah, we’re really excited to see what we can do with our new race car,” Kalitta, a 47-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., said. “We also changed the body of the car, too, from a one-piece carbon fiber body to a paneled carbon fiber one. It’s a pretty drastic change, but we’ve already seen it paying dividends in pre-season testing where we ran our quickest lap ever at 3.78 (seconds).

“I’m really optimistic about the 2012 season. I probably say that at the beginning of every season, but we really feel like we’re moving in a positive direction, as far as performance goes, with our team. I think we’re going to win some races this year and be far more competitive, hopefully starting off with a good showing in Pomona.”

Kalitta won the Winternationals in 2009.

Kalitta 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 Winternationals begin Thursday for the nitro-fueled classes with one qualifying session at 2:00 p.m. (PT). Another qualifying session takes place at 2:00 p.m. Friday. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each nitro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Times and dates subject to change.

ESPN2 TV Schedule

2/11/2012 Qualifying
11:00 PM-1:00 AM (ET)
2/12/2012 Eliminations
7:00 PM-10:30 PM (ET)

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 Toyota Camry Funny Car for Team Kalitta. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. David Grubnic drives the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car, by Del Worsham on the Tequila Patrón Funny Car, and by Jim Oberhofer on the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as crew chief on the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster.

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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Grubnic Ready to Charge Into 2012 NHRA Season with New Optima Batteries Top Fueler

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2012) – Native Australian David Grubnic, driver of the 8,000-horsepower Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster, has a new outlook and a newly-decorated, nitro-fueled hot rod as the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series gets rolling with the season-opening NHRA Winternationals this weekend, Feb. 9-12, at famed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Pomona, Calif.

When the action heats up on the 1,000-ft. Auto Club Raceway track this weekend, Grubnic will debut the colors of Optima Batteries as the primary sponsor on his 300+ mph race car. The new digs and recent pre-season testing performances have Grubnic brimming with optimism about the upcoming season.

“You bet, I’m very excited about getting started this season with the Optima Batteries dragster,” Grubnic, a 49-year old resident of Bozeman, Mont., said. “Our race car looks amazing and I think it’s going to put up some great numbers on the score board as well turn some heads in the grandstands. We’ve been working really hard in the offseason to come up with some new tuning combinations and we’ve already seen some great results from that during our pre-season testing last month.

“Pomona is such a special place to everyone that loves drag racing. My first Top Fuel race in the States was at the Winternationals in 1995. I think we have a really great shot at winning the trophy this year, and that would certainly be a highlight of my career.”

Grubnic, an 18-year Top Fuel veteran, earned his first career Top Fuel victory in Topeka, Kan. in 2005, becoming the first racer born outside North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He has two wins in his career with 15 final-round appearances. Grubnic’s Optima Batteries Top Fueler is helmed by drag racing icon and team owner Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta who serves as crew chief.

Kalitta won the Winternationals as a driver in Top Fuel in 1967, his first of ten NHRA national event wins. Also in 1967, Kalitta swept the winter national events for the three major drag racing sanctioning bodies at the time by also winning the AHRA and NASCAR event titles.

Event Schedule

The NHRA Winternationals begin Thursday for the nitro-fueled classes with one qualifying session at 2:00 p.m. (PT). Another qualifying session takes place at 2:00 p.m. Friday. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each nitro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Times and dates subject to change.

ESPN2 TV Schedule

2/11/2012 Qualifying
11:00 PM-1:00 AM (ET)
2/12/2012 Eliminations
7:00 PM-10:30 PM (ET)

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 Toyota Camry Funny Car for Team Kalitta. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. David Grubnic drives the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car, by Del Worsham on the Tequila Patrón Funny Car, and by Jim Oberhofer on the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as crew chief on the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster.

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 Set to Deliver More Wins Coming Off Best Season Ever

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2012) – Native Canadian Jeff Arend, driver of the 8,000-horsepower, nitro-fueled DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car, completed the best season of his steering wheel-wrangling career last November at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.). This weekend, Feb. 9-12, he and the DHL “Yella Fellas” Funny Car team return to the historic race track for the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in hopes of carrying their successful momentum into the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Arend posted the best championship points finish of his career last year by finishing in eighth place in Full Throttle Funny Car points. He also earned a berth in the ultra-exclusive NHRA “playoffs”, the Countdown to the Championship, for the first time. The “flopper” veteran thinks No. 8 is great but he’s hoping for something in an even smaller size at the end of this season.

“It was very cool to put those No. 8 decals on our DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car for this season,” Arend, a 49-year old resident of San Dimas, Calif., said. “We had been competing under my competition license number (170) for the past couple of years, so we were very happy to switch those out after our first top ten finish.

“I think we have all of the puzzle pieces in place to be competitive enough to win at every event this year. I know everyone on our DHL team is really looking forward to getting out there and improving on what we did last year. Sure, finishing in eighth was awesome, but now we have our goals set even higher. I think we’ll have at least a top five Funny Car this year. We’re going to be right near the top of the pack all year and hopefully have a shot at the championship in November.

“It’s always a blast racing in Pomona. I live about five minutes away from the racetrack so it is right in my backyard. We always have a lot of friends and family come out to the track with us at Auto Club Raceway and cheer on the DHL Funny Car team. Hopefully we can hoist a Winternationals trophy for them all at the end of the weekend.”

Arend has posted three wins in eight final-round appearances in his 18-year Funny Car career. He took over the controls of the DHL Toyota Camry Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2008 after the tragic death of Scott Kalitta in a racing accident in June of that year.

Event Schedule

The NHRA Winternationals begin Thursday for the nitro-fueled classes with one qualifying session at 2:00 p.m. (PT). Another qualifying session takes place at 2:00 p.m. Friday. Two more qualifying attempts will take place on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each nitro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Times and dates subject to change.

ESPN2 TV Schedule

2/11/2012 Qualifying
11:00 PM-1:00 AM (ET)
2/12/2012 Eliminations
7:00 PM-10:30 PM (ET)

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 Toyota Camry Funny Car for Team Kalitta. Alexis DeJoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. David Grubnic drives the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster while Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta, pilots the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car, by Del Worsham on the Tequila Patrón Funny Car, and by Jim Oberhofer on the Kalitta Air Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as crew chief on the Optima Batteries Top Fuel dragster.

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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WILK AIMS FOR QUICK START TO 2012 CAMPAIGN

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

POMONA, Calif. (February 6, 2012) — Tim Wilkerson and his Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang Funny Car team are, like other NHRA racers and fans, primed and ready for the 2012 season to kick off this weekend, at the 52nd Annual O’Reilly Winternationals in Pomona. This time around, though, Wilk would like to jump-start his season with big opening effort; something he has not been able to do over the course of many years. Stunningly, Wilkerson has not won a round at the Winternationals since 2004.

Starting the season with a new three-rail chassis, Wilkerson and his LRS squad took part in the annual January preseason testing session in south Florida, aiming to work out the kinks and expose any gremlins before things get started for real this Thursday. Although the team kept to a plan of running only 600 to 800 feet on all their test runs, Wilk is confident they accomplished their mission.

“For whatever reason, we’ve had a heck of a time getting out of the gate okay at Pomona, and we want to change that this year,” the popular driver said. “We took our testing very seriously, we had some good days at the track to help the team gel and fit in together, and the car ran really nice the whole time, so we feel like we’re miles ahead of last year. Hopefully, it pays off and we get some win lights this time around.

“If I could explain why we seem to have trouble at the Winternationals, I wouldn’t waste time talking about, I’d just fix it. We’ve qualified at the top, at the bottom, in the middle, and we’ve DNQd too, but the bottom line is that when Sunday comes around we’ve been pretty much whitewashed for a lot of years. It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been since 2004 that we won a round at the Winternationals, but I guess that’s right. In 2008, the year we lost the championship on the final day, we qualified number one and then still managed to lose in the first round. Since then, another DNQ in ’09 and then we just plain got whooped in 2010 and 2011. Maybe we’ll smarten up a little and turn things around this year.”

Although Wilk is well known for his ability to squeeze more horsepower and performance out of every dollar bill than many of his big-budget opponents, the significant expense of the trip to Florida was not only justifiable, he deemed the trip absolutely necessary. With a new car and three new crew members, the test runs were needed for many reasons.

“We saved some money and didn’t go to that testing session last year, and we started out the year looking like we were searching around and trying to figure it out,” Wilkerson said. “This year, we’ll be watching our budget as closely as we ever do, but to me it was pretty important for us to go down there and get ourselves ready to go. With three new crew guys, we’re still going to need some time to really come together, but at least we’re not going into the season completely cold.

“Now, here we are and our short little off-season is over. I don’t think most people realize just how short it is, when you factor in getting back to the shop from the Finals, then servicing everything and getting it all ready to go. You give the guys some time off over the holidays, and there just aren’t that many days before you’re packing it up and heading back out to start all over again. We’re ready, though, and all of us are excited to get out there and get a new season underway. The way I see it, we just need to stop giving the rest of the class a head start, so maybe this year we’ll come out strong and never look back. It would be neat to get back to Pomona in November, for the Finals, and be fighting for a championship. Then maybe we could look back to this race in February and see that a successful season started there.”

Effort made, kinks worked out, testing laps in the book. Now it counts, and Tim Wilkerson is intently focused on getting out of the gate strong. Let the games begin.

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New Transportation Technology Center Opens in Tutterow’s Hometown

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

The New Transportation Technology Center Opens in Tutterow’s Hometown
While Todd Tutterow was not able to attend Forsyth Technical Community College’s (FTCC) Grand Opening of the New Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Winston-Salem, NC due to scheduling conflict, his wife, Denise and crew, Brad Schimdt and Greg Vogler took their Pro Extreme 67 GT500 Mustang to put on display at the New TTC’s Grand Opening.
FTCC held the Grand Opening of the New TTC in Winston-Salem, NC on Jan. 17th where FTCC President Dr. Gary Green, Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines and Nascar Legend Richard Childress were on hand for the “Firing of the Engine”, which was much more exciting than a Ribbon Cutting.
The New TTC is a 139,000 sq. ft. facility and is one of its kind in the Southeast. TTC has much to offer such as: Richard Childress Race Car Technology, Automotive Systems, Heavy Equipment and Transport, Recreational Vehicle Maintenance and Repair, Collision Repair and Refinishing, Motorcycle Maintenance and Programs.
Program Director of the Richard Childress Race Car Technology Program and Bowman Gray Modified Driver, Randy Butner said, “This Facility has been a long time in the making and we are very proud of what we have accomplished here.”. While Tutterow’s PX 67 GT500 Mustang drag car was on hand Butner decided to see what it would be like to sit behind a 4000hp, 3 second, 210 mph, machine but all he got was a cold seat and a little excited. Butner says,” Tutterow’s Mustang has gotten many of us here at TTC excited about finishing our Pontiac Trans Am drag car that the students have been working on for several semesters but we have a long way to go.”
Mike Phillips from Hank Thomas Performance says,” We look forward to helping Butner and students with the drag car as we have in the past with other program projects.” Hank Thomas Performance is also an Associate Sponsor on Todd Tutterow’s PX 67 GT500 Mustang.
Michael Heath, a graduate from FTCC, with a Associates Degree in Race Car Technology and is now employed by “ECR” attended the Open House of the New Transportation Technology Center when asked what he thought about the new facility compared to the old one he replied, “This is like the Taj Mahal.”.
For more information about the New Transportation Technology Center go to: www.forsythtech.edu
Todd Tutterow would also like to thank his sponsors: Red Line Oil, Ross Pistons, Hank Thomas Performance, Sunoco, Neal Chance Racing Converters, Goodson, Miller Welders, Cheerwine, Super Sauce, Reese Crushing, Goodridge, Weld Racing Wheels and Safety Solutions.

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DOUG HERBERT TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

CONCORD, NC. (JAN 4, 2012) – When Doug Herbert attended his first drag race with his father and racing pioneer Chet Herbert as a child he had no idea that drag racing would become such an important part of his life, he also never imagined that one day he would be a hall of fame inductee.

The veteran Top Fuel driver of the Doug Herbert Performance-B.R.A.K.E.S. teen safe driver has seen his share of racing and won his share of races. With 30 National event wins in NHRA & IHRA Top fuel dragster and 4 IHRA Championships it would be safe to say that Doug Herbert has learned a few things about drag racing since his first trip to the race track with his father.

On January 13th in Greensboro, NC. Doug Herbert will join other legendary racers such as Ronnie Sox, Rickie Smith, Roy Hill and others in the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

“It’s an honor to be inducted in the Hall Of Fame,” Herbert said. “To join some of my racing hero’s is quite an honor and I am really looking forward it. When I initially heard of my induction my reply was, hey I have not retired yet! But I was assured that being inducted into the Hall Of Fame does not mean that you are retired it just means that you have contributed significantly to the sport of drag racing and that I am happy to accept.”

Doug’s Father, Chet Herbert and his Aunt Doris Herbert are both members of Don Garlits Drag racing Hall of Fame.

“Doug Herbert is not only the most accomplished Top Fuel racer to reside in North Carolina with 30 national events wins in the NHRA and the IHRA series; he also is one of the State’s most proficient drag racing entrepreneurs. Operating Doug Herbert Performance Parts in Concord, Doug has helped and sponsored the sports “grassroots” including Top Sportsman World Champion Gary Bingham and served as the sponsor of the successful bracket racing Doug Herbert Carolina Coalition,” said Steve Earwood NC Drag Racing Hall of Fame organizer. “Doug has been a responsible corporate steward as well with his creation of the non-profit organization B.R.A.K.E.S., a program to train and to educate teenagers on the importance of safe driving, a project he has tirelessly worked on since the traffic accident of his two sons, Jon and James in 2008. As owner of Rockingham Dragway it was always a privilege to have Doug compete at our track. He certainly is a worthy addition to the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame.”

Herbert is honored and excited to be part of this elite group of racers. He is looking forward to racing & making new history with his Top Fuel Dragster for years to come.

“I would like to thank all of the fans and the induction committee for giving me the opportunity to be involved with the Hall of Fame,” Said Herbert. “Right now I am actually working on sponsorship to get the DougZilla Top Fuel Dragster back on the track in 2012 and I hope to be able to make an announcement soon. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a great way to start out 2012”.
About Put on the B.R.A.K.E.S.
B.R.A.K.E.S., which stands for Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel drag racer Doug Herbert in memory of his two sons, Jon and James, who were killed in a car accident. By training and educating teenage drivers and their parents, the program aims to promote safe driving in an attempt to prevent injuries and save lives. To volunteer, obtain more information or donate please visit www.putonthebrakes.org.

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Scott Kalitta and Doug Kalitta Inducted Into Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

Kalittas_PlaquesKalittas_MMSHoF

YPSILANTI, Mich., (Nov. 7, 2011) – The late Scott Kalitta, two-time NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Top Fuel World Champion, and his cousin Doug Kalitta, driver of the Technicoat Top Fuel dragster for legendary Kalitta Motorsports, based in Ypsilanti, Mich., were both inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame Sunday, Nov. 6, during the 28th annual MMSHoF Induction Ceremony in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

Scott, who tragically lost his life in a racing accident in June of 2008 in New Jersey, was born in Mt. Clemens, Mich., Feb. 18, 1962. Scott’s celebrated drag racing career included 18 NHRA national event victories in 34 final-round appearances. In 1994, Scott became the first Top Fuel driver in NHRA history to win four consecutive national events en route to his first of two consecutive Top Fuel World Championships.

Scott’s two sons Corey, 18, and Colin, 11, along with longtime Kalitta Motorsports team member and crew chief Jon Oberhofer, were on hand at the ceremony Sunday and accepted the induction plaque for Scott at the ceremony attended by approximately 400 friends, family members, and fans of the ten total inductees.

Scott was the only son of drag racing pioneer and icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta, who also is a Michigan native and resident. Connie continues his roles as Kalitta Motorsports’ team owner and chief tuner to this day. He was inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Doug, Connie’s nephew, is a 47 year-old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich. Doug, a 14-year drag racing veteran, is still very active in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series action and is currently in 8th place in Full Throttle Top Fuel championship points. To date, Doug has 32 career NHRA Top Fuel trophies from 64 final-round appearances, which currently places him in the No. 7 slot for most NHRA Top Fuel career wins. He has finished in the top ten in championship points in every season of his NHRA career which began in 1998, including runner-up points finishes in 2003, 2004, and 2006.

Doug and his daughter Avery, 8, also attended the ceremony yesterday. “It’s truly an honor for me to be inducted alongside my cousin Scott and join my Uncle Connie in the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame,” Doug said while accepting his induction plaque. “Our family is very proud to be a part of the great history of racing in the state of Michigan.”

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 Toyota Camry Funny Car for the team. Newly added in the fall of 2011, Alexis Dejoria pilots the Tequila Patrón Toyota Camry Funny Car. 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. Oberhofer also serves as crew chief for the Tequila Patrón team. 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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DISAPPOINTED WILK OUT IN ROUND ONE

Monday, October 17th, 2011

 Tim Wilkerson had one pesky contrary thought in his head as he embarked on a Sunday quest to get his special-edition LRS Big Website Makeover Ford to run a full lap on all eight cylinders, and that nagging worry was based on how the car would handle 12.5 percent more power down-track. As it turned out, he got the tune-up right and overshot the mark in round one, spinning the tires at nearly the spot he’d been dropping holes all weekend. Paul Lee’s .002 light didn’t help matters, and it was a disappointed but undaunted Wilk who came back to his pit to analyze the data.

 

“I was a little worried about that, to tell you the truth, because you just don’t know how the car is going to react to the track if it keeps all eight lit, especially right down there at half-track where all of a sudden you’re dealing with more power if all eight are firing,” Wilkerson said. “This track is tough enough, if you’re worried about spinning the tires, and a 130-degree surface just makes it really hard to stay stuck and keep all the cylinders lit. We got the combination right on that run, but sure enough I think it was that little extra power that drove us right into spin. 

 

“To be honest, I thought he red-lit over there, because I heard him leave early, but with a .002 light we weren’t going to win anyway. We would’ve needed something like a 4.27 to beat him, and we weren’t set up to do that. We were trying to run about a 4.30 to a 4.32, and I cut my normal light, so it wasn’t in the cards.  My guys are bummed out, because we made four good laps in qualifying, and then we come out here and get bit.”

 

To be precise, with Lee’s .002 and Wilk’s standard “everyday” .088 at the tree, it would’ve taken a 4.274 to defeat Lee’s 4.360-second time.

 

Wilk did, however, have a good race going until Sunday morning came around. On a blistering weekend in Phoenix, where track temps soared to nearly unheard of levels and tire spin was the common denominator, Wilk managed to string four consecutive solid laps together.  He also earned two bonus points in the process, and landed in the top half of the field at a place where that seemed like a fortuitous accomplishment.  He did, however, make portions of all four of those solid qualifying laps with only seven cylinders. 

 

“It’s a shame, because our goal here was to get out of the 10th spot and we had the chance to do it right there,” Wilk said. “This just tells you how hard this deal can be. It’s never easy to tune a Funny Car, but it’s a ton harder when the conditions are like this, and all you had to do was watch what went on here to see that. I said yesterday that the secret here was that you had to tiptoe your way down this track, and I guess we got to jogging or running a little today and we slipped and fell. We’ll go on to Las Vegas and try to make up for it there, and my guys are in need of a good boost so I hope we can get one there.”

 

The Full Throttle tour will now take a week off before reconvening in Las Vegas during the final weekend in October.  

 

On a sad note, it was later in the day when the Wilkerson team learned of the death of Indy Car driver Dan Wheldon, who was involved in a terrible crash during their race today. Everyone involved with Team Wilkerson sends heartfelt condolences to the Wheldon family and the Indy Car community.

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