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Jeff Arend
Arend
  • Date of birth:
    November 27, 1962
  • Hometown:
    La Verne, Calif.
  • Sponsor/Car:
    Jim Dunn Racing/Grime Boss Funny Car
  • Crew Chief:
    Jim Dunn
  • Career Wins: 4
    FC: 4
  • Career Final Rounds: 9
    FC: 9
  • Career Best E.T.:
    4.036
  • Career Best Speed:
    318.09
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Career Highlights
  • 2012: Raced to a win in Chicago; set a career best time in Pomona 2 at 4.036 and a career best speed of 318.09 at Reading; made his second consecutive appearance in the Countdown to the Championship
  • 2011: Raced to a win in Houston; finished a career-best eighth in the Funny Car points standings; made his first career Countdown to the Championship appearance
  • 2010: Raced to runner-up finishes in Houston, Topeka, and Pomona 2; Posted career-best in time at Englishtown (4.075 seconds)
  • 2009: Won his first race (Memphis) in 13 years and just his second career win; Raced to quarterfinal finishes at Reading, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Richmond
  • 2008: Took over controls of Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car after death of Scott Kalitta in June; competed at seven events and qualified at six
  • 2007: Earned two No. 1 qualifiers, including his first, in Indianapolis; Set career bests for time and speed
  • 2006: Ran the special-edition Murray’s car in St. Louis for Del and Chuck Worsham; Named team's second driver in December
  • 2005: Set career bests for time and speed; Advanced to second career final round, finishing runner-up to Gary Scelzi at Bristol; Qualified top-10 in eight of 15 events entered, including season-high second at Englishtown; Finished 16th in standings despite competing in abbreviated 15-event schedule; Category-best reaction time average
  • 2004: Returned to full-time competition for first time since 2000; established career-best e.t. and speed; Signed CMKM Diamonds Inc., as a primary sponsor. Relicensed in Houston with career-best elapsed time to qualify third.
  • 2000: First driver selected for a chance to win ‘The Winston’ No Bull $100.000 bonus.
  • 1998: Kept his Funny Car license current by driving part-time for Chuck Beal and Al Hofmann.
  • 1997: Moved to California in 1997 and got married. He worked for the next five seasons as an operations manager and instructor for Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Pomona.
  • 1996: Defeated John Force in a match race at Arend’s home track at London Motorsports Park in Canada. Arend won the 1996 NHRA Keystone Nationals Funny Car title with current crew chief Paul Smith and finished the season 18th in the points. At the season ending World Finals Jeff became the first Canadian driver to eclipse the 300-mph barrier.
  • 1995: Made his Funny Car debut by qualifying 10th at the Gatornationals and continued to race with Smith throughout 1995, qualifying at every race they attended and finishing 18th in his rookie season,
  • 1994: Earned fuel Funny Car license in minimum of three attempts through Paul Smith’s Drag Racing School at Moroso Motorsports Park in Florida.
  • 1993: Sold his car and began to work as crew chief for Canadian Alcohol Funny Car owner/driver Al Billes.
  • 1990: Built and drove a 200-mph ’48 Fiat Topollino called “Bad to the Bone” which helped revive the match race concept in southern Ontario. He raced the car successfully for three years.
  • 1985: Began organizing drag racing in 1985, driving faster and faster streetcars as his career evolved, culminating with a low 10-second ’70 Chevelle SS.

Personal
  • Wife: Windy
  • Daughter: Jenna (2/23/00)
  • Height/weight: 5´8´´, 175 lbs.
  • In 1997, the native Canadian moved to Southern California, where he worked as an instructor and the operations manager at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School
  • Earned Funny Car license in 1994 at Moroso Motorsports Park in Florida, meeting the required performance numbers in the minimum of three attempts
  • Worked as crew chief for Canadian Alcohol Funny Car driver Al Billes in 1993
  • Hobbies: Avid golfer

 
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