Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Dallas, Texas
(Sept. 23-26)

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David Grubnic Kalitta Air Top Fueler

Reports: Saturday Pre-race

Dallas, Saturday: For the second consecutive national event, the fourth time in the last five events, the fifth time in 2004 and for the 21st time in his seven-year career, Doug Kalitta, driver of the bright red Mac Tools flagship Top Fuel dragster, is low qualifier in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Doug's blistering 4.53-second, 306.26-mph lap in the second of four qualifying attempts down the quarter-mile drag strip at Texas Motorplex at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals paces the 16-car field for Sunday's final eliminations.

Doug, the 2003 Top Fuel championship runner-up, entered the event in Ennis, Tex., just south of Dallas, in second place in NHRA Top Fuel championship points, 160 points behind leader Tony Schumacher. Doug will face No. 16 qualifier Mitch King in round one of eliminations.

"Aussie Dave" Grubnic, driver of the Red Line Oil Top Fuel dragster, was close behind his teammate Doug with his best qualifying attempt of 4.54 sec., 326.79 mph. He will face No. 15 qualifier John Smith in the opening round of eliminations.

Doug's cousin and third Kalitta Motorsports teammate Scott Kalitta, driver of the Mac Tools/Jesse James Top Fuel hot rod, qualified No. 6 for the event, the 19th in the 23-event, $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. His best qualifying effort of 4.58 sec., 324.75 mph set up his round one battle with No. 11 qualifier Scott Weis.

In one of the most entertaining and unique qualifying moments in recent history, Scott and competitor Brandon Bernstein ran identical side-by-side runs of 4.625 sec. at 324.75 mph in the fourth and final session of qualifying Saturday.

Dallas, pre-race: After the remnants of Hurricane Ivan washed out every competitor's trophy hopes last weekend in Reading, Pa., the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series now turns its wheels south for this weekend's running of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex.

With an all-concrete racing surface, a first-rate facility and sunny forecast, Team Kalitta drivers Doug Kalitta, Scott Kalitta and "Aussie Dave" Grubnic are anxious to get back on the drag strip for the season's final five-race home stretch.

Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster driver and 2002 Dallas event winner Doug Kalitta said, "Dallas is always one that I look forward too. When the conditions are right, the performances are some of the best we see all year because the track is so good. I'm sure that will happen again this year."

Mac Tools/Jesse James Top Fuel dragster driver Scott Kalitta expanded on his cousin's optimism. "We won Dallas in '95 to clinch our second straight championship, so I have great memories of Texas Motorplex. Billy Meyer (track owner and former drag racer) knows what drivers and fans want to see. It's still one of the premier tracks on our schedule, and it's almost 20 years old. That tells you the quality of the facility and how good the track is."

Ever since the event in St. Louis in June, Kalitta Motorsports' pilots have made a habit of racing in the money round. In this span of seven straight events, Kalitta Motorsports' race cars have made an astounding nine final round appearances. In the first 18 events in 2004, Team Kalitta has combined for an incredibly impressive 13 final round showings with four wins (Doug with three, Scott with one1).

"I wish we could have won them all," Team Manager Jim Oberhofer, who was raised in Plano, Texas, said. "You can't win a race if you can't get to the finals, so we're happy with our performance as a team to give ourselves those opportunities to win. I really wish we had more trophies in the case from this streak, but we are happy with the way all of our cars are running, and if we keep doing our best like we have over these last seven races, we'll pick up a few more wins before the season ends."