Dave Grubnic

Dave Grubnic will return to Top Fuel competition at this weekend's NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to helm the Hawaiian Industrial Structures Top Fuel dragster for Kalitta Motorsports.
 
In 2006, longtime Kalitta Motorsports supporter Dan Hayes founded Hawaiian Industrial Structures Inc., of which he is president and CEO, to meet the needs of the growing metal building industry in Honolulu. The company has a dynamic erection crew, excavation and site work crew, sales and office staff. Its success is attributed to maintaining employment of qualified and experienced employees who have the knowledge and skills to provide professional results and to maintaining a quality line of vendors.
 
Grubnic, 47, drove a Top Fueler for Kalitta Motorsports at three NHRA national events (Brainerd, Reading, and Indianapolis) in 2009 and full-time from 2004 to 2008, but he has been sidelined for much of this season due to budget constraints. He has two NHRA national event wins in 14 final-round appearances in his 14-year Top Fuel career. In May 2005, he became the first racer born outside of North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He resides in Ennis, Mont.
 
“I can’t say thank you enough to Dan Hayes and everyone at Hawaiian Industrial Structures for giving me and this team the opportunity to get back on the track,” Grubnic said. “It’s truly an honor to drive for this team and for Connie Kalitta [team owner and drag racing icon]. We’re very excited about racing the Hawaiian Industrial Structures dragster this weekend and hopefully getting a win for Dan and Connie and the entire team.”
 
Joining Hawaiian Industrial Structures on the sides of Grubnic’s entry is Donate Life America. Donate Life America assists in mobilizing the transplant community to educate the American public on the need for organ, eye, and tissue donation and motivating the public to make an actionable donor designation. For more information about Donate Life America, log on to www.donatelife.net.
 
Longtime Kalitta Motorsports race car mechanic James Riola will assist engine tuner Kalitta as crew chief on the Hawaiian Industrial Structures dragster.