Brainerd: Dave Grubnic final notes

Dave Grubnic and the Zantrex-3 team on the edge after tough outing in Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn., (Aug. 12, 2007) -- During the first round of Top Fuel final eliminations at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int'l Raceway in Brainerd, Minn., Native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the Zantrex-3 Top Fuel dragster, watched his chances of winning his first event of the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series go up in a haze of smoke.

Grubnic, the No. 14 qualifier, raced No. 3 qualifier Whit Bazemore in the opening match-up. Both drivers had problems getting their 8,000-horsepower rails down the drag strip, but Grubnic's woes were more severe as the rear tires on his black and blue dragster completely lost traction near half-track. Bazemore was then able to get his dragster to recover just enough to slide by Grubnic for the win, 5.494 seconds, 239.65 mph to 4.933 sec., 326.08 mph

This season the NHRA instituted the new Countdown to the Championship points system. Only the top eight in POWERade points after the first 17 national events will be allowed to vie for the season championship. This weekend's event was the 16th of the season.

Grubnic is in 8th place in POWERade championship points. He is only two points ahead of 9th place.

"We're still in there, but it is way too close now," Grubnic, a 45-year old resident of Ennis, Mont., said. "All we can do is go to Reading (Penn., - next event) and try to win. If we win, then there is no way we can't make it, so we're going there to win. That's our only goal."

-credit: km