Dave Grubnic, driver of the Zantrex-3 Top Fuel dragster, lead the Kalitta Motorsports contingent of nitro runners in qualifying for Sunday’s final eliminations at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Commerce, Ga., just a few miles northeast of the Atlanta city limits.
Grubnic rocketed his black and blue, 8,000-horsepower rail to the No. 9 qualifying spot on the 16-car Top Fuel eliminations ladder with a best time trial of 4.545 seconds at 323.74 mph. He and his team will roll to the starting line for tomorrow’s first round match-up with No. 8 qualifier Brandon Bernstein (4.529 sec., 325.85 mph).
Grubnic’s Top Fuel teammate Doug Kalitta began a new personal NHRA qualifying streak in Commerce by sliding into the final eliminations field in the No. 16 and final qualifying slot, 4.579 sec., 322.88 mph. Doug, last season’s POWERade points runner-up and driver of the special edition Mac Tools/Foose Design dragster, will face No. 1 qualifier Rod Fuller (4.506 sec., 326.71 mph) when eliminations commence in Commerce. Doug ended a seven-year, 164-event consecutive qualifying streak at the previous NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
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