Native Canadian Jeff Arend, driver of the bright yellow and red-striped, 8,000-horsepower DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, and the DHL team have extra motivation to collect their first win as a team at the NHRA national event this weekend, Feb. 20-22, at Firebird Int’l Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., just a few miles from Phoenix.
“I am really looking forward to Phoenix this weekend,” Arend, a 46-year old resident of San Dimas, Calif., said. “Our DHL Funny Car is finally starting to respond to the changes that we’re making and the weather forecast is for high 70s and almost a zero percent chance of rain. Four good qualifiers and four quick laps on Sunday is what we are all looking forward to. It’s Connie’s (Kalitta, team owner) birthday on Tuesday and my daughter Jenna’s birthday is Monday. I can’t think of a better present to give them than a Funny Car “Wally” (trophy).
“Today is Scott’s [Kalitta] birthday (Feb. 18, 1962). We all miss him very much and I think about him every time I get strapped in the DHL car. It sure would be great to get a win for him and his family this weekend in Phoenix.”
Arend joined Kalitta Motorsports last season to assume the driving duties of the DHL entry after the tragic death of Scott Kalitta as the result of injuries he suffered in a high-speed racing accident in June in New Jersey. Arend is a 14-year Funny Car veteran with one NHRA Funny Car national event win to his credit – Reading, Pa., 1996. He is married to Windy, and they have a daughter, Jenna, 8.
In 2009, Kalitta Motorsports is celebrating 50 years of drag racing by team owner and drag racing legend Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. Over the past 50 years, Connie, who has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and as an owner, has dedicated unequalled amounts of time and resources to building one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing. Kalitta Motorsports has won five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.
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