OPTIMA-sponsored Drag Racer, David Grubnic Going to Norwalk with High Hopes

Native Australian David Grubnic, driver of the OPTIMA Batteries/Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster for Kalitta Motorsports, hopes that this weekend will see a change of fortune for him and his team as they celebrate America’s Independence Day and compete in the annual running of NHRA Norwalk Nationals at Norwalk Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

 

“We’ve been struggling with our OPTIMA Batteries/Advance Auto Parts dragster,” Grubnic, a 50-year old resident of Bozeman, Montana, said. “We’ve been working on some new things, and sometimes you have to take a couple steps back to take three forward. We’re always looking to improve on our performance. Connie (Kalitta, team owner and crew chief) and the whole team have working feverishly to solve our performance deficit. We look forward to racing at Norwalk and at the same time celebrate this great nation’s birthday.”

 

Grubnic has raced to three quarterfinals thus far this season (Pomona, California, Phoenix, and Las Vegas), and he is currently No. 13 in NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel championship points.

 

Grubnic is an 18-year Top Fuel veteran and earned his first career Top Fuel victory in Topeka, Kan. in 2005, becoming the first racer born outside North America to win an NHRA Top Fuel event. He has garnered three NHRA Top Fuel national event victories so far. The always-affable Grubnic is known affectionately by his peers and fans as “Grubby”. See a gallery of Team Kalitta racing at Atlanta Dragway here.