Championship Drag Racing

Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Clermont, IN
(August 30-September 4)

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Driver Profile

Dave Grubnic Optima Batteries dragster

Indianapolis, prerace: A little over a decade ago, native Australian Dave Grubnic, driver of the pink and black StriVectin-SD Top Fuel dragster, uprooted his life as a regional manager for Ford Motor Company in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia, to plant himself on U.S. soil in hopes of one day being a full-time driver in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Grubnic’s intercontinental dream became a reality, and now the friendly fan-favorite is ready to check another item off of his 8,000-horsepower wish list – To win the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, this weekend’s, Aug. 30-Sept. 4, running of the 52nd annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

“Every drag racer dreams of winning in Indy,” Grubnic said. “I can remember hearing about the “Big Go” when I was growing up back in Australia. All of the biggest names in our sport have solidified their racing legacies with Indy wins – Connie Kalitta (Grubnic’s team owner), Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney (StriVectin-SD team and sponsor relations representative), Don Prudhomme, and the list goes on. You bet I want to have my name mentioned with those.

“Our StriVectin-SD dragster has been running really well lately so I think we have a great chance of going to Indy and winning. We had a mechanical problem in Memphis (previous event) that put us out in the first round, but besides that miscue, our race car is running as good as it ever has and I’m looking forward to getting on the track in Indy and seeing what we can do.”

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