Kon Rodz Wrapping Up 2012 Season in Reading

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing

READING, Penn. (October 3, 2012) – This weekend’s Auto-Plus Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway will be the final stop on the Kon Rodz Racing 2012 tour. The Maple, Ontario, Canada-based Top Alcohol Funny Car team experienced a breakout season with driver Cassie Simonton behind the wheel.

Simonton’s season started at the Gatornationals in March, where the team struggled in qualifying and eliminations, despite strong results in preseason testing. They bounced back at the next race in Charlotte, qualifying #3 with career-best numbers in E.T. and speed. The next national event on tour, the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, saw Simonton qualify #7 in a field full of heavy hitters. There she drove past three Top 10 cars before falling in her first final round to class legend Frank Manzo. The Kon Rodz team proved themselves to be contenders the following weekend in Norwalk, qualifying #3 and reaching the finals yet again. Cassie earned the #5 spot a couple months later at the U.S. Nationals, but didn’t make it past first round. Most recently, Simonton qualified the KonRodzRacing.com Monte Carlo #2 at the O’Reilly Nationals in Charlotte.

Cassie Simonton, crew chief Randy Anderson and the team impressed on the new regional circuit, as well. Qualifying proved to be their strong point, earning their first pole position in Chicago and taking #3 in Norwalk and Columbus.

Team owner Spiro Kontos and Cassie are proud to have the support of many quality companies, including Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, BAE, and Goodyear Tire. Thanks also go to the dedicated, hard-working crew members who worked early mornings, hot days, and late nights during the season. The team is also extremely thankful for the support from the fans that have followed along online and trackside.

The whole 2012 season has been leading up to this final race. Providing the precipitation stays away, the conditions should make for some of the quickest runs all season. Times in the low 5.5s and even high 5.4s can be expected from the orange and purple Kon Rodz hot rod. If they can string together a few of those in eliminations, they just might be heading back to Canada with a season-ending Wally.

Cassie and the rest of the Top Alcohol Funny Car field will have two shots to qualify; 11:30 am and 3 pm on Friday. First round of eliminations will begin at 1 pm Saturday.

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Kon Rodz Racing is a NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team owned by Spiro Kontos, competing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. 25-year old Cassie Simonton drives the team’s 3,000 horsepower Chevy Monte Carlo funny car. Spiro, Cassie, and the whole Kon Rodz Racing team would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support: Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, BAE, Goodyear Tire, Clevite, Mac Tools, Artist ButchM, ithreesixty Music Infused Apparel, and Flaming River Industries.

For more information on Kon Rodz Racing, please visit www.konrodzracing.com. Keep up with Cassie and the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/konrodzracing) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/cassiesimonton and www.twitter.com/konrodzpr ).

TAN