Simonton Returns to zMax to Set More Career-Bests

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

CONCORD, N.C. (April 17, 2013) – Top Alcohol Funny Car competitor Cassie Simonton and her KonRodzRacing.com team enter this weekend’s 4-Wide Nationals with an intense hunger for speed. The Minnesotan driver set career-best numbers at this event last year before a bizarre first round exit. Now the Randy Anderson-led group is eager to return to the record-setting zMax Dragway to make more team history.

“We struggled a little bit at Gainesville but Charlotte has always been a good track to us. We’re excited to get back there. We want to make up for what happened there last year. We ran career-best numbers throughout qualifying but we had some bad luck first round – parts breaking that prevented us from starting the car. We want to go there and make up for that this weekend,” Simonton said, referencing a rare problem with the car’s fuel system that kept the team from taking advantage of a first round bye at last year’s 4-Wide Nationals.

The Toronto, ON-based team is also looking to bounce back from a dismal showing at the season-opening Gatornationals last month.

“We struggled in qualifying but we made it down the track first round. Randy found something that he was really excited about so I’m confident that we have that figured out now,” Cassie stated optimistically.

Competition will be tough. TAFC teams from around the country are expected to show up to take advantage of the first-class facility nicknamed the “The Bellagio of Drag Strips”. Simonton is confident that her car and team will give her everything she needs to thunder down one of the four lanes at zMax.

“Randy worked on a lot of things over the winter and came up with a lot of great ideas that he’s going to put out there for this weekend. If the conditions are right and the temperatures are right, we might be able to go out there and run our first forty. It might be hot or it might be cool enough for us to improve our career-bests and get into the forties.”

Team owner Spiro Kontos is proud to announce that Bell Helmets will be providing new helmets for team driver Cassie Simonton starting this weekend. Another new sponsor, Mooresville, NC-based Off Axis Custom Paint, will apply a unique paint scheme on the new skid lids. Kon Rodz Racing also welcomes CRC Automotive to their growing list of supporters. CRC will provide the team with a variety of their high-quality product solutions, including CRC BRAKLEEN®.

TAFC qualifying at the Fourth Annual Dollar General 4-Wide Nationals starts Friday, April 19, with sessions at 10:30 AM and 1 PM. Final qualifying is at 12 PM Saturday, followed by first round of eliminations around 5 PM. Eliminations continue on Sunday.  

Kon Rodz Racing is a NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team owned by Canadian businessman Spiro Kontos. Minnesota native Cassie Simonton drives the team's familiar orange and purple KonRodzRacing.com Monte Carlo Alcohol Funny Car in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Spiro, Cassie, and the entire Kon Rodz team are grateful to the quality companies that support their racing program; Sadi, Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, BAE, Goodyear, Clevite, Mac Tools, Artist ButchM, ithreesixty Music Infused Apparel, Flaming River Industries,  Sparco USA, Aerodine Composites, Mid-Ontario Truck Centre, Bell Helmets, Off Axis Custom Paint, and CRC Automotive.

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