Photos courtesy of David Smith
HAMMONTON, N.J. (February 12) – Top Alcohol Dragster driver Karen Stalba and her AA Auto Salvage team have been busy over the offseason, doing everything they can to bring home another regional championship. Karen has been securing new additional marketing partners, while her team has been working over every aspect of her nitro-burning A/Fuel Dragster. The New Jersey-based group hopes their efforts will bring the car back to its race-winning ways of 2011.
Stalba, who won the 2011 Division 1 TAD championship, struggled to perform over the last two years, winning once last year. Karen believes her team's work over the winter, as well as the introduction of new A/Fuel rules, will help bring a higher level of performance to the program.
“We found a lot of problems and inaccuracies over the winter. We had a few 'aha moments'. The team has looked over everything, making sure we have a good tune-up and the right components to start with this season. As far as the new rules, I think the added percentage of nitro will help, especially in the hot weather. Before we start playing with the new rules, we need to get our tune-up from last year sorted out,” said the mother of two.
The new rules, introduced to the TAD class in December 2013, are meant to benefit the nitro-injected A/Fuel dragsters. A/Fuel teams are allowed to use 95% nitromethane fuel, up one percent, chilled ten degrees cooler than last year's minimum temperature, running through an insulated main fuel line.
Karen Stalba will hit the track this April with new sponsors and continued support from several team sponsors.
“I'm happy to welcome NGK Spark Plugs and MAHLE to the team, who will be providing us with associate sponsorship. I'd like to thank Kris Zdral at NGK and Bill McKnight at MAHLE for choosing to support our team this year. This will also be our fifth season with Lucas Oil. We'll continue to have AA Auto Salvage, MX Industrial, and Sheetz Electric on-board with us again,” Stalba said gratefully. Karen also extends thanks to Boninfante Friction and Goodyear for the support they have provided.
Karen's family-based team will also be back for another season of NHRA Lucas Oil drag racing.
“We'll have the same crew back again this season,” Karen said. “My dad, Tom Benkovich, and Erick Cindrich, are the co-crew chiefs. They tune the car and maintain it. Larry Bucher will also be back with us. My mom, Margaret, and Erick's wife Donna also come out and help us. It's a great family operation.”
Husband Tom Stalba also helps when he can, but he will be doing double duty this year, racing in many events and several classes, including Comp Eliminator, Super Comp, and Super Gas.
Stalba and the AA Auto Salvage A/Fuel Dragster team plan on attending at least seven regional events and six NHRA Mello Yello series national events, chasing the elusive first national event win. They will start their season at the first East Region event of the year at Virginia Motorsports Park, April 4-5.
Karen Stalba is the 2011 NHRA Division 1 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion. She drives the AA Auto Salvage/Lucas Oil A/Fuel Dragster in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The team's co-crew chiefs are Tom Benkovich and Erick Cindrich. For more information on Karen Stalba and the AA Auto Salvage Racing team, please visit www.karenstalba.com. Fans can follow Karen Stalba on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stalbamotorsports) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/karenstalba).
Stalba Racing receives support from Lucas Oil Products, NGK Spark Plugs, MAHLE, Boninfante Friction, MX Industrial, Sheetz Electric, Goodyear Tires, and Associated Auto Parts of New Jersey.
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