Bellemeur Named as New SK Racing Driver

Courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing

GLENDALE, AZ. (May 20) – Sean Bellemeur has been named as the driver of the SK Racing/Kon Rodz Top Alcohol Funny Car in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, it was announced today by team owner and founder Spiro Kontos. Southern California native Bellemeur, 32, is a five-time NHRA national event finalist, most recently at the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals last February.

A second-generation racer, Bellemeur has extensive driving experience in everything from Jr. Dragsters to front-engine Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters. Most recently, he has been the driver of the MasterCam Camaro Top Alcohol Funny Car. He will continue to drive that car at select events, splitting his schedule with the Kon Rodz Team. Bellemeur will make his debut in the Kon Rodz entry at the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill., June 26-29. Both entries are tuned by two-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Randy Anderson.

“The opportunity to drive and collect points on both ends of the country in two of the best Top Alcohol Funny Cars out there is almost overwhelming to think about,” said Bellemeur. “I’m excited to get started representing Spiro Kontos and the team’s loyal sponsors. I’m also very excited to continue to work with Randy Anderson. I’m very blessed to have this opportunity.”
Bellemeur replaces Cassie Simonton, who had been the team’s driver since 2009.

“We are committed to building a program that is capable of contending for both race wins and national championships,” said SK Racing founder Spiro Kontos. “In order to achieve those goals it is sometimes necessary to make difficult decisions and this was definitely one of those. Although this was a tough decision, it was one that I felt needed to be made. Cassie will always have a place in our organization.

“Looking forward, we are very excited to have Sean as a member of our team. He has proven himself as a very capable driver in a variety of cars and we believe that he provides the best chance for us to get our long-awaited first NHRA national event victory. Our goal is to continue to represent our sponsors in a professional manner and to our best to put Sean in a position to contend for the NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car championship.”

Kon Rods Racing is proud to be associated with the following companies:
Rat Pack Apparel, CRC Industries, Aerodine Composites Group, Bell Helmets USA, MasterCam, Nick Pastura Motorsports, Sparco USA, Goodyear Tire, NGK Spark Plugs, MAHLE/Clevite, Goodson Tools, and Hedman Hedders. 

Sean Bellemeur/Kon Rodz Racing 2014 NHRA SCHEDULE

EVENT LOCATION DATE
O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals Joliet, Ill. June 26-29
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, Ohio July 3-6
Division 6 Regional Woodburn, Ore. July 11-13
Division 3 Regional Columbus, Ohio July 18-20
O’Reilly Auto Parts Northwest Nationals Kent, Wash. Aug. 1-3
Division 6 Regional Kent, Wash. Aug. 14-16
Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, Ind. Aug. 27-Sept. 1
NHRA Carolina Nationals Concord, N.C. Sept. 12-14
AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Ennis, Texas Sept. 19-21
NHRA Nationals Reading, Pa. Oct. 2-5
Toyota NHRA Nationals Las Vegas, Nev. Oct. 30-Nov. 1
Division 7 Regional Las Vegas, Nev. Nov. 6-9
Auto Club NHRA Finals Pomona, Calif. Nov. 14-16

Simonton Starting 2014 with New Mindset, New Sponsors

Press release and photo courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 7) – Canadian Top Alcohol Funny Car team Kon Rodz Racing is preparing for its fifth season with fan-favorite driver Cassie Simonton. Also back with the team is veteran crew chief Randy Anderson, who won the 1993 and 1994 TAFC world titles as a driver. Kon Rodz has spent the last month preparing their red, black, and white Monte Carlo, which will hit the track at Valdosta testing next week.

“We've been at the North Carolina shop for the last couple weeks, preparing the car and stocking the trailer full of parts. Randy arrived this week to help make sure everything is ready for testing at the beginning of next week. He also worked on some new ideas for the fuel system over the winter that we're excited to test,” said Simonton, who lives in Brownsburg, Ind.

Cassie and the team will take part in South Georgia Motorsports Park's pre-Gatornationals test session, March 10-11.

“The first couple of passes will basically be shakedown passes to get me back into the routine, as I haven't been in the car in five months. The weather should be cool, which will hopefully help get us into the 5.50s and maybe even our first 5.4 once we get to Gainesville,” Cassie added.

Simonton, a UNOH graduate who started at Kon Rodz as a crew member intern, is starting her fifth season as the driver of the Spiro Kontos-owned alcohol funny car. She's eager to kick off the 2014 season with a new mindset.

“I feel a lot calmer going into this season. I'm going to have fun and not stress over so many things. I think sometimes drivers get caught up in the stress, then they start making mistakes. Maybe that's what started to happen at the end of last season. I know how to drive the car; I just need to go out there, get in the right mindset, have fun, and hopefully success will follow. We would love to get back into the groove we were in in 2012 when we were winning rounds.”

Team president Stefan Kontos has also been busy over the winter, working to maintain sponsor relationships and create new partnerships.

“CRC Industries has signed on as a major associate sponsor to help promote their line of automotive chemical products, including CRC Brakleen ®. The team's Bell Helmets will be painted by new team partner Nick Pastura Motorsports, a leading painter for top NHRA and NASCAR drivers. 2013 supporters Aerodine Composites and Sparco USA will return to become the exclusive carbon composites and firesuit providers, respectively. Goodyear Tire, NGK Spark Plugs, MAHLE/Clevite, Goodson Tools, Hedman Husler Hedders, and CleanBoost Performance Oils round out Kon Rodz Racing's marketing partners,” Kontos commented.

Rat Pack Apparel, Stefan's new retro-themed racing clothing line will also appear on the car as a major associate sponsor.


Kon Rodz Racing is an NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team owned by Canadian businessman Spiro Kontos. Minnesota native Cassie Simonton drives the team's 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 companies that support their racing program: Rat Pack Apparel, CRC Industries, Aerodine Composites Group, Bell Helmets, CleanBoost Performance Oils, Nick Pastura Motorsports, Sparco USA, Bell Helmets, Goodyear Tire, NGK Spark Plugs, MAHLE/Clevite, Goodson Tools, and Hedman Hedders.

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

Simonton Closing 2013 Season at Carolina Nationals

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo courtesy of NVW MP

CONCORD, N.C. (September 11) – Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Cassie Simonton returns to Charlotte’s zMax Dragway this weekend to chase a NHRA Wally for the last time in 2013. The Carlyle Tools NHRA Carolina Nationals will be the last race for Simonton and her Kon Rodz Racing team before beginning their offseason preparations for the 2014 season.

“We chose to end our season at Charlotte for a variety of reasons. We have always run well at zMax Dragway; the team’s career-best numbers were set here last year. We want to end our season with another record performance, and maybe a win. Additonally, the Charlotte area is home to many passionate race fans and automotive enthusiasts, our sponsors’ core demographic. What better way to cap off the season than with a solid performance in front of our sponsors and their customers,” said Stefan Kontos, team president.

Simonton is confident in her team’s abilities to provide her with a fast, capable race car.

“We’ve had a great car lately, but we’ve run into some tough match-ups in the second round of eliminations. I’m confident that we can qualify well so we can avoid the tough cars until late into eliminations,” Cassie said. “The weather forecast is calling for conditions that could produce some of our best E.T.s of the season this weekend.”

  

Following the completion of the event, the team will focus on their efforts for the 2014 season – Cassie and the team on on-track performance and Stefan zeroed in on securing team support.

“Similar to any other race team, funding and corporate support drive our ability to attend races and chase championships. We are actively seeking support at any level for 2014 and beyond. If you feel your company could benefit from a partnership with Kon Rodz Racing, please do not hesitate to contact myself or a team member,” Kontos.

Cassie Simonton and her Randy Anderson-tuned Kon Rodz Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car will get three chances to qualify at the Carlyle Tools NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 13-15 – two on Friday and one on Saturday morning before first round of eliminations. 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 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, Goodyear, Clevite, Mac Tools, Artist ButchM, Top Alcohol News, Bell Racing, CRC Automotive Products, Mid-Ontario Mack, Schepel GMC-Buick, Aerodine Composites Group, and Sparco USA.

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).

Simonton Hoping to Follow Crew Chief Anderson with U.S. Nationals Victory

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photo courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing

CLERMONT, Ind. (August 27, 2013) – Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Cassie Simonton will end a two-month break in on-track action when she hops back in the Kon Rodz Racing entry at the 59^th Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, August 30-Sept. 2. Though Simonton and the Ontario, Canada-based team last competed at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk in early July, they have spent weeks preparing for the prestigious “Big Go”.

“A few of the crew members and I have been in Indy for a couple weeks, preparing parts for the weekend. We also installed several new carbon fiber pieces from Aerodine Composites Group. The boys have been back in Canada working on Spiro’s hot rods. I moved to Indy so I’ve been here working out with Cam (team clutch technician and NCAA All-American wrestler) getting myself ready for this race. I’ve been hitting the practice tree, making sure I’m ready after two months out of the car,” Cassie said of the team’s U.S. Nationals preparations.

The young team has experienced a few moments of success at Indy – a first round win over defending event champion Jay Payne in 2011 being the highlight. Cassie and the team hope this will be the year that they break through to the semifinals for the first time at this legendary event.

“We’ve always seemed to have a pretty good car here,” Simonton said.  “We struggled last year because we changed a few things after back-to-back finals. We’ve qualified well here, we’ve made it to the second round, but now we need to get past second round, where we’ve struggled all year.  We ran some of the big guys first round and beat them, but we want to keep going rounds on Monday as well.”

 

Numerous factors combine to make this race very special for Kon Rodz Racing.

“The Big Go is the biggest race of the year. There is a lot of history behind the event and it’s the one that everyone wants to win. All of the top cars from around the country show up, hoping to add the U.S. Nationals Wally to their trophy case. This would be a great race for us to get our first win. There have been a lot of drivers who earned their first win here,” Cassie said.

Among those drivers is Kon Rodz crew chief Randy Anderson, who won the 1992 U.S Nationals behind the wheel of father Brad’s Top Alcohol Funny Car. His achievement gives the team additional motivation to earn their first victory this weekend.

“That would be a surreal moment, to share that with Randy, to have the same experience he did to win his first national event. I know this is something he’s been pushing for real hard. He wants to win this race – he wants to win many races. We’re all working very hard and he wants it just as bad as the rest of us on the team,” Simonton noted.

Simonton and Kon Rodz Racing will be highlighting major team sponsors Bell Racing USA and Speedway, Ind.-based Aerodine Composites Group through the course of the weekend. Cassie will be wearing one of her new Bell helmets, painted by Off Axis Custom Paint. Indy is the debut race for the Kon Rodz TAFC’s new Aerodine carbon fiber pieces, including a computer box, fuel tank braces, and tin work.

Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying at the 59^th Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals begins on Friday with two sessions followed by single sessions on Saturday and Sunday. First round of eliminations is set for Sunday night. The balance of eliminations will continue on Monday, Labor Day.

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 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, Goodyear, Clevite, Mac Tools, Artist ButchM, Flaming River Industries, Bell Racing, CRC Automotive Products, Mid-Ontario Mack, Sparco USA, and Top Alcohol News.

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).

Simonton Falls to Manzo Early at Norwalk

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing

NORWALK, Ohio (July 9, 2013) – Top Alcohol Funny Car favorite Cassie Simonton ended a busy month of racing with another top eight qualifying position and round win at the 7^th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Though Simonton and her Randy Anderson-led team anticipated better results, the weekend wasn’t considered a loss.

“We were going into the race hoping we would have the same success as we did last year,” said Simonton, who reached the finals at this event last year. “We went out second round, but we can’t really get upset about it. We raced the best of the best and we gave them a good race. The car is running consistently – it’s been down the track eighteen consecutive runs without any tire shake or problems. Now we’re just working really hard on running faster so we can qualify better and win more rounds.”

The Spiro Kontos-owned team worked with just two qualifying sessions to get the KonRodzRacing.com Monte Carlo solidly into the field. Periodic rain storms teased the teams all weekend long, leading to one qualifying session on Friday and one on Saturday. Simonton established a baseline 5.71 in the first session, then stepped up to 5.67 in the final session to take the No. 7 spot heading into first round of eliminations against Brian Harvanek.

 Simonton ran a consistent 5.66 to move on to a second round match-up with 16-time TAFC champion Frank Manzo. Manzo, a friend of the team and rival of Anderson’s during his driving career, ultimately outran Simonton, despite another improved run from Cassie. She left on the drag racing legend, but her 5.64 at 256 MPH wasn’t enough to beat Frank’s 5.57 at 261 – low E.T. of the event.

“I knew we would race Frank early in the race so it was just something that we had to do. We stayed positive and optimistic going into second round. Racing Frank is always a challenge – he’s the best in the class. The car picked up and I did my job on the starting line but we just didn’t have enough on the top end. I ran my quickest run of the weekend but it wasn’t enough to beat Frank,” Cassie said.

Cassie and her Aerodine Composites/Bell Racing USA team will get a well-deserved two month break after a month of races and preparation. They’ll return to competition at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indy over Labor Day weekend.

“The team has been very busy over the last few weeks, getting the new body ready. I’m sure it will be nice for all of the guys to have some time off but we’re not really looking forward to two months off. Unfortunately that’s just how our schedule is going to work out this year. I’ll do my best to keep up during the time off – working out and practicing my lights – so we can go to Indy and pick up where we left off. Hopefully we’ll be able to go some rounds and move into the top ten in points.”

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, and Sparco USA.

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).

Simonton's New Kon Rodz TAFC Wins Best Engineered Car at Chicago

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion
Photos courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing

JOLIET, Ill. (July 1, 2013) – Canadian Top Alcohol Funny Car team Kon Rodz Racing enjoyed their best 2013 national event to date at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals near Chicago. Cassie Simonton qualified the new-look Kon Rodz Monte Carlo in the top half of the field and won a round before falling in a tight second round pairing to eventual winner Annie Whiteley. The team also won Best Engineered Car.

Simonton drove the Randy Anderson-tuned entry to steadily improving E.T.s through qualifying, stepping up from a 5.70 to 5.63 and finally a 5.59 to rank the Kon Rodz TAFC No. 4 in the qualifying order that included all-star competitors from around the country.

The KonRodzRacing.com car improved yet again during first round of eliminations, running 5.58/256 MPH to take out Ray Drew’s 5.66. That lined Simonton up with one of the other female TAFC pilots, Annie Whiteley. Cassie laid down another strong pass, 5.611, but Whiteley was just a few thousandths quicker at 5.606. Annie went on to win the event.

Despite an early exit, the entire team was happy with the car’s continued potent consistency.

“Chicago was a great showing for us. After struggling with our consistency earlier in the season we have now made eleven runs within an extremely close range. We were one of the faster cars to half-track so now we’re just focusing on that last eighth of a mile. Randy has been working nonstop and I’m confident that we’ve found something for Norwalk. We are going rounds, which is great.  Now the next step is reaching our full potential of winning a national event,” said Kon Rodz Racing team president Stefan Kontos.

In the weeks leading up to the race, several of the Kon Rodz team members started preparing a new Monte Carlo body featuring a brand new red, white, and black look. The team worked seventeen-hour days just days before the race in a last-minute rush to debut their new look and expanded relationships with Bell Racing USA and Aerodine Composites Group. NHRA officials rewarded the team’s efforts with their Best Engineered Car of the weekend award, just adding to the team’s morale.

“We were honored to receive the Best Engineered Car award this weekend,” said Simonton, who is also one of the integral crew members. “The team worked hard to get everything ready for this weekend. It was rewarding to receive the award and perform well. Now we’re really looking forward to Norwalk this weekend, which is already one of our favorite tracks and events of the season.”

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, and Sparco USA.

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).