Aussie Dave and the Roo Rocket
One of the things that Australia is best known the world over for is its sportsmen and women. As a nation, we have produced many outstanding sporting champions from cricket to boxing, from swimming to motorsport. While drag racing doesn't have a "World Championship", Australian competitors have proven that they still have the "right stuff" and in some cases have knocked off American self-titled "world champions" on local turf as well as on their own grounds.
Every drag racer outside the US believes that if you want to see how good you really are, the United States is the place to race. It's the holy grail of drag racing.
For those few Australians who took the plunge and entered into competition against the world's best, the results have been surprisingly good.
One-time Sydney street rodder Wally Clark moved to Canada permanently in 1967 and is regarded as one of the toughest Super Stock racers on the NHRA circuit.
The McGee brothers crated their unique quad-cam Top Fuel dragster to the US in late 1975 and have since had mixed success from a string of drivers that included Graeme Cowin, Sue Ransom, Bruce Walker and Gary Beck.
Ken Warby made a successful transition from water to land with jet dragsters in the early 1980's, later stepping up to a pair of Jet Funny Cars and completing an extensive tour of both Australia and the US.
Jim Read made one of the biggest splashes against the Americans at the time when, in 1982, the Sydneysider flew to California with his engine builder, Russell Jones, and mechanic Gary Phillips, to run the car of local racer R.J. Trotter. At the prestigious NHRA Winternationals Read stunned with a 5.698 that not only top qualified the Australian but also set a new Pomona track record. Unfortunately he was knocked out in the first round and returned home.
Probably the most notable success in terms of actual racing at the top level was achieved by Graeme Cowin. In 1985 Cowin took a crew and his Pontiac-bodied Funny Car to the US and mixed cylinders with the sports best. The "Aussie Raider" qualified in almost all NHRA and IHRA events entered and clocked an unreal best of 5.67 - 267 mph (430 kmh), not only making US headlines, but also making Cowin the quickest and fastest Australian drag racer (at that time). Cowin returned in late 1986 and by the following year had clocked an even quicker 5.517.
That mark remained as the quickest until Rachelle Splatt was taken from our shores in 1994 by the lure that she could be the sport's next Shirely Muldowney. With an operation that had the backing of Las Vegas' Luxor casino and the best equipment that gamblers' money could supply, Splatt went on to become the sport's first 300 mph female. At 4.881 and speeds of 300.00 (483) and 300.20 (483.11), under her belt, Australia had a new Queen of Speed.
Then along came Dave.
Dave who?
For those who are members of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and receive copies of their weekly house publication, National Dragster, no doubt the name "Aussie Dave" Grubnic would be familiar. But what about for the rest of the Australian population?
Dragster Australia opened the books and went in search for as much information as we could find on Dave Grubnic. This is the result.
As driver of John Mitchells's "Montana Express" Top Fuel dragster, Grubnic is enjoying his most successful season to date since packing up and moving to the United States in January 1991. But it hasn't always been a bed of roses. The rise from zero to hero didn't happen overnight. Grubnic is a shining example of one man who looked, learned and listened, before setting off in search of bigger dreams in the US.
At the age of 14, young Grubnic remembers going to a meeting at Surfers Paradise in the late 70's to watch Peter Dykes and Jeff Burnett race their Funny Cars. By the time he was back home in bed, staring up at the ceiling, Grubnic had already made up his mind that he wanted to be a professional drag racer.
After securing an apprenticeship with Toyota, and gaining as much basic mechanical knowledge as he could, young Dave purchased a 351 GT Falcon and went racing. But after a short period it became quite obvious, street racing wasn't enough, Grubnic wanted more. He wanted to have the tears run down his face that only a nitro car can bring.
The GT was put away in storage and Grubnic crewed on an alky dragster that belonged to Brisbane racer Ross Murray. The intention was for the car to run nitro but two years down track it remained on alcohol so he left. This then led to a job working on John Maher's fueller. "Aussie Dave" remained with the former national champ until his retirement.
Grubnic then took a break from the sport, left Toyota, and joined the Ford Motor Co. There he worked his way up to the position of zone service manager. Despite being responsible for 14 dealerships in North Queensland, Grubnic missed racing.
Armed with a letter from Peter Dykes, Grubnic travelled to the US in 1989 and met up with the McGees. After a few more trips, Grubnic bit the bullet and moved over on a permanent basis in 1991.
Although the quad-cammed McGee fueller was parked at the time, Grubnic was offered a drive of their salt racer. The ex-Top Fuel chassied lakester was a great learning experience for Grubnic as it gave him the chance to "feel" the car during one of its 1.3 mile salt trips.
Around this time Grubnic found himself travelling the world. In 1991 he was standing on the start line of England's Santa Pod Dragway helping the McGee-powered Vallance/Lovett Top Fuel team. Grubnic returned to England and Norway the following year.
In 1993 Grubnic found himself back home helping Vallance's quad-cammed Funny Car which was on tour in Australia at the time. For him it was also a good time to catch up with friends and family.
Then, when one-time Australian tourist, Gary Beck, decided to move on from the drive of McGee's fueller, Grubnic finally got his chance to drive a nitro car.
After gaining his licence with a 5.20 in 1994, the team went to Bakersfield for pre-season testing and recorded promising 60 ft. times and half track speeds. With an engine that had the legs to run hard, they entered the '95 NHRA season opening Winternationals but in a cruel blow, failed to qualify. A 5.173 ended as fourth alternate.
Leaving the high presure, expensive environment of the NHRA tour, the team then made a few successful appearances at selected IHRA events. Despite finishing as high as No. 3 in the points, the McGees again parked the car due to a business that required more attention than the race car.
Grubnic went looking for higher ground and in March '96, found work with Bill Blomgren's "Geronimo" team. At the season ending Winston Select Finals, Grubnic tuned the team's Funny Car, driven by Richard Hartman, to a top qualifying 4.932 at 304.06 mph (489.32 kmh). That mark also stood as low ET and was a new Pomona track record for the breed. It also put Hartman into the prestigious Castrol 4-second F/C Club. Quite an achievement.
Despite those credentials, Grubnic still wanted to drive. The following year, Blomgren granted Grubnic his wish by adding a long skinny car to the team. "Aussie Dave" qualified the fueller at six of the 10 events they entered. They ended the season with a best ET of 4.77.
The responsibilities of tuning and driving were too much for Grubnic and the '97 season didn't come to an end quick enough.
It was then that Montana rancher John Mitchell approached Grubnic and offered him the driver's seat. Mitchell has one of the best self funded operations in Top Fuel and so far this season, the results have been impressive.
At the Winternationals, the "Montana Express" qualified 10th with a 4.691 at 299.50 (481.98), a personal best for Grubnic. A leaking rear main seal robbed him of any further glory and put him out in the first round.
At the ATSCO Nationals a 4.953 - 301.20 (484.72) put the team in 14th. Grubnic has a good reputation on the lights and a .445 reacted 4.764 at 309.59 (498.22) against Bruce Sarver gave the team its first, first-round victory. However a red light knocked Grubnic out in the second round.
At the Gatornationals Grubnic qualified in the unlucky 13th spot with a 4.711 - 303.13 (487.83) but there was nothing unlucky about a stunning 4.573 defeat of Cory McClenathan in the opening round. Running new injectors, the ET was just nine-thousandths of a second off the national record! Over the top half of the track the "Montana Express" clocked an unheard of 3.041 at the 660 ft. mark. Unfortunately an engine hurting 4.83 was beaten by a 4.67 from Kenny Bernstein in round two.
The team was on a roll at the Houston Pennzoil Nationals and enjoyed its best outing to date. A 4.657 - 312.82 (503.42) put Grubnic in 8th. A consistent 4.644 - 309.81 (498.58) put his old mate Sarver back on the trailer, followed by a 4.73 - 309.49 (498.06) that knocked off Joe Amato in round two.
The semi-final race againstMike Dunn produced one of the most exciting drag races ever. The Montana car left first with a .458 light to Dunn's .519 but across the line it was a "dead heat". Dunn's 4.662 - 311.85 (501.86) was beaten by a 4.723 - 297 (477.97) from the "Roo Rocket". In the final, a 4.74 was beaten by Cory McClenathan's 4.559 at 320.74 (516.16).
"Aussie Dave" may have missed out on becoming the first Australian to win an NHRA national event but he was comforted knowing that he joined Graeme Cowin as only the second Australian to make a NHRA final.
With four rounds down, Grubnic sat in seventh spot on 227 points in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.
The no-points Winston Invitational was given a miss.
At the Fram Nationals Grubnic clocked a 4.691 - 302.31 (486.51) for ninth, defeated a red lighting Shelly Anderson in the opening round before losing to Mike Dunn in round two.
The (Richmond) Pennzoil Nationals was given a miss. At the Castrol Lone Star Nationals, Grubnic earned the respect of his peers after performing a masteful job in keeping the "Roo Rocket" straight and in his lane after killing an engine and blowing a slick.
Grubnic qualified his highest ever with a fourth place, cylinder dropping 4.660 - 293.25 (471.93) but all hell broke loose in the first round when a fireballing 4.787 just held off a 4.84 from Bob Vandergriff. The team thrashed hard and made the call for the second round but Grubnic went up in smoke against Mike Dunn.
The Mopar Parts Nationals was given a miss as the team went back to the chassis shop to have repairs made. At Joliet (Route 66 Nationals), the team qualified their highest ever with a second place 4.62 but then went up in smoke in the first round against Shelly Anderson.
After de-tuning the car for Columbus (Pontiac Excitement Nationals), a 4.89 was not good enough to make the field. At the next race, the Sears Craftsman Nationals, a 4.71 put him in fifth but a deep stage effort in round one led to a cherry against Pat Dakin.
At the time of writing the "Western Swing" was about to kick off at Denver but the team chose to give the Mile-High race a miss. At the Autolite Nationals, Grubnic qualified 10th with a solid 4.823 at 299.30 (481.66), punched out Larry Dixon in the first round with a 4.884, but took a dive in the second round to Bruce Sarver who hole shot the Aussie by .097 of a second and took the win light with a 4.90 over a quicker 4.82.
To read about their "Debacle in Seattle", go to the exclusive Northern Thunder report in the August 4th edition of What's New
DA: What dreams and aspirations did you have when you moved to the States?
DG: To drive Top Fuel and win a Winston Championship.
DA: How did you get to where you are now?
DG: A lot of hard work and sacrifice, it wasn't easy.
DA: Would you say that you have been lucky? You know, in the right place at the right time.
DG: Luck plays an important part in racing but you can't rely on it. You have to make your own luck and make things happen.
DA: Is being an Australian an important part of your image?
DG: I don't think so. It's important for me to be myself, however I am proud of my heritage. It does have its advantages and if I do win it will be for all Australians.
DA: How cold does it really get in Ennis, Montana, and being an Aussie, are you used to it?
DG: Since I've been there it's been as cold as minus 10 and remember that 32 is freezing. Let me put it this way, I used to complain about the heat in Australia, but you will never hear me complain again, and no, I don't think I will ever get used to it.
DA: What do you do when not racing?
DG: Normally, I'll be working on my computer. Some weekends I do a bit of sightseeing with some locals and have a few beers with them at the local bar.
DA: Describe an average week in the life of David Grubnic.
DG: I work on the race car six days, or, if we're pushed, seven days.
DA: Do you have the time to reflect on your past and smell the roses?
DG: I'm not sure it's quite that way at the moment. I've still got a lot to achieve.
DA: How hard was it to drive as well as tune the "Geronimo" cars, and is the current situation better?
DG: We went to the first three races of 1997 with both cars. Driving was okay but the pressure of trying to tune both cars at the same event was unbelievable. Now all I do is mix the fuel and pack the chutes. We have a full time crew chief, Richard Hogan, and he gets all the pressure now. Driving for John is like driving for any other corporate team owner and that's a great feeling for me.
DA: Which gives you greater satisfaction -- driving or tuning?
DG: I stood at the start line as a tuner and watched the "Geronimo" Funny Car run a 4.93 - 304 at the '96 Winston Finals and I've got to tell you it was a great moment. I also drove a Top Fuel car to a holeshot win over Mike Dunn to make a final. Right now I get greater satisfaction out of driving.
DA: Do the more established drivers now regard you more as an equal following the good results earlier this year?
DG: That I don't know, they're the only ones that can answer that question.
DA: Who are your heroes in drag racing?
DG: I would say my greatest influence was Gary Beck.
DA: Is John Mitchell interested in signing a major backer and contesting the full tour or will he continue to race when it suits him -- ie: not when the hunting is good ?
DG: Right now John is happy to do his own schedule, however he is more than willing to sign a major backer if the sponsorship package is appealing.
DA: Do you follow the current scene in Australia closely and if so how do you feel about the demise of Eastern Creek?
DG: I try and follow as much as I can and I think what's happened to Eastern Creek is a terrible shame. Carl Olson from the NHRA was telling me about the Nationals this year (Calder) and what a success it was. I don't understand why if a sport is doing well, with a good fan base, why somebody would pull the rug from underneath it. There must be something I'm missing because even if you don't like drag racing there's still the business aspect. What's Willowbank like these days?
DA: Is there any possibility of you coming to Australia with the Mitchell operation if a viable situation arose?
DG: I would love to come home and race. I wouldn't care if I won or lost . . . ah! Yeah I do, but that's beside the point, just being home with all my friends and racing would be kickass. John and I have talked about a quick tour of Australia, but again it would have to be mutually viable situation.
DA: How much time do you spend on the road following the NHRA tour? You must feel a bit like a rock and roll star.
DG: This year I will probably spend six months on the road doing three-quarters of the tour. I don't know about the rock star deal, how hard do they have to work ?
DA: Do you think that any of the current Aussie fuel racers could be competitive in the US?
DG: I remember when Jim Read was Number 1 qualifier in Top Fuel at Pomona and Graeme Cowin made it to final in Funny Car also at Pomona. I personally know hard it is to succeed here and what those guys did is a credit to them both. I'm sure if they were given the opportunity they would be competitive, besides, they're nitro racers, they can't help themselves, they have to be competitive.
DA: Are you also aware that Graeme Cowin is, as we speak, packing up with the plan to run the Winston Finals in November and six to 10 NHRA races in 1999?
DG: Yes I am. I'm actually trying to find him some things he will need here.
DA: You have earned a reputation as a good driver and a peddler. Did your salt racing experience play a role with this?
DG: Yes, not much on the peddling though, but overall driving, the salt experience was well worth it.
DA: What are your thoughts on the speeds that Top Fuel and Funny Car are running these days. Should the NHRA slow them down?
DG: The speeds are okay. Three-hundred can hurt you just as bad as 330 so why try and slow us down? I say keep high safety standards and the current rules and let us go!
DA: Future plans: is this a passing phase or do you seriously want to challenge the Macs and the Scelzis?
DG: No, this is not a passing phase. I've beaten half these guys and they've beaten me. As long as someone gives me a chance I want to keep racing until I've beaten them all.
DA: How good is this car/team and how do you think the other teams see you?
DG: This car and team is as good as any other team out there. All the other teams know that and because this is our first year as a team they don't know what to expect from us. I don't think any of them like to race us.
DA: What would you like to say to all your fans down under?
DG: I appreciate the support and I hope I do them proud.
For those people who have access to a computer and the internet, DRAGSTER now gives you the opportunity to write or type to Australia's quickest and fastest drag racer and wish him luck. If you would like to send mail either as a supporter or a fan, Dave would love to hear from you. Electronic mail can be sent via topfuel@3rivers.net or land mail via:
c/o John Mitchell Racing
392 MT Highway 287
Ennis, MT 59729
USA
| written by John Baremans from DRAGSTER Australia page 12-14 - August 14, 1998 © DAVID COOK PUBLISHING PTY. LTD. 1998 |
