Twice in her career Laurie Cannister has won a world championship only to have her eliminator discontinued prior to the title defense season. The first time it happened, she picked another division to race in. This time she picked another sanctioning body.

With that said, IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion Laurie Cannister and the Kalbones team will compete in the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Funny Car division during 2009.

 “We are very excited to be able to race again,” said the 2008 IHRA Professional Driver of the Year. “Of course, we wanted to get back out and go for back-to-back IHRA Alcohol Funny Car Championships, but that wasn’t to be. Thanks to team owners Kevin and Wendy Sims, they are once again providing us with everything we need to be as competitive as possible in 2009.  The only difference is it will be an NHRA schedule.”

Twice in her career Laurie Cannister has won a world championship only to have her eliminator discontinued prior to the title defense season. The first time it happened, she picked another division to race in. This time she picked another sanctioning body.

With that said, IHRA Alcohol Funny Car champion Laurie Cannister and the Kalbones team will compete in the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Funny Car division during 2009.

 “We are very excited to be able to race again,” said the 2008 IHRA Professional Driver of the Year. “Of course, we wanted to get back out and go for back-to-back IHRA Alcohol Funny Car Championships, but that wasn’t to be. Thanks to team owners Kevin and Wendy Sims, they are once again providing us with everything we need to be as competitive as possible in 2009.  The only difference is it will be an NHRA schedule.”

The team is largely the same and the largest difference will be in the style supercharger they run. IHRA rules prohibited the use of a screw supercharger in competition. In NHRA, the screw supercharger is a way of life.

“I’m pretty pumped to see what we can do with the screw blower,” Dale Cannister, husband and crew chief said. “I know it will be different and I really will enjoy figuring out the new combination,” he said. “We successfully ran on many ‘new to us’ tracks under new weather situations last season and I’m not going to approach this season any differently.”

“Making the switch to NHRA has been pretty simple so far,” added Laurie.  “From my phone calls with NHRA officials to getting the equipment we need. Just about everything is in place for the new season ahead.”

Laurie’s last NHRA experience came in the 1990s when she ran the Super Comp division before making the switch to the IHRA’s Super Eliminator, then an open-bodied equivalent to the doorslammer Pro Modified division.

 “The last time I ran NHRA was in Super Comp, now that just seems like eons ago,” she said. “We are looking forward to being as competitive as possible in our first NHRA Alcohol Funny Car season. This team has had a lot of good fortune when it comes to ‘first times’ and we’re shooting to continue that record.”

Cannister plans to make her  NHRA competition debut, during the NHRA Lucas Oil Division event, at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Cecil, GA, April 3rd through April 5th.