December 27, 2005, is long remembered as a watershed date in the history of Australian drag racing when two-time NHRA champion Scott Kalitta partnered with teammate Aussie David Grubnic to record the quickest side-by-side pass ever witnessed in Australia to win the Nitro Thunder USA Top Fuel Invasion meeting at Western Sydney International Dragway.
For ‘Grubby’ as he was affectionately known, the meeting was a triumphant return home after his historic win against Larry Dixon in the final of the NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park, Kansas, to become the first non-North American to win an NHRA Top Fuel event.
Grubnic closed out his NHRA season, finishing fourth in the points behind Doug Kalitta, Larry Dixon and series winner Tony Schumacher, with Kalitta in eighth place.
The WSID event also marked Kalitta’s last race in Top Fuel before moving into Funny Car for the 2006 NHRA season.
Santo Rapisarda and WSID boss Jim Read owned the cars Grubnic and Kalitta drove. Jim Oberhofer tuned the Grubnic entry, and Glenn Mikres, a two-time Australian Top Fuel champion, was in charge of the Kalitta car.
Grubnic stamped his authority on the meet after Top Qualifying with a 4.65, 321 mph, the second quickest pass ever in Australia behind the Team Lamattina entry of Darren Morgan, who a month earlier at Willowbank Raceway ran a 4.61 to head Kalitta and Phil Read, the son of Jim Read.
On race day there was no surprise when Grubnic accounted for fan favorite Bob Shepherd and his nephew Luke Shepherd to advance to the final while Kalitta drove past local Terry Sainty and Morgan.
The final was a thriller. Kalitta led on the green but was swallowed up by Grubnic by half track and looked set for the win until tossing the blower belt.
The 4.78, 298 mph pass from Kalitta, and 4.80, 259 mph for Grubnic, was the quickest quarter-mile side-by-side pass ever recorded in Australia.
“This has been a great event,” said Kalitta. “WSID is a great place to race. I’ve really enjoyed being here. The people in Australia have been so nice and Santo and Jim have looked after us. It’s been a privilege to race in Australia.”
Oberhofer echoed Kalitta’s sentiments. “It was fun. I used my hot weather notes from the NHRA round at St. Louis to cope with the sweltering track temperature, which reached 131°F. We did what we set out to do: Dave and Scott qualified one and two and had both reach the final. I’m glad for Scott that he won.”
“It would have been great to come back and win,” said Grubnic. “Belts break. That’s racing, and there is nothing much you can do about it. It’s disappointing. But Scott’s my teammate in the US, we are good friends and that may be the last time he drives a Top Fuel car now that he’s going to Funny Car.”
