Despite the requisite growing pains after implementing a new clutch system two races ago at Topeka, Toliver and team owner/crew chief Jim Dunn have seen marked improvement in the CANIDAE car's ability to get down the track and look to continue to build on the car's performance.

"We've been working on the new clutch system the last two races and now we feel we can get down the track on all four qualifying runs," said the Hall of Famer Dunn. "You can't learn anything if you go out and smoke the tires; there's not a lot of data when you're only going 300 feet. You've got to go under the line, go slow, and then start coming up to the line.

"When it smokes the tires it shuts the car off and we can't get a full-run read. We'd rather go a tenth slower and see where we're weak. That's what we've been doing. We've just got to get more aggressive with it. We'll get after it a little more this weekend at Englishtown."

Toliver had good side-by-side runs in eliminations both at Topeka and last week at Chicago, and despite first-round losses, the team is encouraged by both A-to-B runs and now looks to step up its learning curve.

"We still need to get the timing and the clutch together," Dunn said. "We put everything under the line to be safe until we get a good run. We've just got to get more aggressive with it. We'll start stepping it up to hurt it a little bit now."

A one-hour telecast of qualifying coverage for the NHRA SuperNationals can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD on Saturday, June 13, beginning at 7:00 p.m. (ET). Coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD continues on Sunday, June 14, when NHRA Race Day will kick off eliminator coverage starting at 11:00 a.m. (ET), and concludes with three hours of final-eliminations coverage beginning at 10:00 p.m. (ET).

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Last June, Kalitta Motorsports and the auto racing world lost one of their greatest champions when Scott Kalitta, a two-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion, died as the result of injuries he suffered in a high-speed Funny Car racing accident in Englishtown, N.J. This weekend, June 12-14, Kalitta Motorsports and the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will return to Englishtown to race at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park for the first time since that tragic day.

Team owner, drag racing legend, and Scott's father, Connie Kalitta, 71, is obviously still reeling from his only son's passing, but he and his team are determined to move forward and to honor Scott, an 18-time NHRA national event champion, by competing and succeeding.

"The best way for us to honor Scott's memory and his legacy is to continue to do what he loved, and what we love to do - Go racing," Connie said. "We will go into this weekend in Englishtown with our heads held high and remember Scott for what he accomplished both on and off of the race track and most importantly we will be thinking of Scott's greatest accomplishment, his family; his wife, Kathy, and his boys, Corey and Colin."

Scott is survived by Connie, Kathy, and sons, Corey, 15, and Colin, 9. Scott was 46.

Quotes from Kalitta Motorsports' drivers Doug Kalitta and Jeff Arend

Doug Kalitta, Scott's cousin and driver of the No. 50 Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster - "It's hard to believe it's already been a year. I think about Scott, his wife Kathy, and his sons Corey and Colin every day. He was definitely one of a kind and we all miss him a lot. I think the best way to honor his memory is to keep doing what we're doing and keep trying to race as hard as we can.

"NHRA drag racing has changed in many ways since Scott's accident, and there've been some big strides made in making all of the tracks safer. There are still many things that need to be addressed, but we're all pushing forward to make our sport as safe as we can."

Jeff Arend took over the driving duties of Scott's Funny Car last August in Indianapolis.

Arend, driver of the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car - "Indy was probably tougher emotionally on me than going to Englishtown this year, although I didn't realize it until right after the first qualifying session and then the flow of emotions hit me pretty hard. Englishtown is obviously going to be tough but my focus now is on winning rather than not making any mistakes with a new team. However, I'm sure that what I feel is going to pale in comparison to what the entire Kalitta organization is going to be going through.

"There is nothing better than seeing Connie get excited after we make a good lap and I hope to have him smiling all weekend. We have everything we need to win the race. I hope that Scott can give us a hand from above this weekend."

Doug Kalitta is a 12-year NHRA veteran with 31 Top Fuel career victories in 57 final-round appearances. He and his No. 50 team won the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., in early February. It was Kalitta's first trip to the winner's circle since the fall of 2007. Doug has finished in the top ten in Full Throttle Top Fuel championship points in every season of his drag racing career. He won Rookie of the Year honors after his inaugural NHRA season in 1998. Doug, a 44-year old resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., is married to Josie; they have a son, Mitchell, 8, and a daughter, Avery, 5.

Jeff Arend, a 46-year old resident of San Dimas, Calif., has over 100 NHRA Funny Car event starts. He has one NHRA Funny Car national event win to his credit - Reading, Pa., 1996. He is married to Windy, and they have a daughter, Jenna, 9. Arend is a native of Canada.

In 2009, Kalitta Motorsports is celebrating 50 years of drag racing by team owner and drag racing legend Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta, Scott's father. Over the past 50 years, Connie, who has been involved in the sport as a driver, tuner, and as an owner, has dedicated unequalled amounts of time and resources to building one of the most successful teams in the history of auto racing. Kalitta Motorsports has won five world championships and over 50 national event titles in five different drag racing sanctioning bodies since it was established by Connie in 1959.

Event Info
The NHRA SuperNationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:00 p.m. (ET) and 7:00 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The top 16 qualified cars in each pro class will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.

All times and dates subject to change.

The NHRA SuperNationals is the 11th of 24 national events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

About Kalitta Motorsports

Based in Ypsilanti, Mich., Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. Jeff Arend drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car for the team while Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta, drives the Top Fuel dragster entry. Connie serves as head tuner for both Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and assistant crew chief Troy Fasching on Doug's Top Fueler and by co-crew chiefs Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante on the DHL Funny Car.

Associate sponsors on Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, Rocky Boots, Toyota, and Mac Tools.

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports, please visit http://www.teamkalitta.com.

Courtesy of Kirk Weeks