Laurie Cannister Smashes Records In Alcohol Funny Car

Virginia Beach, VA – The Kalbones Grill’n Sauce Alcohol Funny Car Team took the field by storm over the weekend during the first event on the 2008 IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam Tour. Spectators were kept on the edge of their seats as driver Laurie Cannister of Johnstown, Ohio smashed record after record on her way to her third career IHRA AFC event win with the victory at the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway.

With what could be considered to be a racer’s dream weekend, the Kalbones team literally grilled just about every thing in sight from the first fire of the engine starting with grabbing the number one qualifying spot during the Friday night session. The team posted a strong 3.842 pass at 196.85 and never looked back.

Saturday’s weather was absolutely fantastic, which would make one think that the Kalbones team would be thrilled preparing the car’s set up for the afternoon pass. This was not necessarily so, as Tuner Dale Cannister does not have a plethora of information on this car’s combination just yet.

The sun blasted down on the event during the second session making it very difficult for teams to figure out just what the track would hold. In typical “Cannister Style”, Dale used his common sense approach to tune the car again to another superb run, clocking a 3.788 at 197.62. Not only did this keep the team provisionally in the number one spot, but it also would give them the World Speed record and a pending World ET record for the 1/8-mile. With the weather forecast for race day being very similar to this session, this run also proved to be quite a good bit of information for the Kalbones team’s arsenal.

As the evening session approached, the Kalbones team was sitting in a very good place as no other team had been able to come close to running in the 70’s. This allowed Dale to take the team into test mode. A decision that not only proved to be a good one, but it set San Antonio Raceway on fire as Laurie drove the car to a blazing 3.731 at 197.94. This run then established the earlier 3.788 as the new national ET record while her earlier 197.62 also backed up the 197.94 as the new national speed record. All this plus Laurie became the “Last Man Standing” for that session and nabbed the precious five extra bonus points.

Going into eliminations on Sunday, the Kalbones Grill’n Sauce AFC Team had a massive amount of ET on the rest of the field. The top eight qualifiers were separated by over sixteen hundredths but eight of that being the difference between Laurie and her closest competitor at number two, Dale Brand’s 3.813.

While you can’t run drag races on paper, this was one event that very well could have been.
From start to finish on race day, the team proved they were back and ready to be a major contender for the championship. Cannister sliced through a field of tremendous talent and skill, laying down unbelievable passes starting with round one against Paul Noakes. When the pair lined up, recording setting was not the game plan as much as getting the car down what looked to be like a hot tricky race surface. But with more heat than the blistering Texas sun, Cannister not only took the round win but posted a 3.751 at 198.32. This backed up her 3.731 from the night before making it the latest ET record and reset the speed record for an astonishing third time during the weekend.
The semi-final and final rounds were no different for the Kalbones’ Grill’n Sauce crew, as they pushed their way though to a second IHRA Alcohol Funny Car victory in only three races since forming as a new team late last fall.
Making their slowest pass of the event in the final round, (3.843/195.82) it was still more than plenty to take the win light over three time World Champion Rob Atchison’s 3.928. Laurie had quite a handful of wheel for the first time of the weekend as she maneuvered her way to the stripe by more than a car length.
Crew chief Mike Couch, who was under the weather and unable to attend the event, expressed his praise for the entire team and their accomplishments. “I have never had a doubt about the talent that we have assembled and this weekend offers all the proof anyone could ever need. It just killed me not being there and being able to enjoy it all. Dale has a good head on his shoulders and I can’t wait to get back out there and work side-by-side with him.”
“What a weekend,” he added. “And man, can that girl drive or what?”

Laurie Cannister Fast Fan Facts
Birthday – July 23
Hometown – Johnstown, Ohio with husband, Tuner Dale Cannister
Children – Samson “Our Son” – Norwegian Elkhound
2002 & 2007 IHRA Alcohol Funny Car Champion – President’s Cup Nationals (Budds Creek)
2008 IHRA Alcohol Funny Car Champion – Texas Nationals (San Antonio)
2000 IHRA Pro Outlaw World Champion
1999 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year
Career quickest Quarter Mile elapsed time is 5.669
Career fastest Quarter Mile speed is 246.89
Career quickest Eighth Mile elapsed time is 3.731 (Current IHRA ET Record)
Career fastest Eighth Mile speed is 198.32 (Current IHRA Speed Record)
Cannister is the fastest and quickest female driver in IHRA Alcohol Funny Car history (Eighth & Quarter Mile)

For more information about Laurie Cannister and Kalbones Racing Inc., visit the team website – www.kalbonesracing.com

About Kalbones Grill’n Sauce:
Serious Sauce for Serious Grill’n! We make it easy for you to become a grill master with our unique family recipe using only the finest and freshest ingredients. There are two secrets to producing great barbecue. The first is the slow cooking process which allows the meat to tenderize while maintaining all of the moist, natural, mouth-watering juices. The second is the sauce. Kalbones is a Southern Virginia style sauce which enhances and compliments the natural flavor of the meat with a distinctive home-style barbeque flavor. Whether the occasion is a pig pickin’, tailgate party, or a backyard barbeque, Kalbones is your essential ingredient to success. Six mouth watering flavors to choose from and a new rub. Better yet – Try them all!
Mop Kalbones on beef, poultry, and seafood too – It’s “not jus’ for yer butts!”
For more information about Kalbones Grill’n Sauce, ordering, contests and great recipes visit – www.kalbones.com

Kalbones Racing Inc is also sponsored by:
Flatout Gaskets – www.flatoutgaskets.com

For More Info or Photos Contact – Kathy Fisher