2011 Year in Review:

The 2011 season is over… and while Brenda did not finish the year as the Champion, we are very happy with how the season ended.  A strong end of the year push solidified a 5^th place finish in NHRA Division 2 Stock Eliminator and positioned us for a successful 2012 season. 

This year started out with a bang, as Brenda was the #1 qualifier at the IHRA Nitro Jam Event in West Palm Beach, Florida.  She followed this effort with a quarter-final finish at the Bradenton NHRA Divisional.  Then prior to the Gainesville NHRA Divisional, Brenda developed an engine problem.  While Bill was able to go home and swap motors, more challenges laid ahead.  For much of the year we fought an inconsistent car.  Diagnosing the issue was extremely difficult as it would appear only intermittently.   Several times we were sure the problem was licked, only to have it rear its ugly head again.  The inconsistency was found to be caused by several issues which masked each other, making the diagnosis extremely difficult.  However, with the help of our great partners, we were able to solve the problems.  We discovered a relay had dropped from its protective cover and would intermittently short the circuit prior to the fuse.  Only when the electrical issue was taken care of we were able to diagnose and fix a fuel delivery problem with the help of Robbie Ward at MagnaFuel.  The year end results were very encouraging and we now believe we have the best car we have ever had.

At the NHRA Charlotte National event, Brenda made it to the quarter-finals beating three former World Champions.  At the final divisional race of the season, Brenda also made it to the quarter-finals beating another former World Champion, moving her from #9 to #5 in the division.  Currently, she is tied for third place in Division 2’s Jeg’s Allstars points.  With the car working well, we have decided to make no major changes for next season.  The only work scheduled during the down time is preventive/routine maintenance.

Thank you again to all our sponsors, without them our season would not have been possible. National Parts Depot, MSD Ignitions, ARP, Chevrolet Performance, Goodyear Racing, Jesel,  Manley, RacePak, The Joie of Seating, Edelbrock, Total Seal, Weld Racing, Burns Stainless, CP Pistons, Impact, MagnaFuel, Meziere, Elston Headers, Penske, Quick Fuel Technology, VP Racing Fuels, Bullet, Turbo Action , Competition Tire South, Behind the Scenez, K&N, The Racer’s Mind, Crew Chief Pro and Fire Safety Systems.

Our 2012 race season kicks off February 10^th at the NHRA Orlando Divisional Race.

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports has been tagged!

At the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, held June 23-26, 2011 in Norwalk, Ohio, Brenda Grubbs Motorsports debuted tag marketing on their 1969 Camaro, Stock Eliminator Car. This new technology allows a smart phone user to receive information by scanning a tag. The tag decals will be on Brenda's race car offering fans the ability to scan the tag and visit www.BrendaGrubbsMotorsports.com. Scanning the tag is free however; the smart phone must have either a Microsoft or AT&T compliant Tag reader app. These can be downloaded free from your phone's market or the following web sites; http://gettag.mobi for a Microsoft Tag reader, or http://scan.mobi for an AT&T Tag Reader.

Superstocker Update

Memorial Day Weekend 2011 marked the one year anniversary of the acquisition of a 69 Camaro Superstocker to Brenda Grubbs Motorsports.  Since getting the Camaro, Bill has been busy disassembling and evaluating the basic car.  The interior of the car was in great shape and has been saved for future use and reference.  The exterior body/sheet metal of the car was also in good condition, but upon removal of the interior, the floor pan was found to be rotted and filled with fiberglass and patchwork metal.  When the roll cage was installed, the torque boxes on the lower firewall were cut to ease installation of the tubes to the front subframe.  This compromised the structural integrity of the firewall and coupe.  The structural integrity of the front subframe had also been compromised.  Interesting enough, while evaluating the floor pan, Bill noticed a factory cut out in the transmission tunnel.  Upon further investigation, it was revealed the 69 Camaro was an original “Z28”.

In April, the car was taken to The Installation Center in Commerce, Georgia.  In the fall of 2006, The Installation Center replaced the floor pan on the 69 Camaro, Stock Eliminator car Brenda currently drives. Since they had done impeccable work and really tightened the car, Bill wanted them to do the work on the Superstocker. Their expertise was needed to replace the firewall and outer cowl boxes which had been gutted. The firewall and outer cowls were supplied by National Parts Depot and the parts fitted up nicely.  When The Installation Center portion of the project was complete the firewall mounting points for the front sheet metal were back to specifications.   Apparently the car had been in an accident during its previous life and the new firewall moved the front end sheet metal mounting points forward almost 3/8 of an inch to the spec location (now we know why there were so many shims on those mounting points).

The Camaro was picked up from the Installation Center the Monday after the NHRA Southern Nationals and transported to Tom Callis in Statesville, North Carolina.  Brenda and Bill considered numerous chassis builders but selected Tom because he does great work and has a history of building successful cars.  Tom ensures everything is done correctly, the first time.  During the discussion on the direction of the project, it was as if Tom was reading Bill’s mind.  They both were in sync about what should be done.   Tom will be a great asset to our team.

Tom will work his magic on the chassis, replace the floor pan, front subframe, rear suspension, and install a chromoly cage.  We had considered The Installation Center to replace the floorpan since they had done great work on our “Stocker”, however, in consultation with The Installation Center, it was determined removing the old roll cage at this point would compromise the structural integrity of the car severely, and transportation to and from the shop would have caused additional damage.  If the car was to become a stocker or a street car there would have been no hesitation on having The Installation Center do the work. 

Special thanks to our sponsors  for this project:  National Parts Depot, The Installation Center, MSD Ignition, Jesel Valve Train, Goodyear, Competition Tire, Magnafuel, GM Performance Parts, ARP, QuickFuel, Meziere, VP Fuels, Elston Headers, Burns Stainless, K&N Filters, Racepak, Manley, Weld Racing, Impact, Penske Shocks and CP Pistions.

Stay tuned for future updates.
 

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports Partners with National Parts Depot (NPD)

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports is pleased to announce their partnership with National Parts Depot (www.npdlink.com).  NPD is a premier supplier of concours-correct parts and accessories for the Camaro, Chevelle, Malibu, Firebird, Trans Am, El Camino, Ford Truck, Thunderbird and Mustang.  Coming soon is the addition of GTO, Tempest and LeMans.

NPD is committed to selling only the best restoration products available while maintaining the lowest overall pricing.  Having four fully stocked warehouses enables NPD to deliver parts to almost anywhere in the United States in just 1 to 3 business days.  NPD has locations in Charlotte, NC, Canton, MI, Ventura, CA and Ocala, Fl.  Available when you need them, NPD takes toll free phone orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  All NPD warehouse locations have service counters and are available Monday-Friday from 8 am – 9 pm and on weekends from 8 am - 5 pm.

“We have been a long time customer of National Parts Depot, so we are thrilled to have them as a partner” stated Brenda Grubbs.  “My husband Bill, only uses the highest quality parts, and I can tell you we have many NPD parts on our 1969 Camaro Stocker.  Bill’s newest project, a  SS/DA 1969 Camaro will feature many more restoration parts from NPD. ” added Brenda.  NPD is associated with the Ford and General Motors Restoration Parts licensing programs.  When you see these emblems on their parts, it means those reproductions meet or exceed FORD and GM quality standards. 

“Each time I have been to NPD, I have been impressed with their customer service and knowledge.  NPD is a family owned business with the highest standards and integrity.  And…their car collection at the Ocala warehouse is pretty amazing as well” stated Brenda.
 

Brenda Grubbs Helps Raise Money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation

Brenda helped at a fundraiser for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (www.specialops.org) during the recent Southern Nostalgia and Muscle Car Shootout.  The event held every November at Bradenton Motorsports Park features a car show, swap meet and nostalgia race.  The United States Marine Corps along with some military hardware were on hand.  

“I am proud to be part of an organization that supports our great country by giving back to the children who lost a parent while serving in the Special Operations community” said Brenda.  Many of the people either attending or participating in the event served our country in some capacity.  Drag Racers in general are very supportive of the men and women serving in our military. 

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports salutes ALL the men, women past and present and their families, who have served our country.
 

Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s Annual Event

 Recently, Brenda and Bill attended the Special Operations Warrior Foundation’s (SOWF) annual event to salute the Special Operation Forces.  Nearly 300 guests gathered to pay tribute to the men and women serving in the special operations community. Guests included families of fallen warriors, retired general and flag officers, military personnel, and community and corporate leaders.

The SOWF provides funding to cover the full cost of a college education including tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies to children whose parent died as a result of an operational mission or training accident while assigned to a U. S. Special Operations Command unit.  These scholarships can be used at any college, vocational-technical training or career institution. Currently, the foundation is committed to providing scholarships for more than 800 children.  In 2009, SOWF provided a total of $2.7 million in scholarship grants, educational programs and financial counseling for 118 students at colleges and universities across the United States.

The Foundation is involved in the child’s life from a very early age until well after college graduation.  From birth through the age of fourteen, the child or parent receives assistance from the Foundation’s family advisor and once the child reaches high school, college planning and academic counseling are provided. 

Since Memorial Day of 2005, Brenda Grubbs Motorsports and has helped bring awareness thru drag racing to this great cause.  The SOWF holds a special place in the hearts of Brenda and Bill as Bill is a former United States Air Force Special Operations AC-130H Spectre Gunship Pilot.  On March 14, 1994, one of the crews in Bill’s squadron crashed off the coast of Kenya, Africa.  Eight of the fourteen crew members on board gave their lives supporting US forces in Mogadishu, Somalia.  The SOWF has made a difference for the children of these surviving families.

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports was honored for their work with the SOWF at the 2006 NHRA Gatornationals.  Bill and Brenda were chosen amongst the sportsman level racers as someone who best exemplified the spirit of racing and were presented with the Brut “Essence of Racing” Award.  Along with the prestigious award, the Grubbs were given a $1,000 check during the pre-race ceremonies, which was donated to the SOWF.

With the help of IHRA, Brenda Grubbs Motorsports hosted a group of SOWF families, at the 2007 IHRA Spring Nationals held in Rockingham, North Carolina.  The families were honored during the National Anthem and given a five minute standing ovation from the fans.  The families had a great time enjoying the race, and one lucky child got to make an 1/8 mile pass with Brenda in her C/SA ‘69 Camaro during Professional Qualifying.  

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation was recently awarded its fourth consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation's leading charity watchdog group, for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Only 7 percent of the charities reviewed by Charity Navigator have received 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations. 

For more information on Special Operations Warrior Foundation or to donate, please visit www.specialops.org.

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports has a new addition to their team; a Superstock 1969 Camaro.

 Over the Memorial Holiday Weekend, Brenda made the long haul to Oklahoma to pick up the car.  Leaving Tampa, she headed to Atlanta and picked up her brother, Bobby Lundholm to ride shotgun. 

 Brenda was thankful to have Bobby along when she got into a “pickle” in a Walmart parking lot which was not “RV Friendly”.  After turning into the lot she soon realized there were barriers for RVs taller than 12 feet.  While Brenda is not an expert backer, she rose to the challenge while Bobby stopped traffic and guided her.  Once back on the road, both Bobby and Brenda were hoping that would be their only incident of the trip.  However, later in the day a tire blew on the motorhome.  Fortunately, Brenda was able to get the rig stopped and the mobile repair truck installed new Goodyear Tires.   Bill was flying for Delta Airlines, so he was picked up near the Dallas- Ft Worth Airport before heading to Oklahoma.  Thankfully, the rest of the trip went smoothly.

Both Bill and Brenda have considered owning another car for a while, but were waiting for the right one to come along.  “Bill has been eyeing this car for over a year now” explained Brenda.    Bill is always looking for a new challenge and now he has one.  The car will be a project over the next year or so.   Upgrades and changes will be made including a Racepak Data Acquisition System, Goodyear tires, MagnaFuel Fuel System, CP Pistons, ARP Hardware, MSD Digital Ignition, Elston Exhaust made with Burns Stainless, and Turbo Action Transmission and E-Shifter.    The car has a 427 motor and will run SS/DA.

Expect to see the car out sometime in 2012.
 

A New Look for 2010

The blue paint on the 69 Camaro driven by Brenda Grubbs can now only be seen in pictures. The new look for the Brenda Grubbs Motorsports car is “Lipstick” Red with a black vinyl top. “Deciding on the paint color was a big decision as the car has been blue since we bought it in 1998”.  “We wanted a new look and for people to notice we got the car painted” explained Brenda Grubbs. 

 It all started when the Camaro had an issue with the wheel well separating.  Bill fixed the problem by welding in a new piece which caused some minor paint and body damage.  Since Bill did a great job with this repair, he decided to tackle a few other areas on the car.  The driver’s door, rear quarter panels and rear window ledge have been completed.  Fortunately, Brenda was able to talk Bill into getting a professional paint job as he considered tackling this as well. 

 Just about everything was stripped from the car before delivering it to the paint shop.  And now, Bill and Brenda are working hard to get the car put back together for mid-January testing. 

Bill Grubbs Retires from USAF

After 24 years of service, Lt. Col William B Grubbs retired from the United States Air Force effective the first of September 2009.  Bill has enjoyed a successful career on active duty and in the reserves.

Lt Col William Grubbs (RET) was born in Washington, D.C.  Calling Florida home, he graduated from the University of Florida in 1984 with an Engineering degree and received his commission through ROTC on 3 May 1985. On 05 Sep 85 Bill started Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams AFB, AZ., and one year later was one of five students of Class 86-08 to graduate without failing a checkride.  Following B52 training at Castle AFB, CA, Bill’s first assignment was to Griffiss AFB, NY flying the venerable B-52G.  While on Combat Crew Rest from his first Alert Cycle, Bill was struck head-on by another driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel.  Suffering a severe concussion, Bill was medically grounded with only 327 hours total flying time.

During this grounding, Bill had the honor to work for then Lt Col Craig W. Duehring (a Lance P. Sijan Award winner) at Noervinich AB, GE. While at Noervinich AB, Bill was recognized as Controller of the Quarter several times and was USAFE’s nomination to be the OIC of the USAF Honor Guard.  Under then Capt Grubbs’ leadership the 7502 MUNSS Command Post was named “USAFE Command Post of the Year 1990(Small Units)”.  Following Squadron Officer School, were he was a Distinguished Graduate, Bill was assigned to Araxos AB, GR.  There Bill provided the leadership for the unit earn its first “Excellent” rating in a Nuclear Surety Inspection. 

Even though Bill had been told “You have a snowball’s chance in Hell, to return to flying now, or ever” he persevered, and in the summer of 1992 was placed back on flying status.  Originally selected for a prestigious assignment to work for the President of the United States, Bill had a tough choice.  He chose to fly the AC-103H Spectre Gunship until joining the USAF Reserves in 1997. Bill has never looked back.  Furloughed from Delta Airlines in Nov 2001, Bill worked in the Reserves almost full time and still found time to race a full schedule with Brenda.

During 2003, while Bill was deployed overseas to Iraq and with the help of her Mom, Brenda raced all but three races of the IHRA season without Bill.  Throughout the challenging time, the support of the racing community was tremendous to Bill, Brenda and the military.  After returning home from Iraq, Bill presented Bill Bader and IHRA, an American flag he took with him during numerous combat missions flown in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In the reserves Lt Col Grubbs has been a member of the 357^th AS, Maxwell AFB, AL and the 328^th AS, Niagara Falls, NY. With 5000+ hours flying time including numerous combat and combat support missions,  Bill has flown the T-37, T-38, B-52G, C-130E, AC-130H, C-130H1, C-130H2, C-130H3,  and the EC-130.  Civilian Aircraft flown include the C-152, AG-5B, C-206, C-310, and the MD-88 .

Bill accepted recall to Delta Airlines In December 2006, and immediately went on Military Leave of Absence.  He will return to his civilian job in November 2009.
 

The NHRA Southeast Division 2008 Awards Banquet

was held in Kissimmee, Florida on Jan 17, 2009. The banquet honored all Lucas Oil Series, Summit Series, Top Dragster, Top Sportsman and O’Reilly Jr. Drag Racing Champions. In addition, several Special Awards were presented and Don “Big Daddy” Garlits inducted three people into the Southeast Division Hall of Fame.

During the evening, Brenda was honored as the NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil Stock Eliminator Champion. She received a Championship Trophy, Gold Card, Lucas Oil jacket and watch. During her acceptance speech, Brenda thanked her many sponsors, God and her husband/crew chief, Bill. Brenda was also acknowledged as being part of the Southeast Division Jeg’s Allstar Team and for finishing #6 in NHRA National points.

As part of the Special Awards, Bill was honored as the Southeast Division Wrench of the Year. NHRA recognizes not only drivers who excel in the sport but also great mechanics. Bill was very surprised at this honor but still managed to give a short acceptance speech.

Brenda Grubbs Motorsports would like to thank all of their 2008 partners including Turbo Action Transmissions, Goodyear Rubber and Tire, Competition Tire, VP Racing Fuels, ARP, The Racer’s Mind, Burns Stainless, Elston Headers, Manley Performance, GM Performance Parts, Edelbrock, Crew Chief Pro, Bullet Cams, Auto Meter, The Installation Center, CP Pistons, MSD and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Brenda Wins Again and Captures the Division Title

Years ago while attending the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, Bill Grubbs asked Bob Lundholm permission to marry his daughter. Thirteen years later, at the same track, the Crew Chief/Husband helped his wife win the NHRA Divisional Race. In addition to winning the race, Brenda secured the 2008 Southeast Division 2 Stock Eliminator Title.

During the race, Brenda once again met up with Jeff Atkinson in a C/SA heads-up match. Both drivers had identical reaction times (.015) however; Brenda’s Arnold Greene prepped 396 was slightly quicker on the track. In round four, Brenda matched up against Johnny Williams with a semi-finals bye run going to the winner.

For the second race in a row Brenda had a heads-up race in the final round. This race the opponent was Mickey Whaley, who Brenda has raced in two previous finals without a win (’06 Gators and ‘07 Bradenton Divisional). Whaley experienced problems off the line and Brenda was able to turn on the win light driving away.

Winning Atlanta gave Brenda back-to-back Divisional wins and made it mathematically impossible for anyone in the Southeast Division to pass her in the point standings. With one race left, Brenda is currently #5 in NHRA National points

Brenda takes the Lead in Kentucky

Brenda Grubbs captured her first NHRA win at the Division 3 Bowling Green race held August 22-24, 2008. After three runner-up finishes in NHRA and being crowned the 2008 Jeg’s Allstar Champion, Brenda won her first Wally on her husband’s birthday. “I was trying to make Bill’s birthday “extra special” and taking home the trophy sure helped!” stated Brenda.

Qualifying #52, in a 100 car field, Brenda was matched up against many tough racers including Greg Rowe, Dave Rampy and Steve McFarland. For round five, it was heads-up against the fast and always tough Jeff Atkinson. Brenda had the better light and ran 10.61 to pick up the hole shot win over Jeff’s 10.60. In the final round, Brenda faced yet another C/SA heads-up race. Her opponent was drag racing school owner Edmond Richardson who qualified #36. A .015 reaction time and 10.610 ET was enough to turn the win light on, and give Brenda her first NHRA Wally.

Brenda currently leads in the Stock Eliminator Division 2 points with two races remaining in the 2008 season

Brenda Grubbs claims the Jeg’s Allstar
Stock Eliminator Title.

On Saturday June 7, 2008, Brenda Grubbs joined an elite group of drivers, and an even smaller group of women drivers to be crowned a Jeg’s Allstar Champion. Brenda won the Stock Eliminator Jeg’s Allstar title after defeating Troy Henderson, Tommy Gaynor and Russell Linke. During the final round, Division 1 racer, Russell Linke left the starting line two thousandths of a second early giving Brenda her first NHRA win.

Representing Southeast Division Stock Eliminator racers, Brenda accumulated points at all six division races to qualify for the prestigious Jeg’s Allstar Race. Qualifying racers from across the United States met at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois to compete for the title. “It was pretty neat to win the Jeg’s Allstars with my Mom, Barbara Lundholm at the race, especially a race televised on ESPN.”

Brenda thanked her sponsors, her husband, and sent a hello to her friends in Florida during the ensuing interview. Brenda would once again like to thank Crew Chief Pro, Goodyear Racing, GM Performance, Elston Headers, VP Racing Fuels, The Racers Mind, Autometer, CP Pistons, Edelbrock, Manley Performance, TurboAction Transmissions, The installation Center, MSD ignitions, ARP Fasteners, and Arnold Greene.

A runner-up finish for Brenda is a nice way to start the year!

Last weekend, March 10, 2008, Brenda Grubbs drove her 1969 Camaro to Runner-up finish in the final round of Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Division 2 Orlando race. After qualifying 25 in a field of 76, Brenda was able to win six rounds of competition before falling in round seven to Anthony Fetch.
Qualifying with an 18-23 mph head wind and then going into first round of eliminations with an 8-11 mph tailwind made dialing the car very difficult. Still, the Crew Chief Pro 7.0 program did a great job with the difficult and ever changing weather. Later in the day the wind calmed down creating more dialing challenges. However, with all the changing conditions Brenda was able to put together winning packages in all but the final round where Anthony fetch took the stripe by .0073 seconds (16 inches).

Brenda would like to thank Crew Chief Pro, Goodyear Racing, GM Performance, Elston Headers, VP Racing Fuels, The Racers Mind, Autometer, CP Pistons, Edelbrock, Manley Performance, TurboAction Transmissions, The installation Center, MSD ignitions, ARP Fasteners, and Arnold Greene.