Photo Credit: nationalspeedsportnews.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 13) – The Dote Racing NHRA Top Fuel team and driver Leah Pruett will debut a new car and a new look during this weekend’s 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the traditional East Coast opener for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Following Pruett’s first Top Fuel elimination round-win at the recent Arizona Nationals, the Dote Team has elected to debut their new 2013 Murf McKinney-built chassis during the Gainesville event. The new car, which was ordered last season, is the latest component in the Dote team’s overall plan to competitively compete at the highest levels of NHRA professional drag racing.
“I’m really looking forward to Friday’s first qualifying run, which will be this race car’s maiden voyage” said Pruett, who enters the event as NHRA’s 11th ranked Top Fuel driver. “We have not had the opportunity to test this chassis, but I am very confident that we will not only pick up where we left off in Phoenix, but improve our performance. The new car should allow [crew chief] Doug Kuch to really turn the knobs the way he wants.”
The new car will also feature a vibrant new paint scheme from Korek Designs of New Berlin, Penn. The car will feature a nostalgic flair with flat silver contrasted with metallic purple, pink, and orange. The team plans to run new look dragster for the balance of the 2013 season.
Pruett returns to the Gatornationals as a rookie in the Top Fuel class, but she is familiar with the historic Auto-Plus Raceway drag strip. Last year, while racing a turbocharged Mustang in the Pro Mod series, Pruett qualified seventh in the quick 16-car field and drove to a semifinal finish during Sunday’s final eliminations.
“Racing in the NHRA Pro Mod series over the last two years, I learned a lot not just about driving a fast race car, but also about what it takes to compete and succeed at NHRA national events,” said Pruett, who is a three-time Pro Mod series winner. “It was excellent training for my Top Fuel debut this year. I am still learning a lot with every pass, but I also like to think that my previous experience has helped accelerate my learning curve.”
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Source: DOTE Racing
