National: Kon Rodz Racing 2010 season wrap-up

KON RODZ TEAM FOCUSED ON 2011 IMPROVEMENT

Maple, Ont. - Sometimes things don't work out the way the blue-print was drawn. It is at this time where the best course of action is to take an inventory of what you have, learn from the mistakes made and build for the future. This is precisely what Spiro Kontos' Top Alcohol Funny Car team plans to do this winter from their new Maple, Ont. Canada based shop.

The 2010 season began for the Kon Rodz team with high expectations, a two-car TAFC team and tons of motivation to capture a few round wins. Unfortunately, due to economic cut-backs, mistakes made and simple bad luck, the hi-spirited team ended their 2010 campaign with one car, a rookie driver and still looking for their first round win. However, their team driver Cassie Simonton improved each race and lowered the team's career best elapsed time to a 5.68 255.8 MPH recorded at Z-Max Dragway in Concord, NC.

"We did not have the best of seasons unfortunately, but I am very proud and thankful to our team for all the hard work they put into this season," noted Spiro Kontos. "Moving forward, I have decided not to renew my agreement with Dale and Laurie Cannister after our final race of the 2010 season. I would like to thank them for their help and we wish them the best of luck in the future. We have been talking with several tuners about coming onboard for next season, and are looking at all possibilities. We will have an announcement for our fans, friends and marketing partners coming very soon."

For rookie driver Cassie Simonton, the season was definitely a tale of two seasons.

"At the beginning, we had a hard time getting down track to make some full passes," noted the 24-year old driver from Brownsburg, Ind. "The good thing is I had the chance to experience pretty much every type of situation a Funny Car driver could deal with in a run. I made a few mistakes but luckily I had some good people to go to who helped me with my learning curve. By the end of the season, I was able to make some very strong runs in the car. I feel like my procedures are becoming second nature now and I look forward to a great and positive 2011 season."

As always, the Kon Rodz team is very thankful for the efforts of not only their hard working crew members, but also the support of their marketing partners and their fans. Companies such as BullyDog.com, CRXMedia.com, Lucas Oil Products, NGK Spark Plugs, Dino's Pizza & Pasta, FlatOut Gaskets, Total Seal Pistons, DragRaceCanada, Fowler Connecting Rods, Clevite Bearings, Scott Shop Towels, Brad Anderson Enterprises, Recyco Env. Inc, Direct Waste Systems Inc. and Jimmy Foods have provided their assistance to the Kon Rodz team during the 2010 season.

The team would like to extend their thanks to the NHRA Safety Safari for ensuring their car had a safe racetrack in which to compete. Moving forward, the Kon Rodz Racing team is searching for companies to partner with for the 2011 season. With the talents of CRX Media behind them, a young marketable driver in Simonton and a team who knows how to produce a solid return on investment on and off the race track, Kontos' team would provide a solid investment to any business looking to expand their brand recognition.

-source: kon rodz racing