Laurie Cannister San Antonio preview

The Bulls Won’t Be The Only Ones With Their Horns Out In San Antonio

Virginia Beach, VA – The IHRA Alcohol Funny Car class continues to grow and flourish. The proof will be well documented for all to experience at the 2008 IHRA Knoll Gas Nitro Jam season opener this weekend during the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway near San Antonio, Texas.

Kalbones Grill’n Sauce team driver Laurie Cannister is thrilled to see what is happening in the class.

“It looks like this year may prove to be one of the toughest seasons in IHRA Alcohol Funny Car. When you have drivers like Mark (Thomas), Rob (Atchison), Dale (Brand) among many others all out there gunning for the championship, saying that the class is going to be extremely competitive is an understatement,“ Laurie commented.

This weekend’s event in San Antonio will set the pace for the entire season in a class that was once threatened with extinction due to lower car counts. Such is far from the case in 2008 with many top notch teams returning to Alcohol Funny Car action.

With only an eight car qualified field at all IHRA events for Alcohol Funny Car along with being an 1/8th mile venue for this weekend at San Antonio, it should prove to have a very tight field. It wouldn’t surprise the Kalbones Grill’n Sauce team to see the spread from number one to number eight on the sheet to be as little as a handful of hundredths.

If the forecast holds true for this weekend, look for 1/8th mile records to be shattered in the professional classes and Alcohol Funny Car will be no exception. The current AFC 1/8th mile record is 3.80 @ 195.79 mph. Many teams have exceeded this when running quarter mile events including the Kalbones team running well into the 3.70’s zone and exceeding the 200 mph mark.

Although Cannister is returning for her first full season in several years, the San Antonio track and 1/8th mile racing is nothing new to her. Cannister competed at the event last season and was amazed how quickly the 1/8th mile goes by.

“You’re just getting ready for the 2-3 shift and it’s already time to pull the chutes,” Laurie said. “It’s hard to want to take your foot out of it when the car wants to really start hauling in the second half of the track when we’re running quarter mile.”

Looking ahead to this weekend and the season in general, Cannister is pleased to be a part of a very special group of people.

“Because of Kevin and Wendy Sims, our Kalbones Grill’n Sauce team has been provided with all the tools we need to go for the championship right from the start. From the best of the best in crew to the parts arsenal we have at our fingertips. When it comes down to it we all know it’s a new season and everybody starts from zero. There is no number one right now, no one person or team that doesn’t have a bulls eye on their back,” explained Laurie.

Noting that the Alcohol Funny Car class will be the one to watch this year and not one team can be taken lightly. Laurie had this to add, “I guess it would be safe to say that the entire class will have their horns out in Texas not only looking for that first win but also to set the stage in a class that is just overflowing with talent.”


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)
2000 IHRA Pro Outlaw World Champion
1999 IHRA Pro Rookie of the Year
Career quickest elapsed time is 5.669
Career fastest speed is 246.89
Cannister is the fastest and quickest female driver in IHRA Alcohol Funny Car history


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

For More Info or Photos Contact – Kathy Fisher
Performance by Fisher Productions
Lima, Ohio
Web – www.performancebyfisher.com
Email – team_pr@performancebyfisher.com