Kon Rodz Wrapping Up 2012 Season at Maple Grove
Courtesy of Kon Rodz Racing
READING, PA – This weekend’s Auto-Plus Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway will be the final stop on the Kon Rodz Racing 2012 tour. 
The Maple, Ontario, Canada-based Top Alcohol Funny Car team experienced a breakout season with driver Cassie Simonton behind the wheel.
Simonton’s season started at the Gatornationals in March, where the team struggled in qualifying and eliminations, despite strong results in preseason testing. They bounced back at the next race in Charlotte, qualifying #3 with career-best numbers in E.T. and speed. The next national event on tour, the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago, saw Simonton qualify #7 in a field full of heavy hitters. There she drove past three Top 10 cars before falling in her first final round to class legend Frank Manzo.
The Kon Rodz team proved themselves to be contenders the following weekend in Norwalk, qualifying #3 and reaching the finals yet again. Cassie earned the #5 spot a couple months later at the U.S. Nationals, but didn’t make it past first round. Most recently, Simonton qualified the KonRodzRacing.com Monte Carlo #2 at the O’Reilly Nationals in Charlotte.
Cassie Simonton, crew chief Randy Anderson and the team impressed on the new regional circuit, as well. Qualifying proved to be their strong point, earning their first pole position in Chicago and taking #3 in Norwalk and Columbus.
Team owner Spiro Kontos and Cassie are proud to have the support of many quality companies, including Lucas Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, BAE, and Goodyear Tire. Thanks also go to the dedicated, hard-working crew members who worked early mornings, hot days, and late nights during the season. The team is also extremely thankful for the support from the fans that have followed along online and trackside.
The whole 2012 season has been leading up to this final race. Providing the precipitation stays away, the conditions should make for some of the quickest runs all season. Times in the low 5.5s and even high 5.4s can be expected from the orange and purple Kon Rodz hot rod. If they can string together a few of those in eliminations, they just might be heading back to Canada with a season-ending Wally.
Cassie and the rest of the Top Alcohol Funny Car field will have two shots to qualify; 11:30 am and 3 pm on Friday. First round of eliminations will begin at 1 pm Saturday.
