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LATEST
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Kate Harker, Tom Conway team up for Top
Alcohol Dragster action in 2007
Australian Top Alcohol Dragster driver Kate
Harker will team up with team owner and crew chief,
Tom Conway in 2007 to challenge the NHRA Top
Alcohol Dragster championship. Harker, 23,
originally from Brisbane, Australia, completed her
Top Alcohol Dragster license at a test session at
the Texas Motorplex with a blistering 5.355 second
lap at 258 mph behind the wheel of Conway's
dragster in late September 2006.
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Bio
Hometown: Gainsville, GA
Born in: Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia
DOB: 28th February, 1983
Class: NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster
How did you get involved with the sport?
My parents have been in the sport for a long time
and it was a natural decision to be involved as I
am very passionate about the sport.
Results
1996: Started
competing in Junior Dragster Competition. Was
amongst the first Generation of Australian Junior
Dragster Drivers
1996/1997: Finished
3rd in the Queensland State Championship Series for
Junior Dragster
1997/1998: Finished
4th in the Queensland State Championship Series for
Junior Dragster
1999: Retired from
Junior Dragster Competition
2000: Graduated
from High School with Certificate 1 & 2 in
Small Business Practices
2001: Started own
business at age of 18. Became the Australian
Distributor for Race Girl Clothing and Apparel
2001: Completed a
Certificate of Commerce at Griffith University
(Brisbane, Australia)
2002: Gathered
corporate support to help fund the building and
running costs for competing a Modified Dragster.
Building was competed in October the same year and
was successful in gaining ANDRA (Australian
National Drag Racing Association) Competition
License.
2003/2004: Was the
only Modified Eliminator Race Team to compete at
all five rounds of the Australian Modified
Championships
September 2004:
Runner-up in Modified Eliminator at opening
event for Australian Drag Racing Series, at Western
Sydney International Dragway.
2004/2005: Finished
6th in the Australian National Modified
Championships, after only having competed at two of
the six scheduled rounds.
January 2006:
Graduated from Griffith University (Brisbane,
Australia) with a Bachelor of Commerce and majors
in Management and Marketing.
January 2006:
Prepared business documents for the incorporation
of the Harker Motorsports team (USA) including all
Business plans, Sponsorship packs, team branding
and financials for the 2006 tour.
February 2006:
Attended Frank Hawley's Top Alcohol Dragster Class.
Will be returning in September to complete final
runs in the dragster as the last day of the
February class was cancelled due to weather
conditions.
2006: Competent
Crew member for Steve & Jenelle Harker's Top
Alcohol Funny Car and will be apart of their 2006
NHRA Tour.
History
Australian Top Alcohol Dragster driver Kate
Harker will team up with team owner and crew chief,
Tom Conway in 2007 to challenge the NHRA Top
Alcohol Dragster championship.
This is not the first time this pair has lined
up for competition; in late 2006, Conway and Harker
made three event starts and earned a semifinal
finish at the Snowbird Nationals at Bradenton
Motorsports Park in November. However, this will be
Harker's first season competing as a driver in the
NHRA Lucas Oils Sportsman Drag Racing Series.
After making successful laps at Frank Hawley's
Drag Racing School behind the wheel of the school's
Blown Alcohol Dragster, Harker, 23, originally from
Brisbane, Australia, completed her Top Alcohol
Dragster license at a test session at the Texas
Motorplex with a blistering 5.355 second lap at 258
mph behind the wheel of Conway's dragster in late
September 2006. Harker was then invited to join
Conway and his team as driver at the LODRS Division
7 race event and two post season races in Florida
where Harker and Conway made a semi-final round
finish.
“I really enjoyed working with Tom and his
team last year” said Kate “We are very
excited that we can continue racing together and
are looking forward to stepping out next weekend in
Houston, Texas to fly the Conway Automotive
banner.”
Conway and Harker have scheduled a full season
of racing including ten National events and six
rounds of the Lucas Oils Division 4 series. The
pair will run a similar schedule as contended by
Conway last year focusing around the south central
and eastern parts of the NHRA tour.
In her homeland of Australia, Kate was an
accomplished pilot in both the Jr. Dragster ranks
along with the ANDRA Modified eliminator, the NHRA
equivalent of Top Dragster. She also has a Bachelor
of Commerce from Griffith University, which she
hopes to use to acquire sponsorship for the season.
Harker's identical twin sister, Diana, will be
joining her as a licensed Top Alcohol driver later
this year and is scheduled to attend Frank Hawley's
Drag Racing School to learn the Alcohol ropes on
April 9-11.
Harker spent last year as a full time crew
member on her parents, Steve and Jenelle Harker's,
NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car doing everything from
helping build the engines to managing the logistics
for the team.
“Last year was a great learning path for
me” comments Kate “Mum & Dad taught
me a lot about how the Alcohol cars work and have
shown me what it takes to be competitive on the
NHRA Tour, it helped make my transition to Tom's
car very smooth process.”
Conway a multiple NHRA divisional champion, and
a two time NHRA national Top Alcohol Dragster
champion himself, as well as winning the 2005 NHRA
National Championship as a team owner is confident
with Harker behind the wheel of his A/Fuel dragster
that the pair can produce some final round
appearances in 2007 and be a serious contender for
the National and Divisional Championships.
Queensland beauties Kate and Diana Harker both
had stints at driving the family modified dragster
at certain events throughout 2004. Not only did the
girls pick up a Best presented car and crew award,
Diana also made the final of Modified eliminator at
the WSID east coast Nationals. As well as helping
out the O'Rourke motorsports team with father
Steve, we figured we'd better include the pretty
twins in the awards for their efforts. Kate and
Diana claimed the White Diamonds Perfume sponsored
Female sportsman racers of the year.
* * *
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