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There have been some major changes this off season for Connie Kalitta’s race team led by rookie Troy Coughlin Jr. making the move to fulltime Top Fuel driver and J.R. Todd going from a Top Fuel car to the DHL Funny Car and numerous changes in the crew chief department. Kalitta Motorsports Vice President of Operations Jim Oberhofer checked in via Skype with NHRA reporter Lewis Bloom at the Wally Parks NHRA Studio to discuss the changes.

The Todd-driven DHL Funny Car will now be tuned by Jon Oberhofer and Todd Smith. Smith joined team Kalitta late in the season to work on Paul Lee’s new race car. Nick Boninfante, who won a championship with Jon O in 2015 with now departed driver Del Worsham, joins Tommy DeLago on the Patron Car driven by Alexis DeJoira. Finally Glen Huzsar goes from the Patron team to the role of crew chief on the Lee car sponsored by McLeod Clutches. It will be Huszar’s first opportunity to lead a team as a crew chief.