KB Racing LLC: Will nominated for 2006 Auto Club Road to the Future Award
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *October 11, 2006* *KB RACING LLC* *NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES* *KB RACING LLC-owned, KALITTA MOTORSPORTS-managed TOP FUEL DRAGSTER* *HILLARY WILL (www.hillarywillrace.com) -- DRIVER* *JIM OBERHOFER (Jim O.) -- CREW CHIEF* *MEDIA CONTACT: Mickey Schultz* *PHONE: 425-557-8899* *E-MAIL: mschultz@bellsouth.net* *Will nominated for 2006* *Auto Club Road to the Future Award * Hillary Will, who drives the KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster, was one of four drivers nominated for the 2006 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, presented by NHRA and the Automobile Club of Southern California. The award, which is decided by a distinguished panel of auto racing journalists, is presented to the outstanding rookie driver in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series four professional classes -- Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. "I feel honored to have been nominated for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award," said Will after hearing of the nomination. "I'm thankful that AAA continues to be so supportive of the future drag racing. Many of the past nominees have and are having great careers in NHRA drag racing. I feel that my KB Racing team and I have a bright future in the sport and I appreciate AAA Automobile Club of Southern California and NHRA for recognizing and honoring us for that." The 2006 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award, along with a check for $20,000 and trophy, will be presented during the NHRA's annual championship awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 13 at the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Will, 26, from Fortuna, Calif., who now lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., powered her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster to a runner-up finish at Memphis. She posted semifinal finishes at Englishtown and Sonoma and is currently ninth in the NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel standings, the highest ranked rookie driver in the professional classes. She qualified a season-high second at Denver and clocked career-best performances of 4.507 seconds, 328.78 mph. Will's KB Racing dragster has been one of the most consistently quick of the season and her team is ranked third in the NHRA Full Throttle Pit Crew Challenge standings. In addition to Will, three other rookie drivers -- Alan Bradshaw (Top Fuel), Max Naylor (Pro Stock), and J.R. Todd (Top Fuel) are nominated for this year's award. More than 100 of the nation's most distinguished auto racing journalists will select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events participated, performance on and off the race track, participation in NHRA promotions and relationships with fans, sponsors and media. In 2002, the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award and the NHRA Rookie of the Year Award were combined to create one award recognizing the future stars of the sport. Past winners of the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award have developed into some of NHRA's biggest stars, including Tony Pedregon (1996, Funny Car), Ron Capps (1997, Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (1998, Top Fuel), Antron Brown (1999, Pro Stock Motorcycle), Melanie Troxel (2000, Top Fuel), GT Tonglet (2001, Pro Stock Motorcycle), Gene Wilson (2002, Pro Stock); Brandon Bernstein (2003, Top Fuel); Jason Line (2004, Pro Stock); and Robert Hight (2005, Funny Car). Recent NHRA Rookie of the Year winners have included the late Darrell Russell (2001, Top Fuel), Don Lampus (2000, Top Fuel), Scotty Cannon (1999, Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (1998, Pro Stock), Gary Scelzi (1997, Top Fuel) and co-winners in 1996, Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). The Automobile Club of Southern California is the largest affiliate of AAA. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs and automotive testing and analysis. /KB Racing LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and Kenny Black. KB Racing LLC fields the Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster driven by rookie driver Hillary Will. Autolite Spark Plugs, Calico Coatings, Findlay Automotive, Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment and the Technicoat Companies are associate marketing partners for 2006. In addition to Hillary Will's Top Fuel Dragster, KB Racing LLC also fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, driven by Greg Anderson and Jason Line on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Anderson has won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005). Line finished third in the 2005 POWERade point standings and was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, presented to the most outstanding rookie in a professional category. Kalitta Motorsports (www.kalittaracing.com), owned by the legendary drag racer and successful businessman Connie Kalitta, will field, in addition to Will's dragster, three additional nitro fuel cars -- two Top Fuel dragsters and a Funny Car -- in 2006 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Doug Kalitta will drive the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, David Grubnic will handle the driving duties on the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel Dragster and Scott Kalitta moves from Top Fuel to the Kalitta Air Funny Car for 2006. / ####