KB Racing LLC: Will earns top ten spot
KB RACING LLC-owned, KALITTA MOTORSPORTS-managed TOP FUEL DRAGSTER HILLARY WILL (www.hillarywillrace.com) -- DRIVER JIM OBERHOFER (Jim O.) - CREW CHIEF 42nd ANNUAL NHRA AUTO CLUB FINALS AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA (CALIF.) NOVEMBER 9-12, 2006 Qualified # 9 (4.535 seconds at 324.36 mph) Eliminations: Round 1: Will (4.553/325.69) lost to J.R. Todd (4.534/325.53) Will earns top ten spot Drops close race as season comes to a finish POMONA, Calif. (November 12, 2006) - Hillary Will's first year as a professional Top Fuel driver came to an end in today's opening round of the season-ending 42nd annual NHRA Auto Club Finals when she dropped a close race to J.R. Todd. Will drove her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster to a pass of 4.553 seconds at 325.69 mph on the quarter-mile track at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Todd recorded a pass of 4.534 seconds at 325.53 mph. "It was a close race," said Will. "We just came up a little bit short. This was one of countless times that we came up short this season. Hopefully next year it's going to be on the flip side where instead of coming up a little bit short we're ahead by that little bit." Will began her rookie season in February at the season-opening event right here in Pomona. Since that time, the former resident of Fortuna, Calif., in Northern California, has qualified for all 23 races. At Bristol in the spring, she qualified second and most recently No. 4 at the last race in Las Vegas. She recorded a career-best elapsed time of 4.507 seconds at Atlanta, earned a runner-up finish at Memphis, and posted semifinal finishes at Englishtown and Sonoma. With Morgan Lucas losing in the second round, Will clinched the No. 10 spot in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Top Fuel point standings, one point out of ninth. Will ends the season with 1,035 points. Cory McClenathan is ninth with 1,036 points and Lucas is 11th with 1,026. That is certainly a tight finish. "I'm real happy to be in the top ten and that means a lot to our KB Racing team," reflected Will. "There were a lot of ups and downs this season but I've come away with so much knowledge. Next season I continue to learn even more. Somebody asks me today when the first race is next year and I replied, 'Not soon enough.' I'm definitely looking forward to next year." "Finishing No. 10 is an accomplishment for this team," added crew chief Jim Oberhofer. "Hillary has done an excellent job throughout the year and come a long way since the first race of the year. She is a professional and, although she is a rookie and was under the microscope throughout the season, has handled her job well. "Both driver and tuner will work hard over the off-season and I believe that this KB Racing team will have an opportunity to finish in the top five next season." Next Race: In approximately 3 months, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the season-opening NHRA CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals (Feb. 8-11, 2007). Television: The elimination show for the 42nd annual NHRA Auto Club Finals, originally aired tonight, repeats on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD early Tuesday morning (Nov. 14) from 3-5 a.m. Television time is Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings. 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 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. 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 earned three POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005) and finished second this season. His teammate Jason Line is the 2006 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion. Line finished third in the 2005 POWERade point standings, second in 2004 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) is owned by the legendary drag racer and successful businessman Connie Kalitta. In addition to Will's dragster, Kalitta Motorsports fields three additional nitro fuel cars - two Top Fuel dragsters and a Funny Car - in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Doug Kalitta drives the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, David Grubnic handles the driving duties on the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel Dragster, and Scott Kalitta is behind the wheel of the Kalitta Air Funny Car.