KB Racing LLC: KB Racing dragster makes progress as team heads to Houston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

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: 920-733-2330

E-MAIL: PR4KBRacingLLC@earthlink.net

 

38th ANNUAL NHRA ACDELCO GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE RACEWAY - GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA

MARCH 15-18, 2007

 

Qualifying:

No. 12: 4.634 seconds at 326.40 mph

 

Eliminations:

Round 1: Will (5.546/182.77) def. Doug Herbert (4.718/280.95)

Round 2: Will (4.710/303.50) lost to Whit Bazemore (4.609/317.42)

 

KB Racing dragster makes progress as team heads to Houston

 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 18, 2007) - Crew chief Jim Oberhofer had a few
smiles on his face as his driver Hillary Will advanced to the second round
during eliminations at today's 38th annual ACDelco Gatornationals. 

 

In the opening round, both Will and Doug Herbert smoked the tires.  Will
recovered first but lost a blower belt on the way to the finish line.
Herbert meanwhile also recovered and was charging toward the finish line as
Will continued to coast.  At the line, in a close finish, Will's win light
came on first moving the KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed
Top Fuel dragster to the second round.

 

"I was really pleased in the first round on how Hillary responded to the
tire shake the KB Racing dragster incurred.  It was one of the first times
that she has had the opportunity to respond and she did a great job," said
Jim O.

 

In the quarterfinals, Will was matched against Whit Bazemore, who is driving
in Top Fuel for the first time this year after many years in Funny Car.
Oberhofer had the car set to repeat the performance from Saturday's final
qualifying session - a 4.634-second run at 326.40 mph.

 

It was a good race until about the midpoint on the Gainesville Raceway
quarter-mile, when Bazemore began to pull away and take the win light.

 

"As in qualifying, it ran the numbers we expected to half track but then
began to spin the tires from there on out," recounted Jim O.

 

"Overall, I'm pleased with the way the motor responded this weekend.
All-in-all, it was a decent weekend.  It was a lot better than the last race
in Phoenix.  We're making progress and I think we're heading in the right
direction." 

 

The team will test here tomorrow before returning to their shop in
Ypsilanti, Mich.

 

TELEVISION: ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will air same-day coverage of eliminations for
the 38th annual NHRA ACDelco Gatornationals tonight (March 18) from 5-7 p.m.
The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning (March 21), from
3:30-5:30 a.m.  Television times are ET and subject to change without
notice.  Check your local listing.

 

NEXT RACE: The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series now moves to Baytown, Texas,
near Houston, for the 20th annual NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston
Raceway Park, March 30 through April 1.

 

KB RACING LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny
Black.  In the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, KB Racing LLC fields two
Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, one driven by Greg Anderson,
a native of Duluth, Minn. who now lives in the Charlotte, N. C. area, and
the other by Jason Line, a native of Wright, Minn. who now lives in the
Charlotte, N. C. area, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta
Motorsports, and driven by Hillary Will, a native of Fortuna, Calif. who now
resides in Ypsilanti, Mich.  Anderson won three consecutive POWERade Pro
Stock Championships (2003-2005) and finished second in the point standings
in 2006. Line, who finished second in points in his rookie season in 2004
and third in 2005, is the reigning 2006 POWERade Pro Stock Champion.  Line
was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the
Future Award, presented to the outstanding rookie in a professional
category.  Will finished No. 10 in her rookie season in Top Fuel in 2006 and
was nominated for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the
Future Award.  The Pro Stock shop of Anderson and Line is in Mooresville, N.
C. and the Kalitta Motorsports racing operation is in Ypsilanti, Mich.

 

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS (www.kalittaracing.com), owned by the legendary drag
racer and successful businessman Connie Kalitta, fields, in addition to
Will's Top Fuel dragster, three additional nitro fuel cars -- two Top Fuel
Dragsters and a Funny Car. -- in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.  Doug
Kalitta, Connie's nephew, drives the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, Australian
Dave Grubnic handles the driving duties on the Zantrex-3 Top Fuel Dragster
and Scott Kalitta, Connie's son and Doug's cousin, is behind the wheel of
the Kalitta Air Funny Car.

 

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