KB Racing LLC: While racing with heavy hearts, the KB Racing LLC team looks for breakthrough race at 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 20th ANNUAL NHRA O'REILLY SPRING NATIONALS HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK -- BAYTOWN, TEXAS MARCH 30 - APRIL 1, 2007 While racing with heavy hearts, the KB Racing LLC team looks for breakthrough race at Houston * BAYTOWN, Texas (March 28, 2007) - The KB Racing Top Fuel team enters this weekend with mixed emotions, but both driver, Hillary Will, and crew chief, Jim Oberhofer (Jim O to most) feels the team has progressed enough this season that the NHRA 20th annual O'Reilly Spring Nationals could be the event that propels the KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed dragster to the winner's circle this weekend. "Our KB Racing team is focused on our breakthrough win this weekend," Will said. "I think we showed a lot of progress at our last race in Gainesville. The beginning of the season has given us all kinds of interesting challenges so our first round victory on Sunday was much needed and very rewarding for our team. All the guys have remained determined and hard working through everything. I was glad to see them smiling after our first round win and I hope they will be doing a lot it of this coming Sunday." Jim O added, "We have struggled a little in the engine department since the start, so I was pleased with the way the motor responded at Gainesville. The numbers looked good. I think we have turned the corner and look forward to good things at Houston." While the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will continue at Houston Raceway Park, in Baytown, Texas, near Houston, all of the NHRA drag racing family does so with heavy hearts after the loss of one of their own -- Eric Medlen. "It is hard to find anything to smile about right now with the loss of our friend, Funny Car driver Eric Medlen," said Will, as she remembered the rising "superstar" in fuel Funny Car, whose life ended way too soon as the result of injuries suffered in a tragic testing accident at Gainesville Raceway following the ACDelco Nationals. "This is a really difficult time right now for everyone. I think I speak for everyone at KB Racing and Kalitta Motorsports when I say that we can't imagine racing without Eric. Although he isn't physically there, Eric will always be in our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, and everyone at John Force Racing. "My initial thought about Houston was that we should postpone the race. However, I know that Eric would have wanted us to continue on. I think it will be helpful to be with the rest of the racing community so we can all be together during our time of loss. We will all go out and race for Eric." In Hillary Will's blog on NHRA.com for March 26, Jim Oberhofer took the opportunity to also share many thoughts about Eric, especially the special bond between Eric and his biggest fan, 11-year-old Ashley Oberhofer, Jim O's daughter. He concluded his segment of the blog by saying the following: "Drag Racing is a tough business in many ways but it is toughest when something like this happens. I know that after watching Hillary's accident during testing in Las Vegas I was devastated to say the least. One of the most amazing things I saw afterwards was Hillary standing there saying she was okay. I know that accident took its toll on (team owner) Ken Black, myself and our team because Hillary is like family to us and we don't ever want to see anything happen to her. Hillary reminded us afterwards that this is what she wants to do. Eric would tell us the same thing. "Right now our thoughts and prayers are with Eric, his father John and the rest of the Medlen family along with everyone at John Force Racing. I can only imagine how tough the last week has been for them and how the upcoming months will be. I am going to miss a lot about Eric, his goofy text messages, his goofy phone calls, how he would call me "Pop" and I would call him "Son" but most of all I am just going to miss him because of the good person he was. Thanks for being my friend Eric and thanks for making Ashley feel special when ever you talked to her. Rest in peace, Eric." *QUALIFYING:* Qualifying for the nitro fuel cars begins on Friday, March 30, with two sessions at 4 and 7 p.m. (Funny Car is up first, followed by Top Fuel in both sessions). Qualifying for nitro fuel cars concludes on Saturday, March 31, with two sessions at 12 noon and 3 p.m. (Top Fuel starts the sessions, followed by Funny Car). Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Houston time (CT) and subject to change. *TELEVISION:* Qualifying highlights for the 20th annual O'Reilly Spring Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD Saturday evening (March 31) from 7 until 9 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (April 1) from 4-7 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Friday morning (April 6), from 4-6 a.m. Also, NHRA Race Day is back providing the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The O'Reilly Spring Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen this Sunday (April 1) from 11-11:30 a.m. *Television times are ET and subject to change without notice. Check your local listing.* *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. ####