KB Racing LLC: Anderson glad to be at sea level in
Seattle
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
* *
*KB RACING LLC*
*NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES*
* *
*KB RACING LLC/SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT PRO STOCK PONTIAC GTO*
*GREG ANDERSON -- DRIVER*
*ROB DOWNING -- CREW CHIEF*
* *
*MEDIA CONTACT: MICKEY SCHULTZ*
*PHONE: 920-733-2330*
*E-MAIL: PR4KBRacingLLC@earthlink.net*
*20TH ANNUAL NHRA SCHUCK'S AUTO SUPPLY NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS -- SEATTLE
JULY 20-22*
*Anderson glad to be at sea level in Seattle*
KENT, Wash. (July 17, 2007) -- This year Greg Anderson, who drives the
KB Racing Summit Equipment Pontiac, is glad to get off the mountain and
head west to sea level for the 20th annual NHRA Schuck's Auto Supply
Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Wash., this weekend.
At the recently completed event at Bandimere Speedway in Denver,
Anderson qualified No. 9, the first time the three-time NHRA POWERade
Pro Stock champion qualified in the bottom half of the field since
Bristol of 2005 -- 53 races. He then exited eliminations in the second
round.
After the Denver race, Anderson said he felt the team made a tactical
mistake regarding this year's race in the mile-high city: "We're
definitely paying the price for not testing (at Denver). It just took
us too long to figure out what we wanted to do here (this weekend)...
It's disappointing. We're kind of kicking ourselves we didn't come out
here and test, but that was our decision and we made it. We elected to
stay in the shop and work on engines because of the tight schedule, and
obviously it was a mistake," said Anderson immediately following the
weekend racing at Bandimere Speedway.
But a smile came to Anderson's face and the first words out his mouth
when asked about this weekend's event in the Seattle area were, "Ah, sea
level."
Anderson, who won at Pacific Raceway in 2003 (over Larry Morgan) and
2004 (over Dave Connolly) likes coming to the Northwest. "Not only is
the food great in Seattle, I really like the track there," he added.
"We're certainly not scared to go there. As long as it doesn't get too
hot, you usually have good air and a big barometer. You run fast
there. We love those types of tracks and look forward to this race
every year. I think you'll see a different Summit Pontiac there than
the folks saw in Denver."
Anderson is one of only a handful of drivers that have swept the
Western Swing -- winning Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma. He did the "hat
trick" in 2004.
*COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP:* After 13 events, Anderson leads the
NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings with 1,081 points, which also puts him
in the lead for the first segment (first 17 races) of the Countdown to
the Championship (23 races). Jeg Coughlin is second, just 84 points
behind. Coughlin's teammate Dave Connolly is third, 196 back. By
virtue of his win at Denver, Allen Johnson moved into the fourth
position, 325 behind and Anderson's KB Racing teammate and reigning NHRA
POWERade Pro Stock champion Jason Line moved to fifth, 332 points behind
the leader.
In its simplest form, the Countdown breaks the $50 million, 23-event
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season up into three distinct segments:
the 17-race Countdown to 8, the four-race Countdown to 4 and the
two-race Countdown to 1.
After the 17 regular season races, all teams will continue vying for
points, with full fields, but only the top eight drivers continue to vie
for the championship in the four-race second segment. The top four
drivers after the four-race playoff then move to the third and final
segment that will be run over the final two races -- the NHRA ACDelco
Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas and the NHRA Auto Club Finals in
Pomona. While all teams will continue vying for points, with full
fields, only one of the four can be crowned the 2007 champion.
*Also of special note* is that after the first segment the top eight
drivers in each of the four professional classes will have their points
adjusted in 10-point increments with No. 1 receiving 2,000 points and
No. 8 receiving 2,070 points. After the second segment the top four
drivers in each of the four professional classes will have their points
adjusted again in 10-point increments with No. 1 receiving 3,000 points
and No. 4 receiving 3,030 points.
*QUALIFYING:* Pro Stock begins qualifying for the 20th annual NHRA
Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals on Friday, July 20, with two sessions at
3 and 6 p.m. Qualifying for Pro Stock then concludes on Saturday, July
21, with two sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations
for the Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals begin for all teams at 11 a.m. on
Sunday, July 22. *All qualifying and eliminations times are local
Seattle time (PT) and subject to change. *
*TELEVISION:* Qualifying highlights for the 20th annual NHRA Schuck's
Auto Supply Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (July
21) beginning at 11:30 p.m. and concluding at 1:30 am, early Sunday
morning. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of
eliminations on Sunday (July 22) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show
repeats early Wednesday morning, July 25, from 4-6 a.m. Also, be sure
to tune into NHRA Race Day, the show which provides the drag racing fan
with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
The Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be
seen on Sunday (July 22) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD 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.
*SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT: * Since 1968 Summit Racing Equipment
(www.summitracing.com), headquartered in Tallmadge, Ohio, has been the
leader in high performance, offering a huge selection of parts for
virtually everyone from racers to street rodders, muscle car
enthusiasts, off-roaders, and sport compact fans. Summit does business
based on a simple formula:that give customers the parts they want, at a
fair price, ship those parts fast, and back them with the best customer
service on the planet. Summit Racing Equipment services its customers
from three warehouses in Tallmadge, Ohio, Sparks, Nev., and McDonough,
Ga. Summit Racing Equipment is the primary marketing partner of KB
Racing LLC, which fields the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTOs driven
by three-time NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson and
reigning NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion Jason Line. Summit Racing
Equipment is also an associate sponsor on the KB Racing LLC-owned,
Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel Dragster of Hillary Will.
Additionally, Summit Racing Equipment is the title right sponsor at
three national event on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series -- Las
Vegas 1, Atlanta, and Norwalk.
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