Anderson goes after historic 5th consecutive Mac Tools
U.S. Nationals Win
*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*
*53RD ANNUAL NHRA MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS
O'REILLY RACEWAY PARK -- INDIANAPOLIS
AUG. 29--SEPT. 3, 2007*
*Anderson goes after historic 5th consecutive Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Win
Stress level to be ultra high*
CLERMONT, Ind. (August 24, 2007) -- Although three-time NHRA POWERade
Pro Stock Champion Greg Anderson will try to approach it as just any
other race, the 53rd annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals may be the
biggest race of his career.
First and foremost, Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit
Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO, along with every driver on the O'Reilly
Raceway Park at Indianapolis facility, wants to win what is considered
by most as the largest and most prestigious event on the NHRA circuit.
Secondly, and maybe more important from a historic point of view,
Anderson, who has won five times in six final rounds at Indy, including
four-in-a-row, is trying to become the only professional driver to win
the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals five consecutive times. He won here in
2001 and 2003-2006 and was runner-up in 1999. He also earned the No. 1
qualifying position three times (2004-2006).
"Obviously, winning four-in-a-row at Indy has been pretty cool for me,"
said Anderson. "I think there is only two other Pro Stock guys that
have done that -- Bob Glidden and WJ (Warren Johnson). I don't believe
that anyone in any professional class has ever won five straight, so if
I could do it that would put me alone in the record book. That would be
a heck of a feather in our cap, winning five-in-a-row."
Then, if the pressure of winning his fifth consecutive Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals isn't enough for Anderson, add the pressure of trying to win
his fourth Pro Stock championship, the 2007 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock
Championship.
The second segment (Countdown to 4) of the Countdown to the Championship
begins here at Indy. Anderson leads the eight Pro Stock drivers that
advanced to the four-race playoff-style format that determine the four
drivers that will move on to the third and final segment (Countdown to
One) and will crown the champion for 2007.
Points for these eight drivers have been reset in 10-point increments as
follows: Anderson (2,070 points), Dave Connolly (2,060), Jeg Coughlin
(2,050), Allen Johnson (2,040), Jason Line (2,030), Kurt Johnson
(2,020), Warren Johnson (2,010), and Larry Morgan (2,000).
The four races that comprise the second segment of the Countdown will
take place in Indy (Labor Day Weekend), Memphis (Sept. 14-16), Dallas
(Sept. 20-23), and Richmond (Oct. 5-7). The top four drivers in points
at the end of those four races will advance to the third and final
segment (Countdown to 1) of the Countdown at which time the points will
once be reset in 10-point increments, from 3,030 to 3,000. Those four
drivers will compete for the championship over the final two races of
the season, the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals (Oct.25-28) and the Auto
Club Finals in Pomona, Calif.
"Indy is a special place every time you go there," added Anderson, as he
looked forward to the second segment of the Countdown. "It's our Super
Bowl you know. It means so much and maybe even more this year with the
start of the final two segments of the Countdown to the Championship.
"I can't imagine the feeling when you roll in there this year knowing
not only that it's the biggest race of the year, and the one that means
the most to us, but it's the first race of the all-important Countdown.
So the stress level is going to be ultra high. Obviously, I've never
been through what we are going to experience Indy weekend as far as
stress and worrying about what's going to happen. To perform under
pressure that weekend is going to be the most pressure any of us
probably has ever had. It's going to be a very, very interesting weekend.
"I'd rather be leading the Countdown going into Indy, than to be one of
the drivers that's doing the chasing. If we focus on the job at hand at
Indy, we have the opportunity to continue our lead going to the second
race. A win at Indy certainly would help with the pressure of the
Countdown but there will be seven other drivers in the Countdown and a
whole handful of other drivers that will be trying to add the win at
Indy to their trophy shelf. It's a must that we have our whole package
ready for Indy."
*QUALIFYING: *The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is not only the largest and
most prestigious race on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule,
it is the longest with sportsman action starting on Wednesday, Aug. 29
and final eliminations on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3. Pro Stock has
five qualifying sessions with the first, a single session, on Friday,
Aug. 31, at 6:15 p.m. (Pro Stock Motorcycles run first, Pro Stock cars
last). On Saturday, Sept. 1, Pro Stock cars run one session at 1 p.m.
(this session will be followed by the first round of the Ringers Gloves
Pro Bike Battle and PSM qualifying) and a second session at 6:05 p.m.
(Pro Stock Motorcycles run first, Pro Stock cars last). Qualifying for
Pro Stock then concludes on Sunday, Sept. 2 with two sessions at 12:45
and 3:40 p.m. (Pro Stock Motorcycles run first, Pro Stock cars last in
both qualifying sessions.) Final eliminations for the Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals begin for all teams at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 3. *All
qualifying and eliminations times are local Indianapolis time (ET) and
subject to change. *
*TELEVISION:* Qualifying highlights for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals can
be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD late Saturday night/early Sunday morning
(Sept. 2) from 12:30-1:30 a.m. (following the Busch race), Sunday
afternoon (Sept. 2) from 2-5:30 p.m., and late Sunday night/early Monday
morning (Sept. 3) from 12 midnight -- 1 a.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also
air same-day coverage of eliminations on Monday afternoon (Sept. 3) from
12 noon - 3 p.m. and Monday evening (Sept. 3) from 7-10 p.m. The
elimination show repeats early Thursday morning (Sept. 6), 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 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals installment of NHRA
Race Day can be seen on Sunday (Sept.2) 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: give our 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.
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