KB Racing LLC: Anderson denied 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 QUALIFYING: #9: 6.677 seconds at 206.67 mph ELIMINATIONS: Round 1: Anderson (6.738/206.89) def. Jeg Coughlin (7.073/157.80) Round 2: Anderson (6.735/206.54) def. Max Naylor (6.732/205.69) Round 3 (semifinals): Anderson (6.719/205.10) def. Kurt Johnson (6.749/205.91) Round 3 (final): Anderson (6.729/205.79) runner-up to Dave Connolly (6.710/206.32) Anderson denied historic 5th consecutive Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Win CLERMONT, Ind. (September 3, 2007) – By eight thousandths of a second, Greg Anderson, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment-back Pontiac GTO, was denied a place in the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals history book. After winning 19 consecutive rounds of racing at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals over the last five races here at Indy, Dave Connolly turned back Anderson in the final round at the 53rd running of the one event that most call the most prestigious race on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. For Anderson it was the ninth final round of 2007. He now has 7 wins and two runner-ups. For his career, the 47-year-old Anderson, who started driving in 1998, has earned 50 wins in 73 final rounds. “I’m happy and I’m sad,” said Anderson following the disappointing loss. “I certainly enjoy winning here (at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals). It’s the biggest race of the year. I treat it like it’s the biggest race. It means the most to me and always will. It’s a magical place but it very, very difficult to win here. “This weekend we made it more difficult, but it proves what type of team we are. We almost won it, losing by only eight thousandths of a second. And we did that by having to run out of the less desirable lane all day long. It would have been quite an accomplishment to win the fifth straight out of the right lane. We almost pulled it off. I’m very proud of the team. “For the near future and the Countdown, we’ve just got to make sure we qualify better and not stick ourselves behind the eight ball. We got all we could out of it and didn’t dig our self too bad a hole point wise at least with my car. We’ve got to get Jason’s (Line, teammate) Summit Pontiac back up in points though. “In closing, I have to say how proud I am of the team. They never gave up and it just the character of the team and I’m so proud to be a part of it.” Anderson road to the final round was as follows: After qualifying in the ninth position, Anderson said it would take a miracle just to win the opening round. Well, the miracle happened as Anderson was out first, leading over Jeg Coughlin from wire-to-wire. Anderson ran an elapsed time of 6.738 seconds at 206.89, the fastest speed of the opening round. In the second round Anderson turned back No. 1 qualifier Max Naylor on a holeshot. The three-time champ gained an advantage of .035 seconds over Naylor at the green and never looked back crossing in 6.735 seconds. Naylor followed in a losing 6.732 seconds. Anderson gained lane choice for the semifinals over Kurt Johnson (KJ). In the semifinals, once again Anderson was away first and headed straight down Broadway. With a track temperature of about 130-degrees, Anderson recorded a 6.719-second pass to 6.749 seconds for KJ. With Connolly, in a Cobalt, winning on the other side of the Pro Stock bracket, that set the stage for the final round with Connolly. Connolly had lane choice. Connolly recorded a 6.710-second pass, while Anderson stopped the clock in 6.729 seconds. With today’s runner-up, Anderson has now advanced to the final round at Indy seven times. He won here at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 2001 and 2003-2006 and was also runner-up in 1999. COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP: The four races that comprise the second segment (Countdown to 4) of the Countdown to the Championship includes today’s race 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. As the team move to the second of the four playoff races in Memphis, the Pro Stock point standings in the Countdown to 4 look like this: No. 1 – Dave Connolly (2176), No. 2 – Greg Anderson (2162), No. 3 – Allen Johnson (2095), No. 4 – Kurt Johnson (2094), No. 5 – Jeg Coughlin (2083/-11 points behind No. 4), No. 6 – Jason Line (2061/-33), No. 7 – Larry Morgan (2033/-61), and Warren Johnson (2020/-74). NEXT RACE: After a weekend off, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series heads to Memphis, Tenn. for the 20th annual NHRA O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park, Sept. 14-16. TELEVISION: ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD aired live coverage of eliminations the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Monday afternoon (Sept. 3) from 12 noon - 3 p.m. and same-day coverage on Monday evening (Sept. 3) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Thursday morning (Sept. 6), from 4-6 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. #### No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.485 / Virus Database: 269.13.3/986 - Release Date: 9/3/2007 9:31 AM