KB Racing LLC: Line focuses on cutting point deficit
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE KB RACING LLC NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES KB RACING LLC/SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT PRO STOCK PONTIAC GTO JASON LINE -- DRIVER ROB DOWNING -- CREW CHIEF MEDIA CONTACT: MICKEY SCHULTZ PHONE: 920-733-2330 E-MAIL: PR4KBRacingLLC@earthlink.net 22ND ANNUAL NHRA O'REILLY FALL NATIONALS TEXAS MOTORPLEX -- DALLAS, TEXAS SEPT. 20-23, 2007 Line focuses on cutting point deficit * ENNIS, Texas (September 19, 2007) -- Jason Line, driver of one of the two KB Racing LLC-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiacs, has but one job to do over the next two races if he wants to repeat as the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion. Beginning with this weekend's 22nd annual NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals, at the Texas Motorplex, that job is to overcome a 31 point deficit between himself and fourth and be among the four drivers that advance to the final segment -- the Countdown to 1. As Line, now from Mooresville, N.C, begins the third of four payoff races in the Countdown to 4 segment of the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Countdown to the Championship, he is currently sixth among the eight drivers that are still in contention for this year's championship. "We have our work cut out for us over these next two races," said Line as he looked toward the beginning of qualifying. "This Summit Pontiac is running the best it has all season. The formula is easy: qualify high and go rounds on Sunday. I feel we have enough performance left to be part of the four guys that will be moving on in Vegas." Entering the O'Reilly Fall Nationals, the Pro Stock point standings in the Countdown to 4 look like this: No. 1 -- Dave Connolly (2291), *No. 2 -- Greg Anderson (2258)*, No. 3 -- Jeg Coughlin (2156), No. 4 -- Allen Johnson (2129), No. 5 -- Kurt Johnson (2127/-2 points behind No. 4), *No. 6 -- Jason Line (2098/-31),* No. 7 -- Larry Morgan (2085/-44), and Warren Johnson (2071/-58). The top four drivers in points at the end of the four-race playoff, of the eight pro Stock drivers listed above, will advance to the third and final segment (Countdown to 1) and the opportunity to be the 2007 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Champion. Similar exciting scenarios are also being played out in the three other professional categories -- Top Fuel Funny Car, and Pro Stock Motorcycles. Pro Stock Motorcycles actually have a three-race playoff, instead of four, that ends at Dallas. At the Texas Motorplex, the all-concrete quarter-mile in Ennis, Texas, near Dallas, Line has one final round appearance. He was runner-up to his teammate Greg Anderson in 2005. When qualifying begins Friday, Line will begin his quest for his 14th career win. In 2007, he has one win (at Houston over Allen Johnson) in four final rounds. *QUALIFYING:* The Pro Stock classes begin qualifying for the 22nd annual NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals on Friday, Sept. 21, with two sessions at 3:45 and 6:45 p.m. Qualifying then concludes on Saturday, Sept. 22, with two sessions at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (Pro Stock Motorcycles starts each session, followed by Pro Stock Cars.) Final eliminations for the O'Reilly Fall Nationals begin for all teams at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 23. *All qualifying and eliminations times are local Dallas/Ennis time (CT) and subject to change. * *TELEVISION:* Qualifying highlights for the 22nd annual NHRA O'Reilly Fall Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD late Saturday night/early Sunday morning (Sept. 22/Sept. 23) beginning at 12:30 a.m. and concluding at 2 a.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (Sept. 23) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Tuesday morning, Sept. 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 O'Reilly Fall Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (Sept. 23) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD from 11-11:30 a.m. *Television times are ET and subject to change without notice. Check your local listing.* *COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP:* The four races that comprise the second segment (Countdown to 4) of the Countdown to the Championship included the Labor Day weekend race in Indy and last weekend's race in Memphis (Sept. 14-16), with this weekend's event at Dallas (Sept. 20-23) and Richmond, Va. (Oct. 5-7) still remaining. The top four drivers in points (of the eight drivers that remain in contention for the Countdown to the Champion) 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 be once again 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. *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. ####