<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/H_Wil07.jpg" alt="H_Wil07" align="right"borders="0"/>
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 24, 2007) – As a rule, drivers on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series approach each race with the primary thought of winning the event and a thought in the back of their minds about the points race. This year, with the new format to crown a champion in the four professional classes, points sometimes come to the forefront more often than not; as only eight drivers will continue on to contend for the championship after the 17-race first segment.
Such is the case for Top Fuel driver Hillary Will who has her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed dragster tied for the 13th position after 5 of the 17 races, just 66 points out of the eighth spot, entering this weekend’s event -- the 27th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
"I know that we are tied with Doug Kalitta's Mac Tools team, and normally that would be a good thing. However, being in 13th is not a place where either of us wants to be,” said Will as she reviewed the standings. “We are working together more as a team at Kalitta Motorsports and I'm sure it will benefit us all in the long run. It is very important for us to make it into the top eight and I am confident that we can still do so.
"I think I speak for our entire team when I say I definitely do not want to know what it feels like to be sitting outside the elite eight after Indy. I honestly don't count points but I do count round wins. My immediate goal is to win rounds for our team. I can't wait to give our team owners, the Black family, their first top fuel “Wally.” My crew chief, Jim Oberhofer, said he can't wait to give Ken Black a winner's jacket."
Will also indicated that this race, which is sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment, would be an ideal race for her to notch her first NHRA win, as Summit Racing is an associate sponsor on Will’s dragster and the primary backer for the Pontiac Pro Stock cars of her KB Racing teammates, Greg Anderson and Jason Line.
The second year professional driver knows that a strong finish is a must and will be a benefit this year in NHRA’s new format – Countdown to the Championship.
In its simplest form, the Countdown breaks the $50 million, 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season up into three distinct sections: 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, but only the top eight drivers advance into the first round of the four-race playoffs with the top driver being assigned 2,070 points and each of the remaining drivers 10 fewer points each (eighth-place is assigned 2,000 points).
The top four drivers after the four-race playoff will have their points reassigned again in 10-point increments with the first-place driver receiving 3,030 and the fourth-place driver 3,000 and move to the championship rounds.
The championship will then be determined over the final two races – the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona – with those final four drivers competing for the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series championships.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for the nitro fuel cars begins on Friday, April 27th, with two sessions at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. (Funny Car is up first, followed by Top Fuel in both sessions). Qualifying for nitro fuel cars concludes on Saturday, April 28th, with two sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 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 Atlanta time (ET) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 27th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD Saturday evening (April 28) from 6 until 8 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (April 29) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Thursday morning (May 3) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD, from 3:30-5:30 a.m. Also, NHRA Race Day provides the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen this Sunday (April 29) 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.
As she pushes toward the top eight, Hillary Will’s agenda at Atlanta is to go rounds
COMMERCE, Ga. (April 24, 2007) – As a rule, drivers on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series approach each race with the primary thought of winning the event and a thought in the back of their minds about the points race. This year, with the new format to crown a champion in the four professional classes, points sometimes come to the forefront more often than not; as only eight drivers will continue on to contend for the championship after the 17-race first segment.
Such is the case for Top Fuel driver Hillary Will who has her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed dragster tied for the 13th position after 5 of the 17 races, just 66 points out of the eighth spot, entering this weekend’s event -- the 27th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
"I know that we are tied with Doug Kalitta's Mac Tools team, and normally that would be a good thing. However, being in 13th is not a place where either of us wants to be,” said Will as she reviewed the standings. “We are working together more as a team at Kalitta Motorsports and I'm sure it will benefit us all in the long run. It is very important for us to make it into the top eight and I am confident that we can still do so.
"I think I speak for our entire team when I say I definitely do not want to know what it feels like to be sitting outside the elite eight after Indy. I honestly don't count points but I do count round wins. My immediate goal is to win rounds for our team. I can't wait to give our team owners, the Black family, their first top fuel “Wally.” My crew chief, Jim Oberhofer, said he can't wait to give Ken Black a winner's jacket."
Will also indicated that this race, which is sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment, would be an ideal race for her to notch her first NHRA win, as Summit Racing is an associate sponsor on Will’s dragster and the primary backer for the Pontiac Pro Stock cars of her KB Racing teammates, Greg Anderson and Jason Line.
The second year professional driver knows that a strong finish is a must and will be a benefit this year in NHRA’s new format – Countdown to the Championship.
In its simplest form, the Countdown breaks the $50 million, 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season up into three distinct sections: 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, but only the top eight drivers advance into the first round of the four-race playoffs with the top driver being assigned 2,070 points and each of the remaining drivers 10 fewer points each (eighth-place is assigned 2,000 points).
The top four drivers after the four-race playoff will have their points reassigned again in 10-point increments with the first-place driver receiving 3,030 and the fourth-place driver 3,000 and move to the championship rounds.
The championship will then be determined over the final two races – the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona – with those final four drivers competing for the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series championships.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for the nitro fuel cars begins on Friday, April 27th, with two sessions at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. (Funny Car is up first, followed by Top Fuel in both sessions). Qualifying for nitro fuel cars concludes on Saturday, April 28th, with two sessions at 12:30 and 3:30 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 Atlanta time (ET) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 27th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD Saturday evening (April 28) from 6 until 8 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (April 29) from 7-10 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Thursday morning (May 3) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD, from 3:30-5:30 a.m. Also, NHRA Race Day provides the drag racing fan with the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen this Sunday (April 29) 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.
