KALITTA MOTORSPORTS / KB RACING, LLC
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 7 of 24
O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals
Gateway Int’l Raceway
Madison, Ill.
May 2-4, 2008
Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com
Hillary Will looking to St. Louis as a gateway to wins
MADISON, Ill., (April 29, 2008) – The fastest female in the history of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Hillary Will, driver of the 8,000-horsepower KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, is hoping her team’s stellar performances this season will translate into her first NHRA Top Fuel event championship at this weekend’s, May 2-4, annual running of the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from the St. Louis city limits.
At the first two events of this season’s 24-event NHRA national event schedule, Will set the track record for speed, for either gender, at both of the quarter-miles at Phoenix Int’l Raceway (334.32 mph) and at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.) (334.56 mph). Will’s speedy blast in California established her as the fastest woman ever in drag racing. She and the KB Racing, LLC team were also the fastest of the racing weekend (tie) at the third event in Gainesville, Fla., with a 330.63-mph lap. They were again the fastest team of the fifth event in Las Vegas, 331.85 mph.
“I have the best team in drag racing, and it’s time for us to get the win that they deserve,” Will, a 28-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. “Our KB Racing, LLC team works so hard to give me a great race car, and I want to win this weekend at GIR to give them the trophy that they so richly deserve. Our car just keeps getting better and better. I can’t thank Jim “O” (Oberhofer, crew chief) and the crew guys enough for what they do for me.
“We’ve heard that the weather is supposed to be nice and cool in St. Louis this weekend, and that’s great for us and the fans. I’m confident we’re going to get our first Wally (trophy) very soon and this weekend just may be the time. I sure hope so. I’m sure that will motivate us to want more and more wins.”
At the previous NHRA national event last weekend at Atlanta Dragway, Will and the KB Racing, LLC team qualified in the No. 6 position for final eliminations. Will defeated Alan Bradshaw in the first round (4.581 seconds to 4.743 sec.), but lost a very close race to Tony Schumacher in round two (4.587 sec. to 4.572 sec.).
Will is currently in 7th place in POWERade Top Fuel championship points.
A former standout in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, Will moved up to the quickest and fastest NHRA professional class, Top Fuel, in 2006 behind the wheel of a newly formed team owned by Las Vegas businessman Ken Black and managed by Kalitta Motorsports, the multi-car team founded and owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. She won her first Top Fuel event trophy in Norwalk (IHRA) in her rookie season and made her first NHRA final-round appearance in Memphis. She finished the season in tenth place in Top Fuel championship points in ‘06.
The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals begins Friday for the nitro-fueled classes with two qualifying sessions at 4:00 p.m. (CT) and 6:30 p.m. Two more qualifying opportunities take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The top sixteen qualified cars will race Sunday in final eliminations beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All times and dates subject to change.
The O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals is the 7th of 24 national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
About Kalitta Motorsports
Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) POWERade Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by now legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. His son, Scott Kalitta, drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster.
Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (KB Racing, LLC dragster), Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief), and Richard Hogan (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres and as the crew chief on the Kalitta Motorsports dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola.
Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.
About KB Racing, LLC
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 entries, one driven by Greg Anderson and the other by Jason Line, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports and driven by Hillary Will.