FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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, KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster – No. 3 qualifier (4.502 seconds, 326.95 mph) advanced to semifinals

Hillary Will and the KB Racing, LLC team take a trip to the semis in St. Louis

MADISON, Ill., (May 4, 2008) – Hillary Will, the fastest female in the history of NHRA drag racing and driver of the KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, made her second semi-final round appearance of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing Series Sunday during eliminations of the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Int’l Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the mighty Mississippi River from St. Louis.

Will, the No. 3 qualifier (4.502 seconds, 326.95 mph), faced off against No. 14 qualifier Troy Buff in round one of Sunday’s 16-car eliminations. Both drivers’ cars had problems maintaining valuable traction, but Will’s dragster kept stuck to the track better to get the win, 5.648 sec., 217.98 mph to 11.511 sec., 90.31 mph. In round two, Will and her KB Racing, LLC team had fewer problems with traction and got a very close win over Larry Dixon, 4.626 sec., 308.99 mph to 4.678 sec., 309.42 mph.

Will then rolled to the line at GIR to race against Tony Schumacher in the semi-final round. Will got her rail off of the starting line first (.079 seconds to .082 seconds), but the pesky traction problems from the opening round returned for Will and that let Schumacher get the win light, 11.349 sec., 75.82 mph to 4.575 sec., 321.50 mph.

“I’m really excited about being able to go some rounds today,” Will, a 28-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. “Sure, we’re never happy unless we win, but it was a great effort by my team all weekend long. Our car has been very consistent all year long. We keep getting stronger at every event so I know we are going to get our first [NHRA] win soon.”

Will is now in 6th place in POWERade Top Fuel championship points.

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.

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 was 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.