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TOPEKA, Kan. (May 25, 2007) – The NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals being held June 1-3 at Heartland Park Topeka marks the beginning of the grueling, hot summer racing period on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Starting at Topeka and the weeks that follow, the KB Racing LLC Pro Stock teams of Greg Anderson and teammate Jason Line will compete in eight races in their Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiacs in that nine week span.
They will crisscross the United States. From Topeka, the teams will move to Joliet, Ill., and then enjoy their one week off before heading to Englishtown, N.J. for the start of six consecutive races. From Englishtown, the series heads to a new venue – Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park – in Norwalk, Ohio. From there it’s onto Bristol, Tenn. to run the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals that was originally scheduled for mid-May but was postponed due to track resurfacing problems. Then from Bristol the teams head for Denver for the start of the Western Swing. Denver is followed by Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.
That’s a stout schedule,” said Anderson, who currently leads the NHRA POWERade point standings in the first of three segments that comprise this year’s Countdown to the Championship. “With the postponement of the Bristol race, it gave us extra time to spend on our parts and pieces that you need for the road, especially with the number of races we have without having too much time to prepare on the road.
“I’ve said a million times that we think our races are won or lost in the shop. So any shop time we can get is a benefit. Obviously, our opponents have the same time to make up ground too. We think that the more time we can spend in our shop the better we can race. We’re trying to use these extra two weeks to our advantage. That’s important because there is not going to be any breaks for a long time to come and by the time we get back, the first section of this points deal will about be over and Jason and I want to come out of this segment in the top two spots. Even though they adjust the points after each segment, if you’re in front they still have to catch you first.
“We’ve been burning a lot of gas on the dyno and a lot of rubber on the track. Hopefully that will payoff starting with Topeka.”
At Heartland Park Topeka, Anderson has put his KB Racing-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO in the winners circle three times (2003-2005). In 2003 and 2004, the three-time POWERade Pro Stock champion took the win light over Kurt Johnson. While in 2005, Anderson got the best of Dave Connolly. Additionally in 2003 and 2005 he took the top qualifying position each year.
“I like the track in Topeka but it’s going to be new for everybody as they recently resurfaced it,” reflected Anderson on the upcoming event. “It’s kind of a wild card but we’re always in favor of newly surfaced race tracks. Hopefully, they did their homework and laid down a good fast surface. If they did, then I think we’ll be able to put on a good show for the fans there. I’m looking forward to being back in Topeka.”
The O’Reilly Summer Nationals is the eighth of 17 events in the first of three segments that will constitute this year’s Countdown to the Championship. After the 17 regular season races, all teams will continue vying for points, with full fields, but only the top eight drivers continue to vie for the championship in the four-race second segment. The top four drivers of the eight in points, after the four-race playoff, then move to third and final segment that will be run over the final two races – the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas and the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. One of the four will be crowned the 2007 champion.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for Pro Stock cars begins on Friday (June 1), with two sessions at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Qualifying concludes on Saturday (June 2), with two sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Topeka time (CT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 19th annual NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (June 2) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (June 3) from 4-7 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning, June 6, 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 Summer Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (June 3) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD 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.
Anderson takes point lead on the road
TOPEKA, Kan. (May 25, 2007) – The NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals being held June 1-3 at Heartland Park Topeka marks the beginning of the grueling, hot summer racing period on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Starting at Topeka and the weeks that follow, the KB Racing LLC Pro Stock teams of Greg Anderson and teammate Jason Line will compete in eight races in their Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiacs in that nine week span.
They will crisscross the United States. From Topeka, the teams will move to Joliet, Ill., and then enjoy their one week off before heading to Englishtown, N.J. for the start of six consecutive races. From Englishtown, the series heads to a new venue – Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park – in Norwalk, Ohio. From there it’s onto Bristol, Tenn. to run the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals that was originally scheduled for mid-May but was postponed due to track resurfacing problems. Then from Bristol the teams head for Denver for the start of the Western Swing. Denver is followed by Seattle and Sonoma, Calif.
That’s a stout schedule,” said Anderson, who currently leads the NHRA POWERade point standings in the first of three segments that comprise this year’s Countdown to the Championship. “With the postponement of the Bristol race, it gave us extra time to spend on our parts and pieces that you need for the road, especially with the number of races we have without having too much time to prepare on the road.
“I’ve said a million times that we think our races are won or lost in the shop. So any shop time we can get is a benefit. Obviously, our opponents have the same time to make up ground too. We think that the more time we can spend in our shop the better we can race. We’re trying to use these extra two weeks to our advantage. That’s important because there is not going to be any breaks for a long time to come and by the time we get back, the first section of this points deal will about be over and Jason and I want to come out of this segment in the top two spots. Even though they adjust the points after each segment, if you’re in front they still have to catch you first.
“We’ve been burning a lot of gas on the dyno and a lot of rubber on the track. Hopefully that will payoff starting with Topeka.”
At Heartland Park Topeka, Anderson has put his KB Racing-owned, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO in the winners circle three times (2003-2005). In 2003 and 2004, the three-time POWERade Pro Stock champion took the win light over Kurt Johnson. While in 2005, Anderson got the best of Dave Connolly. Additionally in 2003 and 2005 he took the top qualifying position each year.
“I like the track in Topeka but it’s going to be new for everybody as they recently resurfaced it,” reflected Anderson on the upcoming event. “It’s kind of a wild card but we’re always in favor of newly surfaced race tracks. Hopefully, they did their homework and laid down a good fast surface. If they did, then I think we’ll be able to put on a good show for the fans there. I’m looking forward to being back in Topeka.”
The O’Reilly Summer Nationals is the eighth of 17 events in the first of three segments that will constitute this year’s Countdown to the Championship. After the 17 regular season races, all teams will continue vying for points, with full fields, but only the top eight drivers continue to vie for the championship in the four-race second segment. The top four drivers of the eight in points, after the four-race playoff, then move to third and final segment that will be run over the final two races – the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas and the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. One of the four will be crowned the 2007 champion.
QUALIFYING: Qualifying for Pro Stock cars begins on Friday (June 1), with two sessions at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Qualifying concludes on Saturday (June 2), with two sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Times are local Topeka time (CT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 19th annual NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (June 2) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (June 3) from 4-7 p.m. The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning, June 6, 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 Summer Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (June 3) on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD 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.
