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NORWALK, Ohio (July 4, 2007) – Bristol Dragway is now ready to host the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series as the seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals unfolds on the newly resurfaced quarter-mile track this weekend, July 6-8. The original date of May 18-20 was postponed due to construction problems.
Hillary Will, driver of the KB Racing-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster, wants to celebrate with her team in the winner’s circle and gather points toward a spot in the elite eight drivers that will move to the second segment of the Countdown to the Championship.
"Our KB Racing team really needs a reason to celebrate. It's been a tough couple of weeks at Kalitta Motorsports both on and off the track,” said Will. “This Sunday, we hope to be celebrating a win at Bristol.
“The guys on my team didn't even get to celebrate the Fourth of July. They drove back from Norwalk Sunday night after the race and have spent every day of the holiday week diligently working in the shop. They will spend July 4th on the road again, driving to Bristol Dragway. I want nothing more than to be able to celebrate, relax and enjoy our first win on Sunday night.
“Our KB Racing Pro Stock teammate, Greg Anderson, got his very first win at this race track. Obviously he has gone onto to a great career. Our dragster is running great right now and we are confident the KB Top Fuel team can follow Greg’s example and secure our first win here also."
Even though a rare tire issue ended Will’s opportunity for a possible win last weekend in Norwalk, Ohio, when the team found a bubble on the tire just prior to the burnout for the second round and decided to err on the side of safety and not run, Will is still in the hunt for one of the eight spots in the first segment of the championship chase. Despite the unexpected loss, Will picked up a few additional points on the top eight drivers and now is just 49 points behind the much sought after eight positions that will make the cut and advance to the Countdown to Four segment of the Countdown to the Championship. (For a brief description of the Countdown to the Championship, see below.)
With six races left in the first segment of the countdown, the top five Top Fuel drivers in NHRA POWERade points seem fairly secure in their bid to move to the next segment. But from six through 12, it’s a toss up. Looking at the Top Fuel standings you find “Hot” Rod Fuller in first with 786 points. Fuller is followed by Larry Dixon in second with 688 points; J.R. Todd in third (677); Brandon Bernstein No. 4 (671); and Tony Schumacher is fifth with 655 points. Will’s Kalitta Motorsports teammate, Dave Grubnic is six with 533 points. Then there is only a gap of 133 points back to Grubnic’s teammate Doug Kalitta in 12th with 466 points
On the bubble in the top eight is Melanie Troxel with 519 points, who trails Bob Vandergriff in seventh by five points. She is followed by Whit Bazemore (ninth) who is 7 points behind Troxel. Then come Cory McClenathan (No. 10), 32 points out of eight; Will (No. 11), 49 points behind Troxel; and Kalitta, 53 points back.
It will be a nail biting time during the next six races and there will be little breathing room as the six races will be run over seven weeks – four races (Bristol, Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif.), a week off, then two races (Brainerd, Minn., and Reading, Penn.).
QUALIFYING: Nitro fuel cars begin qualifying for the seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals on Friday, July 6th, with two sessions at 5:30 and 8 p.m. (Funny Car is up first, followed by Top Fuel in both sessions). Qualifying for nitro fuel cars then concludes on Saturday, July 7th, with two sessions at 1 and 3:30 p.m. (Top Fuel starts the sessions, followed by Funny Car). Note the later start: Final eliminations for the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals begin for all teams at 12 noon on Sunday, July 8. All qualifying and eliminations times are local Bristol time (ET) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (July 7) from 4-6 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (July 8) from 9 p.m. until midnight. The elimination show repeats early Monday morning, July 9, from 3:30-5:30 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 seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (July 8) 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: In its simplest form, the Countdown breaks the $50 million, 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season up into three distinct segments: 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, 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 after the four-race playoff then move to the 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. While all teams will continue vying for points, with full fields, only one of the four in each of the four professional classes – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Cars, and Pro Stock Motorcycles – can be crowned the 2007 champion.
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 (Kalitta Motorsports), 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 DHL Funny Car.
Hillary Will wants team to celebrate 4th at Bristol in winner’s circle
NORWALK, Ohio (July 4, 2007) – Bristol Dragway is now ready to host the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series as the seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals unfolds on the newly resurfaced quarter-mile track this weekend, July 6-8. The original date of May 18-20 was postponed due to construction problems.
Hillary Will, driver of the KB Racing-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster, wants to celebrate with her team in the winner’s circle and gather points toward a spot in the elite eight drivers that will move to the second segment of the Countdown to the Championship.
"Our KB Racing team really needs a reason to celebrate. It's been a tough couple of weeks at Kalitta Motorsports both on and off the track,” said Will. “This Sunday, we hope to be celebrating a win at Bristol.
“The guys on my team didn't even get to celebrate the Fourth of July. They drove back from Norwalk Sunday night after the race and have spent every day of the holiday week diligently working in the shop. They will spend July 4th on the road again, driving to Bristol Dragway. I want nothing more than to be able to celebrate, relax and enjoy our first win on Sunday night.
“Our KB Racing Pro Stock teammate, Greg Anderson, got his very first win at this race track. Obviously he has gone onto to a great career. Our dragster is running great right now and we are confident the KB Top Fuel team can follow Greg’s example and secure our first win here also."
Even though a rare tire issue ended Will’s opportunity for a possible win last weekend in Norwalk, Ohio, when the team found a bubble on the tire just prior to the burnout for the second round and decided to err on the side of safety and not run, Will is still in the hunt for one of the eight spots in the first segment of the championship chase. Despite the unexpected loss, Will picked up a few additional points on the top eight drivers and now is just 49 points behind the much sought after eight positions that will make the cut and advance to the Countdown to Four segment of the Countdown to the Championship. (For a brief description of the Countdown to the Championship, see below.)
With six races left in the first segment of the countdown, the top five Top Fuel drivers in NHRA POWERade points seem fairly secure in their bid to move to the next segment. But from six through 12, it’s a toss up. Looking at the Top Fuel standings you find “Hot” Rod Fuller in first with 786 points. Fuller is followed by Larry Dixon in second with 688 points; J.R. Todd in third (677); Brandon Bernstein No. 4 (671); and Tony Schumacher is fifth with 655 points. Will’s Kalitta Motorsports teammate, Dave Grubnic is six with 533 points. Then there is only a gap of 133 points back to Grubnic’s teammate Doug Kalitta in 12th with 466 points
On the bubble in the top eight is Melanie Troxel with 519 points, who trails Bob Vandergriff in seventh by five points. She is followed by Whit Bazemore (ninth) who is 7 points behind Troxel. Then come Cory McClenathan (No. 10), 32 points out of eight; Will (No. 11), 49 points behind Troxel; and Kalitta, 53 points back.
It will be a nail biting time during the next six races and there will be little breathing room as the six races will be run over seven weeks – four races (Bristol, Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif.), a week off, then two races (Brainerd, Minn., and Reading, Penn.).
QUALIFYING: Nitro fuel cars begin qualifying for the seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals on Friday, July 6th, with two sessions at 5:30 and 8 p.m. (Funny Car is up first, followed by Top Fuel in both sessions). Qualifying for nitro fuel cars then concludes on Saturday, July 7th, with two sessions at 1 and 3:30 p.m. (Top Fuel starts the sessions, followed by Funny Car). Note the later start: Final eliminations for the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals begin for all teams at 12 noon on Sunday, July 8. All qualifying and eliminations times are local Bristol time (ET) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (July 7) from 4-6 p.m. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (July 8) from 9 p.m. until midnight. The elimination show repeats early Monday morning, July 9, from 3:30-5:30 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 seventh annual NHRA O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (July 8) 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: In its simplest form, the Countdown breaks the $50 million, 23-event NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season up into three distinct segments: 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, 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 after the four-race playoff then move to the 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. While all teams will continue vying for points, with full fields, only one of the four in each of the four professional classes – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock Cars, and Pro Stock Motorcycles – can be crowned the 2007 champion.
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 (Kalitta Motorsports), 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 DHL Funny Car.
