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MORRISON, Colo. (July 11, 2007) – Hillary Will has been inching her way toward a spot in the eight drivers that will continue into the second segment of the Countdown to the Championship once the first segment ends at Reading, Penn., in August.
At this weekend’s 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals Will, who drives the 8000-plus horsepower Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster owned by KB Racing LLC, hopes to make a giant step toward the top eight in points.
Currently Will is within 47 points of eighth position in the first segment of the season-long Countdown to the Championship. A strong showing at Mopar Mile-High Nationals would continue to move Will and her crew up in the NHRA POWERade point standing to their goal of a top eight finish after the first 17 races that comprise the first segment, the Countdown to Eight.
“I'm looking forward to racing at the Mile High Nationals this weekend,” said Will. “It's a tricky place to race because of the high altitude. However, I'm confident that my team will give me a winning race car this weekend. My crew chief, Jim Oberhofer, tuned (teammate) Scott Kalitta to a win there so he knows the track conditions and how to tune for the altitude.”
The Denver event is the fourth of six races in a row and eight in nine weeks. Next it’s on to Seattle and Sonoma, Calif., in the heart of Napa Valley wine country. The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series then takes a week off before heading for the final two races in the first segment of the Countdown to the Championship – Brainerd, Minn., and Reading, Penn. (For a brief description of the Countdown to the Championship, see below.)
Will, who family has ties to Greeley, Colo., remembers her first trip to this legendary track carved out of a mountain side by the Bandimere Family.
“I remember in 2003, my family and I saved our money, pooled our resources, and made the trek from our home in California to Denver so I could race my Dad's 1971 Dodge Challenger in Super Gas at the Mopar Mile High Nationals,” Will recalled. “We were racing a Dodge so we figured we needed to be at Mopar's premiere event. I was working as a financial analyst at the time and I had to beg my boss for the days off.
“My Grandpa drove our truck and trailer out there with my little brothers. My Dad and I flew to the race so we wouldn't miss too much work. It was a really special race for us because of the extra effort it took to be able to attend. We had never been to that race track and couldn't usually travel so far. We struggled because we weren't used to racing in such high altitudes. However we did get by the first round and besides a few thunderstorms, we had a really great time. Bandimere Speedway is a great facility. I know racers and fans really like it so I'm thankful I get to go back every year.”
Will advanced to the quarterfinals last year in her first trip to Bandimere Speedway as a Top Fuel driver. A win this time out would go a long way to a achieving a spot in the top eight.
QUALIFYING: Nitro fuel cars begin qualifying for the 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals on Friday, July 13, 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 14, with two sessions at 2 and 5 p.m. (Top Fuel starts the sessions, followed by Funny Car). Note later start time for eliminations: Final eliminations for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals begin for all teams at 12 noon on Sunday, July 15. All qualifying and eliminations times are local Denver time (MT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (July 14) beginning at 10 p.m. and concluding at midnight. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (July 15) from 9 p.m. until 12 midnight. The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning, July 18, 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 Mopar Mile-High Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (July 15) 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 – Indy, Memphis, Dallas, and Richmond – 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.
Points foremost on Hillary Will’s agenda at Denver
MORRISON, Colo. (July 11, 2007) – Hillary Will has been inching her way toward a spot in the eight drivers that will continue into the second segment of the Countdown to the Championship once the first segment ends at Reading, Penn., in August.
At this weekend’s 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals Will, who drives the 8000-plus horsepower Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster owned by KB Racing LLC, hopes to make a giant step toward the top eight in points.
Currently Will is within 47 points of eighth position in the first segment of the season-long Countdown to the Championship. A strong showing at Mopar Mile-High Nationals would continue to move Will and her crew up in the NHRA POWERade point standing to their goal of a top eight finish after the first 17 races that comprise the first segment, the Countdown to Eight.
“I'm looking forward to racing at the Mile High Nationals this weekend,” said Will. “It's a tricky place to race because of the high altitude. However, I'm confident that my team will give me a winning race car this weekend. My crew chief, Jim Oberhofer, tuned (teammate) Scott Kalitta to a win there so he knows the track conditions and how to tune for the altitude.”
The Denver event is the fourth of six races in a row and eight in nine weeks. Next it’s on to Seattle and Sonoma, Calif., in the heart of Napa Valley wine country. The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series then takes a week off before heading for the final two races in the first segment of the Countdown to the Championship – Brainerd, Minn., and Reading, Penn. (For a brief description of the Countdown to the Championship, see below.)
Will, who family has ties to Greeley, Colo., remembers her first trip to this legendary track carved out of a mountain side by the Bandimere Family.
“I remember in 2003, my family and I saved our money, pooled our resources, and made the trek from our home in California to Denver so I could race my Dad's 1971 Dodge Challenger in Super Gas at the Mopar Mile High Nationals,” Will recalled. “We were racing a Dodge so we figured we needed to be at Mopar's premiere event. I was working as a financial analyst at the time and I had to beg my boss for the days off.
“My Grandpa drove our truck and trailer out there with my little brothers. My Dad and I flew to the race so we wouldn't miss too much work. It was a really special race for us because of the extra effort it took to be able to attend. We had never been to that race track and couldn't usually travel so far. We struggled because we weren't used to racing in such high altitudes. However we did get by the first round and besides a few thunderstorms, we had a really great time. Bandimere Speedway is a great facility. I know racers and fans really like it so I'm thankful I get to go back every year.”
Will advanced to the quarterfinals last year in her first trip to Bandimere Speedway as a Top Fuel driver. A win this time out would go a long way to a achieving a spot in the top eight.
QUALIFYING: Nitro fuel cars begin qualifying for the 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals on Friday, July 13, 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 14, with two sessions at 2 and 5 p.m. (Top Fuel starts the sessions, followed by Funny Car). Note later start time for eliminations: Final eliminations for the Mopar Mile-High Nationals begin for all teams at 12 noon on Sunday, July 15. All qualifying and eliminations times are local Denver time (MT) and subject to change.
TELEVISION: Qualifying highlights for the 28th annual NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD on Saturday (July 14) beginning at 10 p.m. and concluding at midnight. ESPN2 / ESPN2 HD will also air same-day coverage of eliminations on Sunday (July 15) from 9 p.m. until 12 midnight. The elimination show repeats early Wednesday morning, July 18, 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 Mopar Mile-High Nationals installment of NHRA Race Day can be seen on Sunday (July 15) 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 – Indy, Memphis, Dallas, and Richmond – 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.
