FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KALITTA MOTORSPORTS / KB RACING, LLC
2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Event 19 of 24
NHRA Carolinas Nationals
zMax Dragway @ Concord
Concord, N.C.
Sept. 11-14, 2008

Media Contact: Todd Myers
tmyers@kalittaracing.com



Hillary Will, Kingdom of Bahrain/KB Racing, LLC dragster – No. 4 qualifier (3.869 sec., 315.12 mph), advanced to the semifinals


Hillary Will ascends to the No. 5 spot in championship points with semi-final finish in Charlotte


CONCORD, N.C., (Sept. 14, 2008) – Hillary Will, driving the special edition Kingdom of Bahrain KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, reached the semifinals for the fourth time in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Sunday at the inaugural running of the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway @ Concord in Concord, N.C., just outside of Charlotte. By making the semifinals, Will jumps up two positions in POWERade championship points and in the Countdown to 1 NHRA postseason.

Will, the No. 4 qualifier (3.869 seconds, 315.12 mph), defeated No. 13 qualifier Bob Vandergriff, Jr., in the opening round of the 16-car eliminations, 3.945 sec., 310.55 mph to 4.054 sec., 289.88 mph. In the second round, Will vanquished Doug Herbert in a great side-by-side race, 3.944 sec., 311.20 mph to 3.974 sec., 303.91 mph.

In the semifinals, Will, for the seventh time this season, rolled to the starting line to race the Alan Johnson-tuned dragster driven by Tony Schumacher. Will’s dragster unexpectedly started losing traction almost immediately after the race began and that allowed Schumacher to race to the win, 9.666 sec., 77.39 mph to 3.909 sec., 307.72 mph.

“We’re not sure what happened in the semis,” Will, a 28-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. “We got back and looked at the computer and nothing was wrong with the car, so I guess it was just some quirky thing. These Top Fuel dragsters are extremely fickle, so it could have been any number of random things.

“We had a great weekend in Charlotte, though. We qualified great and our car went down the track smoothly and consistently every lap until that last one. It’s awesome that we moved up some in the points. There are only five races left in the Countdown now and every single point is very important.”

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals was the 19th of 24 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. Connie’s nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the DHL Top Fuel dragster, Jeff Arend drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car, and Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed KB Racing, LLC 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) and Glenn Mikres (DHL Funny Car). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola. Jon Oberhofer and Nick Boninfante are co-crew chiefs on the Mac Tools dragster.

Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports’ race cars include Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota.

For more info about Kalitta Motorsports, please visit www.teamkalitta.com.


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.