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LAS VEGAS - During eliminations Sunday of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Hillary Will, driver of the KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, posted a quarter-final finish and moved up two positions in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel points tally. Will, the No. 3 qualifier (4.562 seconds, 331.85 mph), had the unenviable task of racing her Team Kalitta teammate Dave Grubnic, driver of the DHL Top Fueler and No. 14 qualifier, in the opening round. The teammates gave the huge crowd of quarter-mile fans at The Strip the most exciting race of the first stanza with a thrilling side-by side run from the starting line to the finish line, 4.716 sec., 308.21 mph to 4.718 sec., 309.56 mph. The margin of victory at 1320 feet was a scant .0105 seconds, approximately five ft. In the quarter-final round, Will faced off against Antron Brown. Both drivers struggled to get their race cars down the track as both cars suffered traction problems, but Brown was able to get to the finish line first, 5.850 sec., 162.33 mph to 5.115 sec., 200.83 mph. "All-in-all, it was a good weekend for our KB Racing, LLC team," Will said. "We would have certainly liked to have gone further on race day, but the weekend as a whole was good. Moving up in the points is always great, and we gave our team owners Ken and Judy Black and Ken Black, Jr. (all reside in Las Vegas) something pretty good to cheer about." Will moved up from 8th to 6th in Top Fuel POWERade points. Will continued to maintain her foothold as the fastest female in the history of NHRA drag racing by running the fastest speed of the weekend in Las Vegas, 331.85 mph. At the first two events of this season, she set the track record for speed at both Phoenix Int'l Raceway (334.32 mph) and at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.) (334.56 mph). Her 330.63-mph speed mark at the event earlier this season in Gainesville, Fla., tied for the fastest lap of the event. Her booming blast in California established her as the fastest female in the history of the sport. The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals was the 5th 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.
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