Ken Black, the Las Vegas-area businessman whose support helped launch the Pro Stock career of six-time NHRA champion Greg Anderson, passed away on August 26. He was 79.

KB Racing became a dominant force in NHRA Pro Stock competition with a double-barrel attack that included Anderson and fellow world champion Jason Line and a race shop that built horsepower for countless others and continues to create winners through its current iteration as KB Titan Racing.

"Ken Black was a giant among men. Throughout his life and in ways that stretched beyond the dragstrip, he was an admired leader, an astute businessman and a gentleman who saw the potential in others, encouraging them to rise to any challenge and reach for the biggest dreams," KB Titan Racing said in a statement on social media. "Wearing his signature cowboy hat and supporting the team that he and Greg Anderson built together, Ken was the heart and soul of KB Racing and an integral part of NHRA Pro Stock. Across decades of dedication to drag racing, Ken made a positive impact on countless lives."

Black is a 2014 inductee in the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and retired from team ownership at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

For more on Black's life and contributions to the sports, visit nhra.com.

Image courtesy of KB Titan Racing