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CHANDLER, Ariz. - Hillary Will, who drove her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster to a career best speed of 328.78 mph in the opening round of eliminations at the event last year here at Firebird International Raceway, once again moves to eliminations tomorrow after qualifying No. 11 for this year at the 23rd running of the NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, the second of 23-races on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Will, who finished her rookie season last year No. 10 in the NHRA POWERade point standings, saved her best for the last qualifying pass recording an elapsed time of 4.535 seconds at 327.98 mph to earn the No. 11 qualifying position.
"Everything is going well so far. You know on the way to the airport I found a penny and it was heads up -- my lucky penny. I talked to Shirley Muldowney and she said she found a lucky penny before she won her first national event in '76. So I'm hoping we get our first national event win tomorrow," Will told NHRA track announcer Alan Reinhart on the top end after that final pass.
As Will goes for that first national event win, she will start in the opening round with former Funny Car driver, turned Top Fuel pilot Whit Bazemore, who qualified No. 6. Bazemore's best of his four qualifying passes was an elapsed time of 4.507 seconds at a speed of 327.19 mph.
ELIMINATIONS: Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Time is local Phoenix time (MT) and subject to change.
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 (www.kalittaracing.com), 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 Kalitta Air Funny Car.
Hillary Will Qualifies No. 11 at Firebird
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Hillary Will, who drove her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster to a career best speed of 328.78 mph in the opening round of eliminations at the event last year here at Firebird International Raceway, once again moves to eliminations tomorrow after qualifying No. 11 for this year at the 23rd running of the NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals, the second of 23-races on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
Will, who finished her rookie season last year No. 10 in the NHRA POWERade point standings, saved her best for the last qualifying pass recording an elapsed time of 4.535 seconds at 327.98 mph to earn the No. 11 qualifying position.
"Everything is going well so far. You know on the way to the airport I found a penny and it was heads up -- my lucky penny. I talked to Shirley Muldowney and she said she found a lucky penny before she won her first national event in '76. So I'm hoping we get our first national event win tomorrow," Will told NHRA track announcer Alan Reinhart on the top end after that final pass.
As Will goes for that first national event win, she will start in the opening round with former Funny Car driver, turned Top Fuel pilot Whit Bazemore, who qualified No. 6. Bazemore's best of his four qualifying passes was an elapsed time of 4.507 seconds at a speed of 327.19 mph.
ELIMINATIONS: Final eliminations for all teams begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Time is local Phoenix time (MT) and subject to change.
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 (www.kalittaracing.com), 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 Kalitta Air Funny Car.
