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SONOMA, Calif. -- Hillary Will, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel Dragster, is looking forward to her first professional race at Infineon Raceway, the site of the 19th annual NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals this weekend.
First, Infineon Raceway is where Will honed her driving skills as she began her sportsman racing career and is the track that the rookie driver on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series considers her home track.
Second, Infineon Raceway is where Will advanced to her first final round in the sportsman class of Super Street.
The first drag race Will drove in was at a local track near her hometown of Fortuna, Calif., the Samoa Dragstrip. Once she took that first trip down the quarter-mile, Will loved everything about drag racing. She has been racing ever since that first experience.
That experience grew when her dad put Will in a little faster car and she started racing Super Street. That's when the winning started and then the young racer was really hooked. In 1999, Will went to the finals at Infineon Raceway and from that point on she knew that she was never going to be able to stop racing.
"I'll always remember Infineon Raceway," said Will. "I came here in 1999 as a novice racer and after advancing to my first final ever left Infineon knowing that I wanted to be a drag racer. I hope to not only duplicate that feat this weekend but improve on it and win the race. I definitely have the car and the team behind me that can make that a reality this weekend.
"This KB Racing team is entering Sonoma and the Fram Autolite Nationals on a positive note. I'm happy to be returning to my home track. It will be nice to return to familiar surroundings. I especially look forward to seeing the great fans that came out to Infineon Raceway when I raced there previously."
In her first season as a professional Top Fuel driver, Will has already bumped into the top ten in the NHRA POWERade point standings. She is number ten with 605 points, just 38 points behind ninth and 48 points out of eight.
This weekend, qualifying for Will and her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed team begins with two nitro fuel sessions on Friday, July 28, scheduled for 4 and 7:30 p.m. and concludes with two additional nitro fuel sessions on Saturday, July 29, at 12 noon and 3:30 p.m. Will begins her quest for the FRAM Autolite Nationals Top Fuel title on Sunday, July 30, with eliminations for all classes beginning at 12 noon. Prior to the start of Sunday's event, Will joins other NHRA/POWERade Drag Racing Series drivers for a fan appreciation autograph session that will take place from 9 to 9:45 a.m. on the Infineon Raceway road course next to the drag strip, in front of the start/finish grandstand. All times are local Sonoma time (PT) and subject to change at anytime.
Qualifying highlights for the 19th annual NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday (July 29) from 8 to 10 p.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 8 until 11 p.m. (Sunday, July 30). The elimination show repeats early Monday morning (July 31) from 3-4:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2Day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2Day can be seen on Sunday morning, July 30, from 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.
KB Racing LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and Kenny Black. KB Racing LLC fields the Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster driven by rookie driver Hillary Will. Autolite Spark Plugs, Calico Coatings, Findlay Automotive, Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment and the Technicoat Companies are associate marketing partners for 2006. In addition to Hillary Will's Top Fuel Dragster, KB Racing LLC also fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, driven by Greg Anderson and Jason Line on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Anderson has won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005). Line finished third in the 2005 POWERade point standings and was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, presented to the most outstanding rookie in a professional category.
Kalitta Motorsports (www.kalittaracing.com), owned by the legendary drag racer and successful businessman Connie Kalitta, will field, in addition to Will's dragster, three additional nitro fuel cars - two Top Fuel dragsters and a Funny Car - in 2006 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Doug Kalitta will drive the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, David Grubnic will handle the driving duties on the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel Dragster and Scott Kalitta moves from Top Fuel to the Kalitta Air Funny Car for 2006.
Will Looks Forward to Return to Infineon Raceway
SONOMA, Calif. -- Hillary Will, driver of the KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel Dragster, is looking forward to her first professional race at Infineon Raceway, the site of the 19th annual NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals this weekend.
First, Infineon Raceway is where Will honed her driving skills as she began her sportsman racing career and is the track that the rookie driver on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series considers her home track.
Second, Infineon Raceway is where Will advanced to her first final round in the sportsman class of Super Street.
The first drag race Will drove in was at a local track near her hometown of Fortuna, Calif., the Samoa Dragstrip. Once she took that first trip down the quarter-mile, Will loved everything about drag racing. She has been racing ever since that first experience.
That experience grew when her dad put Will in a little faster car and she started racing Super Street. That's when the winning started and then the young racer was really hooked. In 1999, Will went to the finals at Infineon Raceway and from that point on she knew that she was never going to be able to stop racing.
"I'll always remember Infineon Raceway," said Will. "I came here in 1999 as a novice racer and after advancing to my first final ever left Infineon knowing that I wanted to be a drag racer. I hope to not only duplicate that feat this weekend but improve on it and win the race. I definitely have the car and the team behind me that can make that a reality this weekend.
"This KB Racing team is entering Sonoma and the Fram Autolite Nationals on a positive note. I'm happy to be returning to my home track. It will be nice to return to familiar surroundings. I especially look forward to seeing the great fans that came out to Infineon Raceway when I raced there previously."
In her first season as a professional Top Fuel driver, Will has already bumped into the top ten in the NHRA POWERade point standings. She is number ten with 605 points, just 38 points behind ninth and 48 points out of eight.
This weekend, qualifying for Will and her KB Racing LLC-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed team begins with two nitro fuel sessions on Friday, July 28, scheduled for 4 and 7:30 p.m. and concludes with two additional nitro fuel sessions on Saturday, July 29, at 12 noon and 3:30 p.m. Will begins her quest for the FRAM Autolite Nationals Top Fuel title on Sunday, July 30, with eliminations for all classes beginning at 12 noon. Prior to the start of Sunday's event, Will joins other NHRA/POWERade Drag Racing Series drivers for a fan appreciation autograph session that will take place from 9 to 9:45 a.m. on the Infineon Raceway road course next to the drag strip, in front of the start/finish grandstand. All times are local Sonoma time (PT) and subject to change at anytime.
Qualifying highlights for the 19th annual NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday (July 29) from 8 to 10 p.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 8 until 11 p.m. (Sunday, July 30). The elimination show repeats early Monday morning (July 31) from 3-4:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2Day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the latest information about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2Day can be seen on Sunday morning, July 30, from 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.
KB Racing LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and Kenny Black. KB Racing LLC fields the Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster driven by rookie driver Hillary Will. Autolite Spark Plugs, Calico Coatings, Findlay Automotive, Mac Tools, Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment and the Technicoat Companies are associate marketing partners for 2006. In addition to Hillary Will's Top Fuel Dragster, KB Racing LLC also fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac GTOs, driven by Greg Anderson and Jason Line on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Anderson has won three consecutive POWERade Pro Stock Championships (2003-2005). Line finished third in the 2005 POWERade point standings and was honored with the 2004 Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, presented to the most outstanding rookie in a professional category.
Kalitta Motorsports (www.kalittaracing.com), owned by the legendary drag racer and successful businessman Connie Kalitta, will field, in addition to Will's dragster, three additional nitro fuel cars - two Top Fuel dragsters and a Funny Car - in 2006 in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Doug Kalitta will drive the Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster, David Grubnic will handle the driving duties on the StriVectin-SD Top Fuel Dragster and Scott Kalitta moves from Top Fuel to the Kalitta Air Funny Car for 2006.
