BRAINERD, Minn. - Hillary Will, driver of the 8,000-horsepower KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, is optimistic that her race car’s recent stellar performance will carry on into this weekend’s, annual running of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series national event at Brainerd Int’l Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.
At the previous event in Sonoma, Calif., Will took her nitro-fueled KB Racing, LLC rail to the final round and a runner-up finish. At the three events prior to Sonoma, Will was unable to claim any elimination-round victories.
“It sure was a great feeling going some rounds in Sonoma,” Will, a 28-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. “Our race car is great and our team is awesome. We just got some bad breaks before Sonoma, but we have everything back on the right track again.”
“I’m sure we can continue our momentum in Brainerd. The weather is supposed to be nice and the conditions look like they’ll be pretty good to see some good numbers. I’m ready to go racing.”
Will is currently in 7th place in POWERade championship points.
Beginning with the 13th event in Denver, the NHRA instituted a new racing distance for the nitro-fueled classes of Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster to 1,000 ft., as opposed to the traditional distance of 1,320 ft., or a quarter of a mile, as a temporary safety solution to help the drivers of the world’s quickest and fastest racing safely bring their cars to a stop more efficiently. The unprecedented action is in response to the tragic death of Kalitta Motorsports’ Scott Kalitta, who died in a high-speed Funny Car qualifying accident in Englishtown, N.J., June 21.
Will became the fastest woman in the history of NHRA drag racing when she posted a 334.65-mph lap down the quarter-mile race track at the first of event of the 2008 season in Pomona, Calif. She became the first driver of either gender to go over 300 mph at the new 1,000-ft. finish line in Denver with a 302.21-mph mark in qualifying.
Will is currently the only female driver competing in the Top Fuel class.
A former standout in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, Will moved up to the quickest and fastest NHRA professional class, Top Fuel, in 2006 behind the wheel of a newly formed team owned by Las Vegas businessman Ken Black and managed by Kalitta Motorsports, the multi-car team founded and owned by drag racing icon Connie “the Bounty Hunter” Kalitta. She won her first Top Fuel event trophy in Norwalk (IHRA) in her rookie season and made her first NHRA final-round appearance in Memphis later that year. She finished the season in 10th place in Top Fuel championship points in ‘06. Will picked up an emotional first NHRA national event title in Topeka, Kan., June 1, 2008.
| 
|