During Sunday’s final eliminations of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo., just a few miles from Denver, Hillary Will, driver of the 8,000-horsepower KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, was turned away from an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event win on “the mountain” after being upset in round one.
Will, the No. 5 qualifier (4.018 sec., 302.21 mph), raced against the No. 12 qualifier Bob Vandergriff Jr. (4.048 sec., 289.20 mph) in the opener. The drivers put on a great side-by-side race for the fans at Bandimere, but it was Vandergriff Jr. and his entry that got to the 1,000-ft. finish line first to get the upset win with his best run of the weekend, 4.182 sec., 291.19 mph to 4.046 sec., 306.67 mph.
Beginning with the 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. The unprecedented action is intended to be 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.
Will remains in 7th place in POWERade championship points.
The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals was the 13th of 24 national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.
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