Indy ORP: Hillary Will Sunday notes

Will's "Support Our Troops And Their Families" dragster No. 10 at Indy

CLERMONT, Ind. (September 2, 2007) -- Hillary Will drove her KB Racing-owned, Kalitta Motorsports-managed Support Our Troops And Their Families Top Fuel dragster to the No. 10 qualifying positions as qualifying for the 53rd annual NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals ended today.

Will's best of five qualifying at the most prestigious event on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series was a 4.553 seconds, good for the No. 10, a position she held from session 1 of qualifying to the final session of qualifying.

Her strong run on Friday evening, a 4.606-second run, placed Will in the No. 10 position. During Saturday's afternoon run, the second year Top Fuel driver ran one of the best times of the session, a 4.606-second elapsed time at 326.63 mph and followed that with a 4.553-second pass at 329.83 mph, very near her career best speed of 329.91 mph. Will continued to occupy the No. 10 slot at the end of the second day of qualifying.

On the final day of qualifying, in the first session, it was hot and most Top Fuel cars had trouble getting from point A to point B. Will's dragster smoked the tires. In the final session she returned to her consist numbers, running a 4.612/315.12, and appears ready for eliminations tomorrow.

"Our running so well and so consistent this weekend is really a testament to how hard my team has worked because we were here last week testing in the heat and humidity," said Will, reflecting on qualifying. "We made lap after lap. We even made two laps within one hour which in 90-degree heat and 80-percent humidity is really tough on my team. But they got the job done and it's paying off this weekend.

"Also, it's great that we've been running so well. We look for more of the same tomorrow. We have a new paint scheme which honors all the service personnel and their families and would like to honor the troops in a very special way by putting this Support Our Troops And Their Families, KB Racing dragster in the winner's circle."

The second year Top Fuel driver, a native of Fortuna, Calif., who now calls Ypsilanti, Mich., home, will now face Doug Foley in the opening round of eliminations tomorrow. Foley qualified No. 7.

-credit: kbr