Phoenix: Hillary Will Saturday summary

Hillary Will qualifies No. 11 at Firebird

CHANDLER, Ariz. (February 24, 2007) -- 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.

-credit: kbr