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BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Sunday at the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., Hillary Will, the fastest female in the history of NHRA professional drag racing and driver of the 8,000-horsepower KB Racing, LLC Top Fuel dragster, reached her third semi-final round of the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and moved up to 5th place in championship points, her career highest points placement, by doing so. Will, the No. 5 qualifier, 4.570 seconds, 323.50 mph, sent No. 12 qualifier Cory McClenathan home early with a close first round win, 4.555 sec., 320.43 mph to 4.638 sec., 329.34 mph. In the next round, Will had another great side-by-side race, this time with Antron Brown. Again, Will and the KB Racing, LLC team were able to get to the finish line first, 4.541 sec., 319.14 mph to 4.560 sec., 328.14 mph. In the semifinals, Will's charge for a chance to win her first NHRA Top Fuel trophy ended when her race car suffered early tire shake and lost valuable traction in her match-up with the Alan Johnson-tuned Top Fueler. Her opponent was able to then get the win, 10.925 sec., 78.27 mph to 4.501 sec., 329.50 mph. "Our KB Racing, LLC team just continues to amaze me," Will, a 28-year old native of Fortuna, Calif., said. "Our car is running so well right now, and it's doing so on a very consistent basis, and that's what it takes to be competitive and win in NHRA drag racing. "Moving up to 5th is a testament to how good our car is, and how it just keeps getting better. I have a really fun hot rod to drive right now. This is just the beginning of our climb up in points, so the cockpit of the KB Racing, LLC car is a great place to be these days." At the first two events of this season's 24-event NHRA national event schedule, Will set the track record for speed, for either gender, at both of the quarter-miles at Phoenix Int'l Raceway (334.32 mph) and at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.) (334.56 mph). Will's speedy blast in California established her as the fastest woman ever in drag racing. She and the KB Racing, LLC team were also the fastest of the racing weekend (tie) at the third event in Gainesville, Fla., with a 330.63-mph lap. They were again the fastest team of the fifth event in Las Vegas, 331.85 mph. 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. She finished the season in tenth place in Top Fuel championship points in '06. The O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals was the 8th of 24 national events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. About Kalitta Motorsports Based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Kalitta Motorsports is a Top Fuel and Funny Car drag racing team in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) POWERade Drag Racing Series. The racing operation was started in 1959 by now legendary drag racer and team owner Connie "the Bounty Hunter" Kalitta. His son, Scott Kalitta, drives the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car. Scott's cousin, Connie's nephew, Doug Kalitta drives the flagship Top Fuel dragster for Mac Tools. Native Australian Dave Grubnic drives the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster, while Hillary Will drives the Ken Black-owned and Kalitta Motorsports-managed Top Fuel dragster. Connie serves as head tuner for all Team Kalitta entries. He is assisted by crew chiefs Jim Oberhofer (KB Racing, LLC dragster), Jon Oberhofer (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief), and Richard Hogan (Mac Tools dragster co-crew chief). Connie serves as crew chief on the DHL Toyota Solara Funny Car with assistance from co-crew chief Glenn Mikres and as the crew chief on the Kalitta Motorsports dragster with assistance from co-crew chief James Riola. Associate sponsors on all Kalitta Motorsports' race cars include Red Line Oil, Summit Racing Equipment, Technicoat Companies, K2M, and Toyota. About KB Racing, LLC KB Racing, LLC is owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken Black and his son Kenny Black. In the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, KB Racing, LLC fields two Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock entries, one driven by Greg Anderson and the other by Jason Line, and a Top Fuel dragster, managed by Kalitta Motorsports and driven by Hillary Will.
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