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Hilary Will takes first IHRA win @ Norwalk


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HILLARY WILL WINS IHRA TOP FUEL DEBUT AT SKULL SHINE WORLD NATIONALS

 

 

 

By Mike Perry | IHRA Communications

 

 

 

NORWALK, Ohio (August 28, 2006) – Hillary Will first visited an IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series national event earlier this season in Milan, Mich. She came to support teammate Doug Kalitta, who was driving cousin Scott Kalitta’s Nitro Funny Car at the Suzuki Motor City Nationals.

 

 

 

She had so much fun she decided to try her hand at IHRA racing as well, so when the series came to Norwalk, a couple of hours from her home in Ypsilanti, Mich., Will went racing. At her first IHRA event, the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco, Will took home her first national event victory in any series by knocking off Doug Foley in the Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel final.

 

 

 

Will ran a 4.624 at 314.75 mph in the final to become just the third woman in IHRA history to win a Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Top Fuel Ironman, joining Shirley Muldowney and Rhonda Hartman-Smith in the exclusive “girl’s only” club. The last time a woman won a Top Fuel Ironman was in 1998, when Muldowney defeated Luigi Novelli in the final at the Parts Pro Summer Nationals in Morocco, Ind.

 

 

 

“I didn’t realize that,” Will said when she was told she was just the third woman to win a Top Fuel event on the IHRA side. “That makes me really proud…especially since I know that Shirley raced here.”

 

 

 

Muldowney, a legend and pioneer in the sport, is from Ypsilanti, Mich. as well.

 

 

 

Toronto resident Ray Commisso has been racing in the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Pro Modified class for over three seasons. Before the Skull Shine World Nationals he had never even qualified for an IHRA Pro Mod field event. At Norwalk Raceway Park not only did Comimisso qualify, he defeated Mike Janis in the final to capture an Ironman. Commisso posted a solid 6.126/232.35 in the final to defeat a tire-shaking Janis.

 

 

 

“IHRA Pro Mod, without a doubt, is the toughest Pro Mod field in the world,” Commisso said. “Just to come here and be beside all these guys I’ve looked up to my whole life, to race against them in qualifying and win the event is like a dream come true. I really don’t know what to say. I’m so overwhelmed we’re even here.”

 

 

 

Pete Berner won his second Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Ironman of the season by defeating current points leader Tony Gillig in the final at Norwalk Raceway Park. Berner nosed Gillig with a 6.443 pass at 214.18 mph to top Gillig’s 6.472/211.20 pass.

 

 

 

“We’re coming along,” Berner said. “Tony is a really good racer, his dad and I are really close and Tony and I are really close. They have a really good team and you have to be prepared when you race them. We’ve been pretty fortunate. We have great power and have a great car here. The crew did its job and I did my job.”

 

 

 

Tim Stevens became another first-time winner when he defeated three-time defending Alcohol Funny Car World Champion Rob Atchison in the finals of the Skull Shine World Nationals. Stevens, who suffered a severe crash at the 2004 World Finals in Rockingham, was racing in just his second race this season after completing his ’06 Dodge Stratus chassis.

 

 

 

“This really has not sunk in yet,” Stevens said. “This whole team did an outstanding job this weekend. We didn’t do very well last year, but this new car is very good. We haven’t even tested it. When we get more information on it we are going to be very dangerous.”

 

 

 

Stevens ran a 5.935 at 237.21 in the final to top Atchison on a hole-shot. His reaction time was 0.045, enabling him to reach the line first against Atchison’s 5.910/241.58 with a 0.115 reaction time.

 

 

 

The Knoll Gas-Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car finalists, Scott Kalitta and Gary Densham, could not make the call for the final as both drivers left Norwalk Raceway Park to keep previous commitments.

 

 

 

Television coverage of the Skull Shine World Nationals airs on SPEED Channel:

 

Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car – Saturday, September 9 at 4 pm

 

Pro Modified, Alcohol Funny Car and Pro Stock – Saturday, September 16 at 6 pm

 

 

 

The next event on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series is the Amalie Oil North American Nationals presented by New England Dodge Dealers, September 8-10, at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

 

 

 

 

 

NORWALK, Ohio -- Monday's final results from the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco at Norwalk Raceway Park. The race is the eighth of 11 in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:

 

 

 

Top Fuel -- Hillary Will, 4.624 seconds, 314.75 mph def. Doug Foley, 6.051 seconds, 141.74 mph.

 

 

 

Nitro Funny Car -- Scott Kalitta, Toyota Solara, broke; Gary Densham, Chevy Monte Carlo, broke; no winner.

 

 

 

Pro Modified -- Raymond Commisso, Chevy Camaro, 6.126, 232.35 def. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 11.913, 71.53.

 

 

 

Alcohol Funny Car -- Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 5.935, 237.21 def. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.910, 241.58.

 

 

 

Pro Stock -- Pete Berner, Pontiac GTO, 6.443, 214.18 def. Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.472, 212.73.

 

 

 

Top Stock (contested Saturday) -- Bo Kenney, Pontiac Firebird, 9.532, 140.24 def. Monty Bogan Jr., Firebird, 9.749, 129.38.

 

 

 

Moser 'Axle Mania' (Contested Saturday) -- Gary Williams, Dragster, 4.677, 138.29 def. Michael Harris, Chevy Camaro, 7.428, 110.00.

 

 

 

NORWALK, Ohio -- Final round-by-round results from the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco at Norwalk Raceway Park, the eighth of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series:

 

 

 

TOP FUEL:

 

 

 

ROUND ONE -- Clay Millican, 4.713, 311.20 def. Louie Allison, 7.451, 99.18; Hillary Will, 4.667, 309.27 def. Rick Cooper, 4.864, 244.69; Doug Foley, 4.683, 318.77 def. Andrew Cowin, 10.315, 73.81; Bruce Litton, 5.154, 261.37 def. J.R. Todd, broke;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Foley, 4.724, 316.23 def. Millican, 5.132, 248.07; Will, 4.604, 315.12 def. Litton, 4.747, 316.08;

 

FINAL -- Will, 4.624, 314.75 def. Foley, 6.051, 141.74.

 

 

 

 

 

NITRO FUNNY CAR:

 

 

 

ROUND ONE -- Scott Kalitta, Toyota Solara, 4.868, 293.41 def. Andy Kelley, Pontiac Trans Am, 5.187, 247.07; Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 4.988, 297.35 def. Paul Lee, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.208, 230.33; Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, broke def. Vincent Arcadi, Monte Carlo, broke; Dale Creasy Jr., Monte Carlo, 4.894, 294.37 def. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 4.952, 309.70;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Kalitta, 4.892, 309.77 def. Wyatt, 6.245, 156.28; Densham, 4.873, 315.42 def. Creasy Jr., 12.474, 86.00;

 

FINAL -- Kalitta, broke; Densham, broke; no winner

 

 

 

 

 

PRO MODIFIED:

 

 

 

ROUND ONE -- Mike Bell, Ford Mustang, 6.280, 224.14 def. Eddie Ware, Chevy Camaro, 6.333, 223.76; Pat Stoken, Camaro, 7.029, 212.29 def. Scott Cannon, Pontiac GTO, foul; Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.220, 227.15 def. Jim Halsey, Camaro, 6.290, 197.39; Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 6.159, 228.92 def. Carl Spiering, Camaro, 6.248, 228.31; Matt Hagan, Chevy Corvette, 6.250, 224.36 def. Mike Castellana, Chevy Cavalier, 6.369, 228.19; Danny Rowe, Corvette, 6.175, 227.54 def. Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.305, 212.06; Kenny Lang, Corvette, 6.222, 225.63 def. Tony Pontieri, Bel Air, 6.395, 207.59; Quain Stott, Corvette, 6.204, 229.04 def. Harold Martin, Pontiac Grand Am, 6.280, 225.48;

 

QUARTERFINALS -- Janis, 6.253, 225.67 def. Bell, 6.314, 222.99; Hagan, 6.226, 227.54 def. Stott, 6.178, 229.31; Rowe, 6.224, 229.55 def. Lang, 6.261, 225.37; Commisso, 6.178, 230.49 def. Stoken, 6.892, 217.39;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Janis, 6.261, 225.03 def. Hagan, broke; Commisso, 6.121, 226.62 def. Rowe, 6.160, 229.82;

 

FINAL -- Commisso, 6.126, 232.35 def. Janis, 11.913, 71.53.

 

 

 

 

 

ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR:

 

 

 

ROUND ONE -- Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.767, 244.47 def. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 6.027, 227.46; Paul Noakes, Ford Mustang, 6.465, 166.01 def. Frederick Tigges, Dodge Avenger, foul; Thomas Carter, Chevy Camaro, 5.878, 236.30 def. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.868, 240.68; Tim Stevens, Dodge Stratus, 5.980, 235.35 def. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, foul;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Atchison, 5.798, 244.21 def. Carter, foul; Stevens, 5.961, 237.38 def. Noakes, 5.976, 236.80;

 

FINAL -- Stevens, 5.935, 237.21 def. Atchison, 5.910, 241.58.

 

 

 

 

 

PRO STOCK:

 

 

 

ROUND ONE -- Tony Gillig, Ford Mustang, 6.489, 211.79 def. John Konigshofer, Mercury Cougar, 6.548, 210.37; John Montecalvo, Chevy Cobalt, 6.519, 212.56 def. Bert Jackson, Chevy Cavalier, broke; John Nobile, Ford Escort, 6.496, 213.47 def. Jerry Haas, Pontiac GTO, 6.505, 212.59; Pete Berner, GTO, 6.454, 213.27 def. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.491, 213.13; Frank Gugliotta, Escort, 6.484, 214.21 def. Cary Goforth, Cobalt, 6.510, 211.66; Brian Gahm, Mustang, 6.478, 214.66 def. Michael Bruno, GTO, 6.543, 211.79; Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.539, 210.05 def. Robert Patrick, Shelby GT 500, foul; Rick Jones, Cobalt, 6.536, 210.34 def. Rob Mansfield, Cobalt, 11.488, 76.75;

 

QUARTERFINALS -- Nobile, 6.535, 215.00 def. Dobbins, foul; Gillig, 6.477, 211.63 def. Gugliotta, 6.471, 215.79; Montecalvo, 6.483, 213.27 def. Gahm, 12.195, 70.18; Berner, 6.447, 214.86 def. Jones, 6.522, 210.83;

 

SEMIFINALS -- Gillig, 6.481, 211.20 def. Nobile, foul; Berner, 6.466, 214.04 def. Montecalvo, 6.484, 212.03;

 

FINAL -- Berner, 6.443, 214.18 def. Gillig, 6.472, 212.73.

 

 

 

 

 

NORWALK, Ohio -- Point standings (top 10) for IHRA professional categories following the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco at Norwalk Raceway Park, the eighth of 11 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series -

 

 

 

Top Fuel

 

 

 

1. Clay Millican, 560; 2. Doug Foley, 545; 3. Rick Cooper, 441; 4. Bruce Litton, 418; 5. Bobby Lagana Jr., 396; 6. Andrew Cowin, 261; 7. T.J. Zizzo, 260; 8. Louie Allison, 248; 9. Chris Karamesines, 240; 10. Mitch King, 157.

 

 

 

Nitro Funny Car

 

 

 

1. Dale Creasy Jr., 543; 2. Jack Wyatt, 530; 3. Bob Gilbertson, 468; 4. Vincent Arcadi, 424; 5. Gary Densham, 401; 6. Terry Haddock, 330; 7. Paul Lee, 242; 8. Gary Cooper, 228; 9. Doug Kalitta, 97; 10. Mitch King, 84.

 

 

 

Pro Modified

 

 

 

1. Glen Kerunsky, 431; 2. Danny Rowe, 425; 3. Quain Stott, 414; 4. Mike Janis, 382; 5. Jim Halsey, 328; 6. Carl Spiering, 322; 7. Mike Castellana, 320; 8. Tommy D{Aprile, 308; 9. (tie) Steve Bareman, 278; Scott Cannon, 278.

 

 

 

Alcohol Funny Car

 

 

 

1. Mark Thomas, 564; 2. Rob Atchison, 559; 3. Thomas Carter, 534; 4. Terry McMillen, 393; 5. Frederick Tigges, 329; 6. Terry Munroe, 316; 7. Larry Dobbs, 305; 8. Paul Noakes, 299; 9. Trevor Lebsack, 256; 10. Chris Foster, 168.

 

 

 

Pro Stock

 

 

 

1. Tony Gillig, 627; 2. Pete Berner, 558; 3. Frank Gugliotta, 527; 4. John Nobile, 446; 5. Robert Patrick, 434; 6. Jeff Dobbins, 406; 7. Rob Mansfield, 329; 8. Steve Spiess, 309; 9. John Montecalvo, 306; 10. Rick Jones, 250.

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