In just her first season of Top Fuel racing, 26-year-old Hillary Will has made a name for herself in the drag racing world. Nearly one year after earning her top fuel license, she is positioned to finish in the top ten of the NHRA point standings.

Will recently announced she’ll make her IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series debut August 24-27 at the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco at Norwalk Raceway Park, the legendary track southwest of Cleveland, Ohio. Will, who now resides in Ypsilanti, Michigan, after growing up in California, is looking forward to competing and gaining some valuable “seat time” at Norwalk.

“I attended the IHRA race in Milan (Michigan) to watch and support Doug (Kalitta, Will’s teammate). It was a fun event and I was wishing that we were racing too,” said Will. “Norwalk is only two-and-a-half hours from our race shop, and this being my first year, I can never have enough time in the car. It’s hard to pass up a race that is so close.”

In just her first season of Top Fuel racing, 26-year-old Hillary Will has made a name for herself in the drag racing world. Nearly one year after earning her top fuel license, she is positioned to finish in the top ten of the NHRA point standings.

Will recently announced she’ll make her IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series debut August 24-27 at the Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco at Norwalk Raceway Park, the legendary track southwest of Cleveland, Ohio. Will, who now resides in Ypsilanti, Michigan, after growing up in California, is looking forward to competing and gaining some valuable “seat time” at Norwalk.

“I attended the IHRA race in Milan (Michigan) to watch and support Doug (Kalitta, Will’s teammate). It was a fun event and I was wishing that we were racing too,” said Will. “Norwalk is only two-and-a-half hours from our race shop, and this being my first year, I can never have enough time in the car. It’s hard to pass up a race that is so close.”

Norwalk Raceway Park has played host to the biggest names in drag racing, including “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Shirley Muldowney. For the upcoming IHRA event, the three nitro classes – Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car and Nitro Cycles – will make one of the stoutest fields to compete at an IHRA event this season.

In Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Top Fuel, Will’s run at winning the event could place her against such drivers as five-time defending IHRA world champion Clay Millican, Doug Foley, Rick Cooper, Bobby Lagana Jr. and Andrew Cowin. In addition, non-regulars on the IHRA tour attending Norwalk will include Cory McClenathan and J.R. Todd. McClenathan won the IHRA event in Rockingham this spring and fell to Millican in the final at Norwalk Raceway Park last season. Todd, in the last month, has become one of the biggest names in drag racing as he became the first African-American to win a Top Fuel national event.

“While we want to make some test runs, gain data and learn some things to head into Indy, our goal is to make six good runs and win the race,” added Will. “There are a lot of good competitors in IHRA as there are in the NHRA, so there is no way I think it will be easy. But we can’t go to the race without our goal being to win.”

In Knoll Gas – Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car, points leader Dale Creasy, Jr., will look to increase his championship points lead over the rest of the field. The competitor he’ll likely be keeping an eye on is Jack Wyatt, who sits in second place and most recently won the IHRA Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals in Michigan. Others will include Gary Densham, who has won two IHRA events this year, Bob Gilbertson and Frank Pedregon.

The Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco, the eighth event on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series, will be held at Norwalk Raceway Park, Norwalk, Ohio, August 24-27. For more information, log onto www.ihra.com.