HANNA'S FREE AGENCY IN 2008
Mon, 2007-05-14 09:12
Following the sale of much of the Clack Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car
equipment, team driver Will Hanna enters the remainder of the season as a 'free
agent' driver. After breaking into the 5.60's at the recent ACDelco
Gatornationals, Hanna plans to diligently pursue another ride for the 2008
season or sooner.
Hanna, 27, of Richwood, Texas, received news
earlier in the week that Team Owner Harry Clack had made the decision to sell
the race team to focus on his new business venture, a sports bar/resturaunt, The
Big Easy Daiquiri Factory in Orange Beach, Ala.
"I completely understand and respect Harry's
decision to focus on his new business," said Hanna. "There is no ill will on
either side, it was just a business decision on Harry's part. I wish him the
best and hope to see him back on the scene when his business allows. He took a
big chance on a rookie and stuck with me while I was developing. We made great
strides the past two races, but business trumps racing in the absence of a major
sponsor. I really enjoyed the two years we raced together and I'll always be
grateful of the opportunity Harry gave me."
Following the sale of much of the Clack Motorsports Top Alcohol Funny Car
equipment, team driver Will Hanna enters the remainder of the season as a 'free
agent' driver. After breaking into the 5.60's at the recent ACDelco
Gatornationals, Hanna plans to diligently pursue another ride for the 2008
season or sooner.
Hanna, 27, of Richwood, Texas, received news
earlier in the week that Team Owner Harry Clack had made the decision to sell
the race team to focus on his new business venture, a sports bar/resturaunt, The
Big Easy Daiquiri Factory in Orange Beach, Ala.
"I completely understand and respect Harry's
decision to focus on his new business," said Hanna. "There is no ill will on
either side, it was just a business decision on Harry's part. I wish him the
best and hope to see him back on the scene when his business allows. He took a
big chance on a rookie and stuck with me while I was developing. We made great
strides the past two races, but business trumps racing in the absence of a major
sponsor. I really enjoyed the two years we raced together and I'll always be
grateful of the opportunity Harry gave me."
Prior to driving, Hanna Crew Chiefed Jason Cannon
to a 2003 Division 2 Championship in Top Alcohol Dragster. While he's searching
for another ride, Hanna will return to turning wrenches for Australian Top
Alcohol Funny Car driver Steve Harker.
"I went to work for Steve last year after we had
finished running our car for a few races," explained Hanna. "I learned a great
deal from him last year, and he was a big part of our success this year. I'll
be racing with him the rest of the year. The goal is to take some of the
pressure of between round maintenance off his shoulders and let him focus on
driving and tuning. They're great people to work for, we have good team
chemistry, and I look forward to helping them win races."
Despite coming out of Top Alcohol Funny Car, Hanna
hasn't ruled out other categories, including Pro Mod, Competition Eliminator,
Outlaw 10.5 or Top Dragster/Top Sportsman.
"I've driven and crewed in the alcohol ranks the
last few years, but I'm not ruling other classes out," stated Hanna. "Those Pro
Mods and Outlaw 10.5's look a little evil like an Alcohol Funny Car, so I think
they would be fun to drive. I come from bracket racing and miss the aspect of
driving the stripe you don't have in heads-up, so I would jump on a good Comp
Eliminator or Top Dragster-Top Sportsman ride if it presented itself. I'm not
looking to get out of the alcohol classes by any stretch, I'm just not ruling
anything out."
"So right now I'm putting the feelers out and
seeing what's out there," Hanna continued. "Along with trying to find a team to
partner with, work has already began to bring marketing partners to the table
for next year. We had some great associate sponsors in Goodridge and Valvoline;
I appreciate their support and hope to stay associated with them in my future
endeavors."
When not at the track, Hanna stays busy with his
Media/Marketing firm Pro Race Communications which provides PR and Marketing
Consulting to race teams. The company also owns and operates the popular racing
websites InsideTopAlcohol.com, InsideCompRacing.com and InsideFastBrackets.com.
Hanna holds a Bachelors in Business Administration in General Business from the
University of Houston-Clear Lake, and served three years in the U.S. Army as a
M1A2 Abrams Tank Driver. He can be reached via email at Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com.
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