Annie Whiteley looking to take another step towards victory in Norwalk

Annie Whiteley looking to take another step towards victory in Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio – After a strong showing last weekend in Chicago, NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie Annie Whiteley and her YNot Racing team hope to build on her progress during this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. She is currently fifth in national standings and hopes a strong showing will solidify her spot in the national top ten.

Whiteley, from Grand Junction, Colo., reeled off an impressive string of mid to low 5.60’s during last weekend’s event in Chicago. Despite a near perfect .003 reaction time in the second round, she lost her race with Mickey Ferro. With similar hot weather conditions forecasted for this weekend, Whiteley hopes it will give her Roger Bateman lead team an edge.

“We had a good outing last weekend,” said Whiteley. “Roger and the guys are really giving me an easy car to drive. Every weekend I feel more and more at home in the car. At each race, we try to do a little better than we did at the one before. That’s our goal for the weekend, to build on what we did in Chicago.”

Despite enjoying a story book rookie season that has seen her take two wins on the regional level, chasing points is not the team’s objective.

“Of course you want to finish as high as you can rookie or not,” stated Whiteley. “It’s an honor to be ranked right up there with some of the best racers in the class, but the focus this year is for me to get as much seat time as I can and learn as much as I can about driving one of these cars. Wherever we end up, I think it’s a real testament to Roger and the Strasburg brothers for putting a car and tune-up together that a rookie driver can succeed with.”

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars with two sessions, followed by one final session on Saturday. Eliminations will begin with round one Saturday afternoon and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

To find out more about YNot Racing’s promotional partners, visit the websites below:

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The team would also like to thank the continued support of J&A Services and Advanced Oilfield Services.

Contact: Pro Race Communications 979.415.4959
Attached photo courtesy of James Drew Photography