Will Hanna Gainesville wrap up

Ignition failure leads to early exit for Hanna

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - This past weekend's NHRA AC Delco Gatornationals marked another point along the proverbial 'learning curve' for Top Alcohol Funny Car rookie Will Hanna and the Advanced Transmission Center/Clack Motorsports team. Despite gaining the starting line advantage in his first round matchup with former World Champion Cy Chesterman, heavy tireshake caused an ignition failure and ended the weekend for the team.

Hanna, 26, of Richwood, Texas, qualified Team Owner/Crew Chief Harry Clack's 2006 Chevy Monte Carlo 14th in the field with a 5.982 at 241.92 mph. In his opening round bout with No. 3 qualifier Chesterman, Hanna gained a .053 to .068 starting line advantage which was quickly negated when his mount shutoff early in the run.

"The kill switch apparently shorted itself out during the shake," said Hanna. "Yes, it caused the car to shutoff, but it wasn't the reason why we lost. We lost the round because we were off on the tune-up and it was shaking so hard. Actually, it probably saved me a pretty big headache."

"We lost the first qualifying run due to a two-cent wire connector coming undone going into the transbrake," Hanna continued. "The next run we backed it down and got down the track, and we realized we were pretty rich on the fuel mixture. We leaned the system slightly to bring the horsepower up, but now we have to relearn how to get the car off the line with the increased power. It's just part of the learning curve. You just have to make runs down the track."

Clack feels that despite the early exit, the team still gathered valuable information.

"The reason why we are focusing on national events is to learn how to go fast on good tracks against the best in the business," commented Clack. "We came out of the weekend with forward progress on the tune-up, despite not making gains performance wise. Overall, the team performed well, we just need more runs down the track. I have to thank Chuck Westcott from Frank Weiss Racing Components. He was on hand this weekend offering technical support for the new oil pump we are doing research and development on. Their support has been a great asset to the team this year. We'll head to Houston in a couple of weeks, and try to continue our progress."

The next stop for the Advanced Transmission Center/Clack Motorsports team will be the O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, Mar. 31-Apr. 2. Be sure to check the team out on ESPN2 during the Gatornationals Lucas Oil Sportsman coverage April 1 at 8 p.m. EST.

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www.Goodridge.net - The Worldwide Leader in hose and fitting technology has now entered the drag racing market. Their new G-Line XF Smooth Bore line of hoses have been independently tested to outflow all other brands. Find out more at their website.

www.InsideTopAlcohol.com - For the latest news in alcohol racing, log on to InsideTopAlcohol.com

www.InsideCompRacing.com - For the latest news in Comp Eliminator, log on to InsideCompRacing.com

www.Victory-1.com - Use the brand of valves that top teams like Clack Motorsports trust, Victory 1 Titanium Valves. Victory 1 Performance is a global manufacturer of high performance titanium valves and valvetrain components. We have but one goal, to bring the racing industry the finest, highest quality custom valve components in the world. Find out more at their website.

www.Moroso.com - With over 40 years in the performance industry, go with Moroso, the name you can trust. Clack Motorsports trusts Moroso for all of their oil pan and spark plug wire needs.

www.ISCRacersTape.com - This is THE 250 MPH 'Racers Tape' to have! ISC has you covered in nearly every color imaginable, with a durable, easy to tear duct tape for your needs.

Clack Motorsports would also like to thank Advanced Transmission and Gear Center in Lafayette, La., Dale's Auto Repair in Baton Rouge, La., Hub City Cycles in Lafayette, La., and Lafayette Signs.

Contact: Will Hanna/ Pro Race Communications
Email: Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com