Last IHRA DRAG RACE AT NORWALK RACEWAY PARK

The LAST IHRA Drag Race at Norwalk! Hillary Will gets First WIN! The last IHRA race at Bill Bader's famed Norwalk Raceway Park will never officially end. After four days of dodging rain drops, most of the professional portion of the show ended with Hillary will capturing her first major win. She guided the Ken Black owned Jim Oberhofer tuned dragster to an impressive win over a great field. After qualifying third with a 4.64 she strung together runs of 4.66, 4.60, and a final round 4.62 to eliminate Rick Cooper, Bruce Litton, and finally Doug Foley. In Nitro Funny Car Gary Densham and Scott kallita elected not to stay, so this race will go down in the history books with NO funny car winner. Ray Commisso in Pro Modified and Tim Stevens in Alcohol Funny Car led similar paths to their respective first wins. Neither had so much as qualified for an IHRA national event, but when the dust had settled both were victors at the biggest event on the IHRA schedule. Commiso dominated from round 1 on and finished off with a 6.12 thrashing of former World Champion Mike Janis. Stevens hard earned win started before the race even began. The teams tow vehicle broke near his home in Michigan, and had to be towed to Norwalk. The team held on for the eighth qualifying spot, and snuck by three tough competitors with consistent 5.90 passes. Pro stock winner Pete Berner strung together runs of 6.45, 6.44, 6.46, and a final round 6.44 to dominate the best field of factory hot rods for the '06 season. The IHRA officials finally threw in the towel Monday evening, and the sportsman racers who remained will split the purse. What a great effort by all involved to make the last IHRA event at their flagship track a sucess. One has to wonder if the incoming NHRA sanction can equal the hospitality and hardcore racers who endured this marathon weekend. Will the famous 1lb.ICE CREAM still be a buck? Will friendly greetings and good byes at the entrance gates,and down home hard core racing be a thing of the past? We will see!!