PR-MONTGOMERY- Will Hanna preview

Advanced Transmission Center Racing
media relations

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2005
Contact: Will Hanna/ Pro Race Communications
Email: Will.Hanna@InsideTopAlcohol.com

ATC Racing set for competition debut

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - One look into any member of the Advanced Transmission Center NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team's eyes will show a mix of dreams coming to reality and a hunger for excellence as they make their competition debut at this weekend's Division 2 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Montgomery Motorsports Park. Driver Will Hanna and Team Owner Harry Clack hope not only to make a respectable showing in their debut, but to continue to move forward as a team.

Hanna, from Richwood, Texas, cites the team plans to use the event as a test session under race conditions.

"This is the next step in our testing program," said Hanna. "At our last test session in Houston, we feel like we started to turn the corner on getting a decent baseline tune-up. We ran a 5.99 pedaling it, and quite frankly, that was a pretty ugly run. I should have short-shifted through the tireshake instead of pedaling and I cut high gear pretty short instead of revving it up. I know what I need to improve on as a driver, the car is telling us what it wants, so hopefully we can combine the two. Officially, we're still in 'test mode' this weekend, but make no mistake about it, when that car goes to the line on race day, we'll be going for the win light. Jay Payne will be there, and he has one of the best running cars in the country, so it will be good to guage our performance against his. We not only want to make strong showing for ourselves, but for our sponsors, Advanced Transmission Center, Valvoline and InsideTopAlcohol.com"

Clack, of Lafayette, La., shares the team's excitement and is ready to collect and and analyze the data from the weekend.

"I think we're ready to come out and race," stated Clack. "We've come together as a team in a relatively short amount of time, and the crew deserves to go out there and see where we stack up against the best. As always, I thank the crew back at ATC Transmission Center for helping put this deal together."

With a strong showing in Montgomery, the team may stay on the road and hit the Div. 2 LODRS event in Bristol, Tenn., the following weekend as well.

"If we do good in Montgomery, we plan to hit Bristol the next week," stated Hanna. "We're a pretty new team, but Harry's done an excellent job of putting the peices in place for us to be a successful team fairly quick. We've got the combination of the right parts, experience and desire. Harry has a lot of experience in the sport, and we picked up J.B. Hudson who has been my right hand man the past few years. My dad Rick will go with us to select events, and he has over 30 years of experience in the sport. Our other team members, Kevin, Dale and Nick are new to alcohol racing, but have the keen sense of attention to detail it takes to be successful on this level. Hopefully as a driver I can rise to the talent that is on the rest of the team."

Qualifying will begin on Saturday evening for the alcohol cars, with final eliminations concluding the event on Sunday. Stay tuned to InsideTopAlcohol.com for the latest news in alcohol racing.

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