Jill, in her fifth year as the driver of the ‘GOJO’/’BIC Lighter’ “Queen of Diamonds”, was racing against Ernie Bogue, Jr., driver of the ‘Beast from the East” jet dragster when she set a new track record for the jet dragster category, running 5.19 @ 301.20 MPH. The record she broke was established more than 10 years ago, and over the years, a multitude of jet dragsters had attempted taking that record for their own. Jill’s always in it to win it, as evidenced not just by the Queen Of Diamonds’ performance but by her own performance on the starting line: she was .004 on the ‘Tree during the record-setting pass, and she followed it with an .013 in the next round.

The beauty of this new record holder is she is a local favorite, being a Pennsylvania resident, and establishing a new record in the jet car category is that much more important as drivers from across the nation have given their best to get that record for more than 10 years. Al and Rich Hanna, ‘Hanna Motorsports Jets’ team owners, said the following, “Jill is a phenomenal driver. She is the heart of our team!! For her to establish this record speaks to her tremendous driving abilities, and drive for success. We’re proud to have Jill drive the ‘GOJO’/’BIC Lighter’ “Queen of Diamonds”, and she’s here to stay.

The ‘GOJO Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner’ and ‘BIC Lighter’ sponsored Hanna Motorsports Jets appear at more than 70 events each year. The next event for Hanna Motorsports is at the ‘New Muncie Dragway’ followed by ‘Lebanon Valley Dragway’, ‘Quaker City Raceway’, ‘Summit Motorsports Park’, and ‘New England Dragway’. It’s the time of year for the Hanna Motorsports Jets to thunder. Be sure to drop by and say hello.

HANNA MOTORSPORTS is a 47-year professional exhibition drag race company. Hanna Motorsports is dedicated to safety, showmanship, and performance in fielding three of the finest professional exhibition machines in the nation. The Hanna Motorsports team cars, the ”GOJO Firebird”, driven by Rich Hanna, the “Top Secret” Firebird, driven by Ken Hall, and the GOJO/BIC Lighter “Queen of Diamonds” 300 MPH Jet Dragster, driven by Jill Canuso, are recognized as one of the top teams in history. Actively participating in professional motorsports since the mid-60’s, Hanna Motorsports became incorporated in 1978 by President Al Hanna and wife, Ellen. Along with Al and Ellen, sons Scott and Rich joined the program with support, and a ton of hard work. Al & Ellen Hanna are both “Hall of Fame” members in New England. Since the inception of the very first Hanna Motorsports machine, Hanna Motorsports has fielded nearly 50 professional drag race cars in multiple categories including Top Fuel Dragster, Nitro Funny Car, Jet Dragster, Jet Funny Car, and Super Stock. Hanna Motorsports’ jets continue to lead the pack in the jet car category. The three-car team of the fastest and quickest jets in the nation, if not the world, continues to astound fans everywhere. For more information visit www.hannamotorsports.com or call (860) 745-1870. (Queen of Diamonds photo: Don Carrick)