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McMillen Buys Indiana’s First Dragstrip

July 12, 2022 By Jim

Elkhart, Ind. (July 12, 2022) – It’s no secret that NHRA Top Fuel veteran Terry McMillen has always had interest in owning a dragstrip. A few years ago when he was in the very public  process of purchasing Osceola Dragway in Osceola, IN, a lawsuit against the county for rezoning the property put the sale on hold.  The owners were eager to sell, and with the uncertainty of the pandemic and how long the lawsuit would last, McMillen gave them the option to sell to a different buyer who didn’t need the land rezoned to purchase. That buyer ultimately turned the land into farmland.

Over the next few years McMillen would check out tracks that were listed for sale, hoping to find one that made sense for the future of his family, but there was always something that made him rule each track out.

They say everything happens for a reason. Recently, McMillen was having a conversation with Mark Cregier, the track owner of Bunker Hill Dragstrip, in Bunker HIll, IN, the track where Cameron McMillen, Terry’s son races his Jr. Dragster. This conversation unexpectedly turned to health issues Cregier had been dealing with and his thoughts about possibly selling the track. It was during that conversation that McMillen realized why the deal with Oseola didn’t go through, and why the other tracks he looked at weren’t the perfect fit for his family. It was because the track meant for his family to own was Bunker Hill Dragstrip.  

In 2021 the McMillen family spent almost every weekend racing there. The racers welcomed them with open arms, and the McMillens were proud to call Bunker Hill, Indiana’s first dragstrip, their home track. This is also the track where Cameron got his first win, that in itself makes it a special place for their family. 

Before they knew it, Cregier and McMillen had put together a deal for the McMillen’s to purchase the track. 

“First of all I need to thank Mark for everything he has done at Bunker HIll Dragstrip. He bought the track during the pandemic to save it. He made several much needed updates to the facility and never stopped working on improvements, in fact, just last week the parts for the new track scraper he purchased were delivered. Our plan is to continue with what Mark started.”

The speed in which ownership will change hands feels like the 330 mph that McMillen is used to driving. Starting Friday July 15th, Terry, Cori, & Cameron McMillen will be the new owners/operators of Bunker Hill Dragstrip. Cregier has committed to helping them learn everything they need to know before he walks away. 

“If Mark wouldn’t have agreed to stay and help my family get started, I don’t think we could have done it. We are excited to work beside him and finish this season as a team.”

Ownership may be changing but it will be business as usual at Bunker Hill Dragstrip. Friday’s test and tune gates open at 5:00pm with cars on track at 6:00pm. It is 25 dollars to test and 10 dollars for spectators. Kids 12 and under are free. Saturday is a Summit Super Series points race featuring, Jr’s, Street, Sportsman, Modified, and Top along with the newest class to join the Bunker Hill racing family, Indiana Outlaw Gassers. Spectators are only 10 dollars and kids 12 and under are free.

Filed Under: In The News, News & Blog

AMALIE joins McMillen and Dan Mercier Racing 

March 24, 2022 By Jim

Elkhart, Ind. (March 24, 2022) -AMALIE® Motor Oil joins Dan Mercier Racing as an associate sponsor on the Mercier Racing Top Fuel Dragster driven by Terry McMillen, a two-time NHRA winner, including the 2018 US Nationals. AMALIE will also be an associate sponsor on the Mercier Racing A-Fuel Dragster driven by Dan Mercier

“We’re so excited to have AMALIE joining us for 2022,” McMIllen said. “The pandemic caused us to have to pause our contract with AMALIE. So, having them on the side of our Mercier Racing dragster just feels right. Dan runs a family friendly team that fits so well into our family racing roots and the AMALIE Family.”

“AMALIE, a family owned company, manufactures and blends a wide variety of high quality, top performing lubricants for automotive and Industrial applications,” said Harry Barkett (President and CEO of AMALIE). “Both Terry McMillen and Dan Mercier are considered part of the extended AMALIE Family. Terry has been a friend and the pilot of the Xtermigator for over 20 years, he is a true professional and competes with the highest level of intensity I’ve seen.”  Harry continued, “Dan was a customer for years prior to becoming an AMALIE distributor.  He is a consummate businessman who is doing a tremendous job growing our brand north of the border and we look forward to continued success on and off the track.”

Dan Mercier is the owner of Alpha 3 in Montreal, Quebec and is AMALIE’s largest distributor in eastern Canada. Mercier has competed in A-Fuel and Top Fuel Dragster. He has raced a limited Top Fuel schedule with McMillen in the past and is looking forward to working with McMillen again.

 “I am tremendously proud to be associated with AMALIE Motor Oil,” Mercier said. “My team and I feel that wearing AMALIE’s colors in 2022 is a sign of confidence from the management of this great company.” 

Mercier’s relationship with AMALIE goes beyond that of a sponsor and racer or even that of a manufacturer and distributor. 

“I fell in love with AMALIE’s products 4 years ago,” Mercier continued. “In the last 30 years, I tried several lubricant companies for my racing cars and the results were always the same; they were acceptable, but they never improved the performance of my cars in any meaningful way. To my great surprise, both in the Top Fuel and A/Fuel categories, AMALIE’s oils have made the difference in our engines. For example, before our switch to AMALIE’s lubricants, in the A/Fuel category, we changed the rod bearings every run and now we can easily do 8 to 10 runs. This proves the incredible effectiveness of AMALIE’s oil formulas. You have to visit the manufacturing plant and their laboratory to understand the scale of this company in North America and their commitment to quality and performance.”

Mercier Racing is currently planning on a 6-8 race schedule that will start with the Virginia NHRA Nationals May 13-15.

Filed Under: Amalie, News & Blog, Race Reports, Sponsor News

Allstar Performance joins Cam McMillen for 2022 campaign

March 4, 2022 By Jim

Gainesville, Fla. (March 4, 2022) – Cameron McMillen will make his 2022 debut at the 7th Annual Baby Gators in Gainesville, Florida this weekend. He will carry the colors of his new primary sponsor Allstar Performance in a design created by Jeff Kolts of E1GH7 Design Method. The 8 year old, Elkhart, Indiana native, is the son of 2018 US Nationals Top Fuel winner Terry McMillen.

McMillen can’t wait to to suit up for his first time out this year. “I’m really excited about racing in Gainesville,” said Cam. “I really like how the Allstar colors on the side look. I’m also excited about racing my friends Rydin and Zandir Cook.”

“The future of motorsports rests not only in the hands of these young racers but with their parents who give their time and support so they can pursue their racing careers, said Scott Walstrom, Director of Marketing for Motor State Distributing, parent company of Allstar Performance. “Our relationship with the McMillen family spans decades and Cam was wearing Allstar apparel since the day he arrived. Growing up in the pits had a huge impact on Cam’s decision to be a Jr. Dragster racer but you still must have that desire and passion to race. Allstar is proud to be represented by Cam, and the entire McMillen family. We couldn’t be happier with how the new design by Jeff Kolts turned out, it looks amazing. We wish Cam and all the Junior Dragster Racers the best of luck in Gainesville and future races. Chomp…Chomp!!!”

McMillen’s Jr. Dragster will also carry associate sponsors Race Quip, Amalie Motor Oil and The Misfit Q.

“We’ve been looking forward to this day for awhile,” Terry McMillen said. “Divisional races have always been the backbone of NHRA Drag Racing and the Jr. Dragster division is not only where the future of this sport is, but it’s where family and friend bonds are created for a lifetime.”

Cameron made his NHRA debut at an exhibition pass in 2018 at the NHRA Reading national event at 5 years old. He raced last season at Bunker Hill Dragstrip where he won his first race and he was selected as the Most Improved driver at the season-end awards banquet.

Cameron will spend a little extra time in Florida when is Jr. Dragster will be displayed with other Southeast Division 2 Jr. Dragsters at the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals. The Jr. Dragsters will also make exhibition runs during the national event, including a pass during Sunday eliminations.

The Baby Gators kicked off March 3rd. Tickets are still available for the Divisional event which will run through March 6th. If you can’t make it to Gainesville, the eveni will be Live Streamed on NHRA.tv.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will be run the following weekend, March 10-13.

Filed Under: News & Blog, Pre Race Reports, Race Reports

AMALIE MOTOR OIL TOP FUELER CONTINUES TO IMPRESS IN ST. LOUIS

October 4, 2020 By Jim

ST LOUIS (October 4, 2020) — Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team continued to show off their 2020 season improvement with a dominant performance during the lone qualifying session at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. McMillen blasted to the No. 2 qualifying spot with a 3.715 second run at 319.45 mph on Friday night and took some serious momentum into race day. A long day of rain delays put the pressure on all the pro teams but McMillen’s crew was up to the task.  

In the opening round McMillen further showed his Rob Wendland tuned AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster was going to be one of the race cars to beat at World Wide Technology Raceway. The team had a favorable match up against journeyman racer Todd Paton as eliminations began under cool conditions. McMillen got the jump off the starting and never trailed in the race as his 3.777 second at 325.53 mph pass advanced him to the quarterfinals against fellow championship contender Billy Torrence. 

The quarterfinal race was one of the best side by side races of the day. McMillen was giving up lane choice but that was not a competitive disadvantage thanks to the excellent effort by the NHRA Safety Safari. Both Top Fuel dragsters launched nearly simultaneously with Torrence getting a slight advantage. That edge would prove to be the difference as the Amalie Motor Oil dragster barreled down the track and crossed the finish line in 3.714 second, a thousandth of a second quicker than his qualifying run. Unfortunately Torrence got the win light by less than two feet and .0046 seconds at over 325 mph. 

“I could not be prouder of this Amalie Motor Oil race team,” said McMillen. “My crew chief Rob Wendland has been doing an amazing job with the tune up. We are running in hot conditions and this weekend conditions were the exact opposite of what we had in Florida. This team executed and we made the most of our one qualifying run and we stepped up when we needed to against a tough team. It just didn’t go our way today.” 

The team brought out a brand new race car to begin the restarted NHRA season and through seven races McMillen knows he has a championship caliber race operation. Round wins are coming on race day and today under tough conditions McMillen’s Amalie Motor Oil team improved and posted some of the quickest elapsed times. With three races left McMillen in No. 5 in the points has the opportunity to realistically contend for a Top Three finish. 

“There is no quit in this team. We will be heading to Dallas and Houston with the goal of winning both of those races and then see where we stack up for a run to the championship. We will have points and half at the last race so anything can happen. I am proud of how this team fought this weekend under tough conditions,” added McMillen. 

Midwest Nationals Qualifying Results 
Q1: 3.715 sec, 319.45 mph; Qual. 2 
Bonus Points: +2 (2nd quickest of Q1)

Race Results 
E1: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.777, 325.53 mph def. Todd Paton, Rancho Santa Maria, Calif., dragster 13.707, 54.81 mph 

E2:  Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster, 3.717, 327.59 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.714, 323.50 mph 

Filed Under: News & Blog, Post Race Reports, Race Reports

Terry McMillen Races to Final Round at Indianapolis NHRA Nationals

August 9, 2020 By Jim

Action photo courtesy of NHRA.com/National Dragster for media use only.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (August 9, 2020) — Today Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team started a race with a brand new perspective. For the first time in the veteran driver’s career McMillen was the No. 1 qualifier. The AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster was up to the task and his Rob Wendland tuned Top Fuel dragster continued to show it is one of the top race cars on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. McMillen knew he had a great race car but he also knew that winning four rounds of racing would be a tough order no matter where he started in the qualifying ladder.

“Honestly, I tried to block the fact I was the No. 1 qualifier out of my head. I didn’t want that on my mind and because you start thinking about that and you get yourself in trouble,” said McMillen. “I just ran it like a normal race day. I didn’t care who was in the other lane. We just looked at every situation and ran our race. Whether we won or lost we were going to run on our terms. The No. 1 spot other than the prestige and finally checking that off our bucket list there was no distraction on race day.”

McMillen’s first round opponent was Lex Joon who continues to build a competitive Top Fuel team. The AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster stepped up and made another strong pass 3.799 seconds to get the win. The win moved McMillen into the second round against fellow championship contender Billy Torrence. In the quarterfinal match-up McMillen took a single for the win after Torrence experienced an issue after his burnout and was shut off by the NHRA starter.

In the semifinals McMillen took out Mello Yello point leader Doug Kalitta in one of the closest races of the day. McMillen got the jump off the starting line and never trailed in the race. Both dragsters began hazing the tires but McMillen was able to hold on and get the win advancing to his first final round since the Dallas FallNationals in 2018.

The final round, McMillen’s ninth of his career, was a showdown with the two-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence. McMillen’s Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster was looking to pick up its first win since he took the title at the U.S. Nationals almost two years ago. Unfortunately McMillen lost concentration for a millisecond and it was a costly mistake.

“I just flat lost concentration on the starting line and it cost us,” said McMillen. “This race car is just stout. Ever since we brought it out it has been good. We have been taking it to the shop and reworking a couple things on it and make it better. Every time it goes down the track we learn something new. You can’t complain it is a great car. The driver just cost us.”

Even though McMillen did not pick up his third career win the driver from Elkhart, Indiana has confidence and momentum heading to the biggest race of the year.

“You have to take away that we have a great race car. We have a good team behind that car led by (crew chief) Rob Wendland. That final round I was the weak link. The round before that I was the one that saved it. It is a give and take team effort. Ultimately the biggest positive out of today is we have a wicked good car and the driver just screwed up in the final round in the place you should never screw up. There is no one to blame but me.”

“We are immensely motivated. We had a good car two weeks ago and lost in the semifinals because we put a different blower on it.  It was down on blower boost. You look at our team and we are just going rounds and it was the quickest car two weeks ago. It was the number one qualifier at Indy3. That is a statement. On race day it wasn’t necessarily the quickest car but it was probably the most consistent car,” added McMillen.  

Qualifying Results
Q1: 4.299 sec, 191.29 mph; Qual. 13
Q2: 3.807 sec, 312.28 mph; Qual. 1
Bonus Points: +3 (quickest of Q2)

Race Results
E1: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Motor Oil dragster, 3.799, 307.44 mph def. Lex Joon, Indianapolis, Ind, 4.586, 181.86 mph
E2: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Motor Oil dragster, 3.886, 308.43 mph def. Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors, No Time
E3: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Motor Oil dragster, 4.043, 283.85 mph def. Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, MIch., 4.053, 260.41 mph
E4: Steve Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors, 4.273, 224.17 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., Amalie Motor Oil dragster, 4.153, 240.59 mph

Filed Under: News & Blog, Post Race Reports, Race Reports

McMillen and Wendland Ready to Race for Championship

July 9, 2020 By Jim

Photo courtesy of NHRA/National Dragster for media use only. Terry McMillen in car and Rob Wendland on the right.

After over three months away from the racetrack AMALIE® Motor Oil Top Fuel team owner and driver Terry McMillen is ready to get back to racing at the upcoming E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park this week. His team, led by crew chief Rob Wendland, used the downtime effectively to streamline his organization and also maximize the newfound family time. McMillen and Wendland have a strong relationship and have put together a plan for the rest of the season they both feel could lead to their first NHRA Mello Yello championship together.

How ready are you to get back to racing?

Terry McMillen  –  “It is almost like starting the year over. You have all that anticipation. We built a new car over the winter and took it to Gainesville. We never got to run it so it has never been down the track. We are excited to see what the new car will do. (Crew Chief) Rob Wendland and the entire team have done a fantastic job just keeping everything going. All our wish lists or want to do lists are all completed. It is time to leave the shop, hear some noise and smell a little nitro. This is the longest we have ever been home sitting at one time. It is just go time. It is going to be different by far.”

TM- “We only have two qualifiers so it is not like you can go out there and try and hit a home run. You have to get the car down the track to make sure you are in the show. There could be close to 20 cars going into Indy so you can’t make a mistake. Hopefully you get that first run in that sets up the weekend.”

TM- “It is going to be different to not be able to interact with the fans the way we normally do. That has been the mainstay of our sport, the fan interaction and the business to business. We are going to be pre-signing hero cards and we’ll all be wearing masks. You appreciate the fans now more than ever because they have a choice where to spend their money and they come out to see us race. You want to give back but it is a difficult time and we want to be as safe as possible. I think everyone understands and we are all just going to have to tip toe this thing and get through the end of the year to regroup and go into 2021.”

Have you been able to get some of the projects that you have been putting off?

TM – “We moved a lot of the shop stuff around and got it organized internally in the shop. We made a specific area to work on our heads and a place to work on our superchargers. We permanently wired some of the equipment that was previously just temporarily wired. We made some upgrades inside the trailer and we also polished all the aluminum on the outside. We had never had the time to do that. We relocated some cabinets and made the flow of the shop a lot better.  We have sections for everything and have streamlined a lot of things.”

What has been the hardest aspect of this layoff (mental, sponsorship, etc.)?

 TM – “There are so many things that have been challenging. You have to look at it from the sponsor perspective which is near and dear to me because Amalie Motor Oil is my family. Not being able to run Gainesville was extremely disappointing. Whenever you reschedule an event it seems to never be quite as good. You lose a little of the impact but Amalie has such great customers so we are hoping to over deliver later this year. It is trying times for all our sponsors. They have all done a good job of staying focused and giving us the opportunity to keep everyone working. We are ready to be at the top of our game when we get back to Indy thanks to their support.”

How have you kept your team motivated during this stretch?

TM – “Really Rob has done a great job of handling the crew. I don’t have to be down in Indy every day. They have their schedules and internal communications and they are working off a master list. When something is done it gets checked off and then everyone is updated. We are making sure that every little detail is covered. Ultimately, that will be where it starts for winning races when we get back to the track.”

TM – “You have to have the small things covered. When the small details are handled it seems like the bigger issues take care of themselves. We are making sure we have the parts that we need to have to make this all happen. It is a juggling act. I would rather be going 300 mph with my hair on fire because we have so much to do because we are racing. The only nice thing about the break is it has been a more relaxing time to work on our to-do list versus a mid-season thrash when we need parts by next week. It has been extremely busy regardless and I am trying to figure out how I ever had time to race.”

Your son Cameron is going to race Junior Dragsters at second Indy race. How excited are you about that?

TM – “The biggest positive about the layoff has been we got the chance to do things we normally never would have done at this time of the year. We fostered dogs and we got to spend more time with Cameron. We tested his Junior Dragster a couple weeks ago. He is going to get to run the second Indy race. As a six year old that is pretty cool and I am excited we will be racing at the same track at the same time. That is a milestone for me. I am all excited about it. I can’t wait to get out there.”

How do you plan for so many back to back races as an independent team?

TM – “You just have to approach it like any other race. The biggest key for us is having the inventory of parts. What you have to keep in mind is a lot of the vendors have also been closed down. Getting parts will be tricky because they might be backed up with orders from everybody. That is a big key to this whole thing. I think Rob has done a great job to make sure we have all the parts that we need either in our hands or the orders have been placed to we are all set once the season gets rolling again. That is going to give us a leg up. If you can finish the year with what money you have that will be a huge accomplishment or anyone. This year could feel like an Ironman Challenge. You have to manage all your parts and be smart about it. Sometimes that Hail Mary may not happen because you can’t afford to hurt those parts.”

What has you most excited about this run for the Mello Yello NHRA championship?

TM – “I think we have as good a chance as anybody whether it is the most funded teams or not. We are in a position today like no other time. We are prepared to go the distance. We are prepared to go to battle. We are going to have a good car. If this car shows us what we believe it is going to do that chassis will help us succeed. Rob has done a great job of tuning. We will be contender once we get the whole package together. The set-up of this season has definitely leveled the playing field. It may not be about dollars and cents this time. Used to be on Friday night big teams could go out and swing for the fences to get the No. 1 spot and get those bonus points. There isn’t a Friday night now so we all have to be a little more conservative on how we approach the race track. Our notes will be very important. We are going to have to rely on data that we have and certainly in this business a little bit of luck helps too. If you push everything hard enough you will create opportunities and that is what we have to do.”

Talk about your relationship with Crew Chief Rob Wendland…

TM – “There is no doubt about it, he is my best friend. We are not together every day we think alike. We have the same common goals. We have the same passion for what we do. When you add that combination up, it can be dangerous in a good way. With this shorter race season I feel like we have a really good opportunity to really get in there and mix it up. I would be shocked if we are not a top five car. Rob has kept everything on track. I am the most blessed guy to have him by my side.”

How excited are you to send the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster back down the track?

Rob Wendland – “I am very excited to get back to the track for sure and I am excited to run this new car that we have. Racing in some of the conditions we will face over the next month, hot tracks, that kind of thing, I think this car is going to do really well. This morning we had a meeting discussing the 2020 NHRA policies. We have to follow this protocol because if we don’t we don’t get to race. That opened everyone’s eyes a little bit. Based on the performance we had earlier in the season I am extremely excited to hit the gas again.”

How have you kept the team motivated?

 RW – “Our separation wasn’t extremely long. Terry took really good care of this team. We had some time off but we came back and we all sat down and discussed every project that we wanted to do but never had time for. We went into serious detail with it. I told the team we have to work like we are going to race tomorrow. We got a tremendous amount of things done, lots of organizational things and maintenance things. We built a number of things we hadn’t had time to build before. We made the most of this time being productive but we also got to spend some time with our families. That was huge. We picked a number of days we were going to work and when we weren’t working we were spending time with our families. The motivation came from the more we do now and the better we are organized the better team we will be and the more successful we will be.”

As a crew chief how do you plan for so many back to back race weekends?

 RW – “We are going to go into Indy in full race mode. We are going into this race with the same mindset as if we were just racing last week.  We just need to get those hits on the new dragster in testing on Friday and see what this thing is going to give us. Our goal is to get two or three hits and get a handle on this race car. As far as fourteen races in a row kind of thing I have prepared everyone the best I can as far as our forecast of parts that we are going to need. The way that we run the car is we are conservative because we have to keep an eye on the budget. We are cautious about parts and wear and tear so I can’t see how the reduced schedule or back to back races is going to hurt us. We do better if we can go from one race right to the next one. We tend to get on a better roll that way.”

How well do you think the Amalie Motor Oil team is suited for the two Saturday sessions and then into racing on Sunday?

RW – “We have had some success with that program. We have used Saturday as a little bit of a test day. I will say this we have missed some opportunities on Friday and had our backs against the wall on Saturday. It has worked out for us a lot and there have been times when we missed out. As a crew chief it is a tough call because you want to get up in the top spots in qualifying but we have raced a lot from No. 9 to No. 13. There are so many good cars out there that if you are No. 6, No. 7 or No. 8 it is like a final round match-up. You are going to be running another really good quality race car.”

RW – “These first two races it looks like we will be racing in the heat of the day. The tricky part will be our ‘night session’ will be Sunday morning first round racing at 9 a.m. in the morning. We have never experienced that before only maybe in testing have we hit the track that early. The conditions will be totally different than what we saw on Saturday. Crew chiefs can make that change, that testing on Thursday and Friday will be important to get up there early,”

What has you most excited about this run for the championship?

 RW – “For me it is a lot of pressure. I know that we have a team, a car and a driver that can actually win a Mello Yello Top Fuel championship. Who knows what is going to happen. All of a sudden we might look at this schedule and not have as many races as we thought.  I think we are going to go into every race thinking this could be our last race. We are going to get after it and race smart. You can’t try and over pressure yourself. When we won Indy I remember my father in law telling me just go A to B. He said don’t try to overthink it. He told me our car was running good and just make sure it goes down the track. That day it worked out for us. I don’t think a lot of these races will be a horsepower game because of the conditions we’ll be running in. It could be more of a finesse game at the start anyway. In that respect we have the same chance as anyone out there and maybe a little better.”

Can you talk about your relationship with Terry?

RW – “Usually during the season we both have motorhomes and we travel together. In between races we will stop at a campground and all the kids get together and go swimming or we do whatever together. Not a lot of crew chiefs have that kind of relationship with the owner/driver. He loves my kids as much as I do and I feel the same for his family. It definitely feels more like a partnership.”

RW – “When I open the shop I treat it like my shop and that is how I work with him to run the team. Every dollar we spend I treat like one of my own personal dollars. Terry appreciates that and I appreciate the opportunity he has given me. We have a very strong personal relationship that I really can’t describe. We tell each other that we love each other all the time and we mean it. I don’t know of a lot of other teams that have that kind of relationship. They might but I know we have a strong bond.”      

Filed Under: News & Blog, Pre Race Reports, Race Reports

McMillen Uses Downtime Away From Track to Rescue Dogs

May 29, 2020 By Jim

Elkhart, IN (May 28, 2020) — Since the postponed AMALIE® Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Terry McMillen has been staying busy in his race shop with crew chief Rob Wendland but in his down time he has let his family go to the dogs. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has been on hiatus since mid-March and McMillen along with his wife Cori and son Cam have been fostering puppies for a Northern Indiana organization, Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group. The McMillens already have three dogs and a cat so bringing additional puppies into their family only seemed like a logical idea. 

“When we got back from Gainesville, our dog sitter Jen Schwartz, who runs the organization, asked if we wanted some puppies to play with for a couple of days, and it has turned into a constant cycle of fostering,” explained Cori McMillen. “We have had about 15 puppies since we started this. We typically have two puppies at a time.  If one gets a home, then she brings me another that same day.”

Now as an additional commitment to the organization McMillen Racing is auctioning a replica crew shirt designed by ProThings, die-cast dragster, cap and visor all signed by Terry McMillen. The auction launched today on eBay, click here to see auction, with all proceeds going to Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group.

“Fosters are the backbone to the rescue. The more fosters we have, the more dogs we can rescue,” said Jen Schwartz Founder and Director of Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group. “I have known the McMillen family for a few years, so when they offered to foster, I was thrilled.  With their family fostering two puppies at a time, it gives me the ability to put more focus into rehabilitating dogs with more serious medical conditions.  I know they are enjoying time with the puppies, so it’s definitely been a win-win situation.” 

Throughout the down time the McMillens have been busy fostering and comforting each puppy they receive. The ability to house multiple animals has made a huge difference and also creates a busy atmosphere at home. 

“Our job is to help them transition into home life, since they have never been in a home environment.  We only foster puppies and it has worked out great, because she needed someone to help fostering puppies specifically. The puppies fit best into our lifestyle since we have three dogs and a cat of our own, so bringing an older dog in with an unknown background could cause conflicts.  Our dogs just ignore the puppies,” added McMillen  

Homeward Bound is a non-profit organization that does not receive state or federal funding in turn they rely on fundraising and private donations. They have rescued over 6,000 dogs with the help of a small group of volunteers who are dedicated to helping pets out of less than perfect situations and getting them into their forever homes

“They don’t have a brick and mortar building so, they rely on fosters.  They will take in any dog that needs a home no matter the age or medical condition. They take dogs that are in kill shelters in Indiana and in other states, so that they have a chance at a life.  They also get puppies that are actually puppies from breeders but are considered ‘reject’ puppies that for whatever reason, usually because of a physical or medical condition, can’t be sold to pet stores.  If Homeward Bound didn’t take them, they would either be put back into the breeding cycle or euthanized,” added McMillen.  

Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018. 

Filed Under: News & Blog

Terry McMillen Offers Fans Personal Mother’s Day Shoutouts

May 2, 2020 By Jim

Elkhart, Ind. (May 1, 2020) — Terry McMillen, the 2018 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel champion, is offering fans the opportunity to have him send a special message to their mom this Mother’s Day. Through the CAMEO™ Marketplace, which lets fans book a personalized video shout-out from their favorite athlete, celebrity or entertainment personality, McMillen will make himself available starting today. Understanding many people may not be able to get out and see their mothers this Mother’s Day McMillen wanted to offer a unique gift to his NHRA fans. 

“I know a lot of our fans might not be able to take their moms to lunch this year or even see them if they are a first responder,” said McMillen. “I wanted to offer them the chance to send a personal message from me to their moms. NHRA is one big family and our AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil team is privileged to be a part of that family as well.”

Fans can visit cameo.com/terrymcmillen, fill out the request form and click the “book now” button. For $15 McMillen will record a personalized message to the fan’s mom and deliver more horsepower than a bouquet of flowers this Mother’s Day.

“I miss seeing all the fans’ families at the track so I thought this would be the next best thing. We are hoping to get back on the track as soon as we can do it safely for everyone. We are working hard in the shop every day and we definitely want to thank all the medical professionals, first responders and especially moms at this time of year,” added McMillen.

A link will be sent to the email and any cell number (via text) that fans provide when they order their Terry McMillen CAMEO video. The CAMEO video can be downloaded via the link emailed or texted, and fans have a non-commercial and personal license to use it forever.

Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018.

Filed Under: In The News, News & Blog, Race Reports

Aggressive Start Ends McMillen’s Race Early in Phoenix

February 23, 2020 By Jim

PHOENIX, AZ (February 23, 2020) — Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team  had a career best weekend at the NHRA Arizona Nationals posting their quickest elapsed time in the first round today at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Racing as the No. 4 qualifier against three-time world champion Antron Brown, McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster had lane choice and confidence. 

The team knew they would have their hands full even on the strength of crew chief Rob Wendland’s strong tuning performance on Friday night. The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster blistered the track with a 3.696 second run at 326.79 mph which was just a thousandth of a second off his career best elapsed time. Heading into the first round McMillen was eager to get to the starting line. 

Unfortunately McMillen’s aggressiveness got the best of him and the veteran driver jumped the tree with a red-light start. The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster proceeded to make a career best run of 3.691 seconds at 323.89 mph in a losing effort.

“I knew we had a great race car going into the first round today,” said McMillen from his pits. “I don’t know when I have been more excited about getting a race started. My crew chief Rob Wendland and these Amalie team guys showed we had a race car that can compete with our run on Friday. We were the No. 4 qualifier and drew a three-time world champion in the first round with Antron Brown. That shows you how tough this class is. I knew I needed to give it 100% on the starting line. Every driver will tell you there are times you just get too jacked up. I knew I needed to do my job and I just hit the throttle too early.”

With two races in the books on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season McMillen and his Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster team have shown positive results even if the stat sheet doesn’t reflect round wins. Two weeks ago the team made solid runs in qualifying and then this weekend in Phoenix they stepped up their game on the performance side.

“That was a career best run and we didn’t get to go to the next round,” said McMillen. “I am a positive person and I know I have a race car that can win rounds this season, a lot of rounds. Rob has put in a lot of hours on this race car and we saw the results this weekend. It is tough to lose like that but I know the next race is the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals and you better believe we will be ready for that race. I have to thank all the fans that waited out the weather yesterday and supported us all weekend.”

With a few weeks to get back to the shop the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel team will take the career best elapsed time tune up and look for ways to improve even more. It will be a busy weekend at Gainesville Raceway for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals but one that McMillen looks forward to every year.

“We are focusing on the Gatornationals starting right now. It is our biggest race of the year since it is our sponsor’s race but it is also great to see so many supporters on the ropes and in our hospitality area,” added McMillen.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 5.903 sec, 104.28 mph; Qual. 12
Q2: 3.696 sec, 326.79 mph; Qual. 4
Q3: 4.024 sec, 225.82 mph; Qual. 4
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

E1: Lost to Antron Brown, red-light, 3.691 at 323.89 mph vs. 3.729 at 326.95 mph


Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018.

Filed Under: News & Blog, Post Race Reports, Race Reports

McMillen and Amalie Oil Make Strides at Winternationals

February 10, 2020 By Jim

photo © NHRA / National Dragster

POMONA, CA (February 9, 2020) — The 60th annual NHRA Winternationals proved to be a solid first race for Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil team . Beyond the race day results the team worked together acclimating new teammates and racing in challenging conditions giving McMillen a lot of confidence heading to Phoenix.

On race day McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster were confident about what lay ahead in kick-off event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The team did not participate in any pre-season testing so the first race was a good opportunity to make immediate improvement.

“I am really excited about getting the race started. We didn’t test so we didn’t get a good run in the first qualifying session,” said McMillen, an eight time Top Fuel career finalist. “The final two qualifying sessions were awesome.  We ran mid 70s and we are sitting in the No. 7 spot going into the race. We feel comfortable but we know there is more out there. We need to pick it up but it will be a challenge today because it is going to be cold and the track will be tight.”

The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster entered race day as the No. 7 qualifier and drew No. 8 qualifier Clay Millican in the first round. Both dragsters left the starting line nearly welded together but McMillen drove into severe tire shake. The veteran driver was able to pedal his 11,000 horsepower dragster but he was unable to track down his opponent. It was his fifth run of the season following four qualifying runs and for McMillen there was minimal rust to shake off on hos driving skills.

“It is really just like riding a bike,” explained McMillen. “You get in it and you just feel comfortable once you are in there. You go through the warm up and then the game is on. You would think you would be rusty but I really wasn’t.”

Coming out of the race and looking ahead to the next event at the end of the month in Arizona McMillen knows his team is coming together.

“Making solid runs to start the season shows how all the hard work over the winter has paid off,” said McMillen. “We have a couple new guys on the team so we are going through some transitional changes. We have a couple people in different positions. We are definitely working together to get more efficient. The car is solid and when we are making runs everything looks good after the run. Everyone is doing their job.”

Working through the pressure of top shelf competition was the biggest take away for the Amalie Motor Oil team. Racing at the highest level and having success like McMillen has experienced over the past seasons doesn’t come without hard work and practice. This weekend making consistent runs in the 3.70s before the weather shifted on race day set the team up for a great start to the 2020 season.

“We can practice all day long in the shop but it is totally different when you are at the race,” summed up McMillen. “The clock is ticking here and we train at the shop but this is the real deal. If you mess up here you don’t make the round. It is a little more tense for the guys. A few of them have a few jitters going into first round.  This is the fun part of the sport. Everything has to be precise and because of all the power these race cars make if you make one mistake it is over.”  

McMillen and the Amalie Motor Oil team will be back on track at the Arizona NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, February 21-23.

Race Results

Q1: 6.757 sec., 93.04 mph, Qual. 11

Q2: 3.758 sec., 325.45 mph, Qual. 6

Q3: 3.748 sec., 322.58 mph, Qual. 6

Q4:  3.750 sec., 326.24 mph, Qual. 7

E1: Clay Millican, 3.731 sec., 323.58 mph def. Terry McMillen, 4.640sec., 183.05 mph

Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018.

Filed Under: News & Blog, Post Race Reports, Race Reports

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