Elkhart, Ind. – The third stop on the eMax Drag Racing series takes McMillen and his Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by TORCO Race Fuels, north of the border this June 2-4. The annual event sponsored by Mopar in Grand Bend Ontario is always a highly contested race. Last season McMillen was able to knock off London, Ontario’s Rob Atchison before making a semi-final appearance.
After a disappointing appearance in Rockingham, McMillen gathered the team to renew her commitment. “Any time you’re faced with a DNQ, it’s time for a gut check,” said McMillen. “For me it was calls to Amalie and Torco. Andrew Bornstein and Evan Knoll have been partner to this team for a long time. They have always given us the level of support and confidence that any team needs to be successful.”
McMillen and the Amalie Oil InstiGator team left Rockingham and headed for the National City Thunder Nationals in Martin Michigan. The team finished the event with a final round appearance, bowing out to the Roots blower, TORCO sponsored team of Mick Snyder.
McMillen’s team left Martin with renewed confidence and motivation after the event. “We were able to make 4 good passes at Martin,” explained Brent “Skinny” Lidgard, crew chief. “We’ve had a lot of time to spend checking and rechecking every possible element of the engine. We’re as ready as we have ever been for an event.”
With Memorial Day marking the beginning of the summer season and after a month off from racing McMillen knows this begins the ‘heart’ of the season. “There’s no doubt that this where the rubber meats the road. This race begins a championship journey.”
Grand Time for Grand Bend
McMillen, along with other drivers and fans, are looking forward to the beginning of the eMax Concert Series. “This deal is just as exciting for the teams as the fans,” explained McMillen. “Every team works so hard to race, it’s going to be nice to take some time Friday night and enjoy a concert side by side with the fans.”
McMillen and his InstiGator team will host several special guests at the event, including the Honorable Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, special guests from the Chicago White Sox organization, the Illinois Sports Facility Authority and renown Greenberg Traurig attorney, Ira Gould.
“A great concert, a great drag race, a great facility and plenty of friends,” said McMillen. “This is what summer is all about. Plus, I’ve been listening to Johnny Reid and Blue Rodeo the past few weeks. Maybe by Friday I’ll have their songs down enough they’ll want me to sing along,” McMillen added in jest. McMillen’s crew chiefs “Skinny” Brent Lidgard and “TV” Tad Heflick spoke out in unison – “NO!”. “Let’s leave the singing to the professionals,” said “TV” Tad. “Have you ever heard him sing,” asked “Skinny”? “I haven’t heard anything like that since my grandma rocked her chair over the cats tail!”
McMillen and his InstiGator team is partnered with high quality companies like; Amalie Oil, eRaceFuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Fatheadz.com, Powershield Coatings, Crane Cams, eMax, C. Trade Group and No Limit Custom Coach.
All of the Hoosier Thunder Motorsports partners joined the InstiGator team based on McMillen’s driving ability, not his singing ability.
