Terry McMillen, driver of the Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by Torco Racing Fuels, finished the 2006 IHRA Drag Racing season with his sixth consecutive top 10 finish. While many teams strive towards a top 10 finish, McMillen is dissatisfied as he continues to chase a championship.
“We didn’t perform up to our level of expectations this year,” said McMillen. “I just want to apologize to all of our partners. We should have done better, I don’t have anyone to blame but myself.”
The 2005 recipient of the IHRA Sportsman of the Year, McMillen knows his Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team has the drive and determination to make a championship run. “We were in the hunt early in the season,” McMillen added. “The next thing we know, we’ve lost ground that we can’t make up. I can promise this, it will be a busy winter for our team. We’ll make any and every change that we need to get this team to a championship. Our partners deserve it.”
The off season has just begun and the crew has already begun preparation for the 2007 season, tearing the InstiGator down for an entire rebuild. While co-crew chiefs Tad “TV” Heflick and Brent “Skinny” Lidgard began the work on the car, McMillen and his doctors went to work on one of his eyes. At the end of the 2005 season, McMillen began having problems with one of his eyes. A planned cornea transplant took place just two days after Rockingham. His doctors are optimistic about the results.
“The doctors said that everything looked good,” Rhonda McMillen reported after the surgery. McMillen is already back on the job, preparing for next season. “We’ll be back and stronger than ever,” Terry said. “The season starts today!”
The InstiGator team partners with high quality and high performance companies like; Amalie Oil, Torco Race Fuels, eRaceFuels, Flatout Gaskets, NGK Spark Plugs, MSD, Fatheadz.com, GO Graphix, Powershield Coatings, Crane Cams, eMax and No Limit Custom Coach.
