SONOMA, Calif. – Terry McMillen saved his best attempt for the first round of eliminations when his Amalie Oil / UNOH Top Fuel Dragster posted a 3.876 @ 321.65 MPH. Unfortunately for the Elkhart, Ind. based team it wasn’t enough to upset number one qualifier David Grubnic’s 3.795 @ 324.59 MPH performance.
“We’re happy about going A to B on Sunday, putting up competitive numbers and keeping teams honest,” McMillen said after first round action on Sunday. “Our car will run the number we need to on the back half of the track, but we can’t win races running early incrementals at .086, 2.20 and then trying to make it up on the back half. That’s the frustrating part and I don’t want to paint some doom and gloom picture because I will promise you that Richard (Hartman, Crew Chief) and Ray (Murphy, assistant Crew Chief) will continue to work tirelessly to figure out what we need to get our earlier numbers just a little better. That’s really the difference between where we’re at now and where we want to be.”
When asked if he was ready to concede his fourth attempt at making The Countdown, McMillen was adamant, “There’s three races left before that deal is set, so as long as we have a chance I’m not ready to concede anything. We’re going to go down fighting like we always have. Our sponsors deserve that, our fans deserve that and my hard working crew that has overcome so much adversity to get this close deserve that. If we can’t make The Countdown, we’ll focus on the Traxxas Shootout. We’re as close as we’ve ever been to figuring this deal out so we’re not going to quit now.
McMillen by the Numbers
- 19 feet
Feet above sea level read on team GPS just outside of the track. Or about 5,200 feet different than what the team dealt with at Denver. - 300 guests
Number of people fed at SWECO Products just outside of Sacramento, Calif. during their customer appreciation event / Terry McMillen Racing appearance. SWECO also supplied the team with a 4WD Arctic Cat ATV that seemed to be as big a hit at the Northern Calif, track as a Top Fuel Dragster. - 176 Miles
Number of miles of shoreline on Lake Berryessa that McMillen’s team will enjoy on Tuesday. The beautiful lake just 60 miles from the track boasts 275 feet of depth and 85 degree temperatures. More warmer shoreline than Lake Shasta and the third season that McMillen’s team has spent with Evan and Marty at Lake Berryessa Boat and Jet Ski Rentals and Markley Cove. Call 707-966-4204 to reserve your boat and hang out with the McMillen crew this Tuesday.
