KENT, Wash. – The three race NHRA Western Swing that takes competitors from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the wine country of Northern California, finishing in the northwestern area of Washington, ended earlier than expected for Terry McMillen’s Amalie Oil / UNOH / All Star Performance Top Fuel team.
After making promising improvements over the past several races the Elkhart, Ind. based team fell three thousandths of a second short of the 16 car field at the NHRA Northwest Nationals. “Our day is coming,” team owner and driver Terry McMillen said shortly after missing the field. “We’re just going to keep our heads up and keep fighting. We’re going down the track more consistent now than we ever have, we just have to keep improving, keep trying to figure this thing out. We’re going to get there. I have no doubt.”
“This is certainly a setback,” McMillen continued. “I know it ends our chance to make The Countdown. But we’re not going to let this define us. What will define us is how we bounce back from this. Obviously this puts us in the roll to be the spoiler and I think our team is better prepared to take on that roll better than anyone right now.”
“We have so many friends up here that help us and pull for us. We couldn’t do it without great companies and people like Lance Hansen from My Town Motors, Vic Payment from Budget Auto and Truck Wrecking and Jimmy Vasser from Jimmy Vasser Toyota. We have a great team of partners behind us from our major associate sponsors to all of the folks that support us regionally. We can’t thank them enough.”
McMillen by the numbers
- .003 seconds
The time it takes to blink an adult human eye, the time it takes people to post 544 tweets on twitter or the difference from making the field or going home in Washington. - 3,547 miles
Number of miles the team traveled one way on the Western Swing - 3 broken bones
Number of breaks in assistant crew chief Ray Murphy’s leg after a mishap on a rope swing at Lake Berryessa. Get well soon Ray – we missed you in Washington.
