Reading, Penn. – Rain persisted during the NHRA Keystone Nationals and qualifying was cut to just one session. That didn’t help Terry McMillen’s quest to qualify his AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil INSTIGATOR Top Fuel Dragster.
“We actually made a pretty good pass given the conditions,” a disgusted McMillen said shortly after the remaining qualifying session was canceled. McMillen sat already strapped into the car waiting for NHRA as they finished track preparations before the rain started again.
“In our only attempt on Saturday we ran a 3.84 elapsed time, but I clipped a cone at the end of the track, disqualifying my run. The NHRA ran the jet dryer just before my run, it was sprinkling on my windshield, it was just slick out there – I couldn’t keep it in the groove. I guess that’s just the way my luck goes this season. All we had to do was stage the car! They (NHRA) didn’t the cone, I did.”
Had McMillen’s run counted he would have qualified third. The canceled session left only 14 cars qualified for tomorrow’s elimination rounds in Top Fuel. “Hey, NHRA did what they could to get at least one session in,” McMillen added. “I guess this is just one of those times I wish they (NHRA) would have done something different. It wasn’t a great qualifying session for the fans and it wasn’t for most of the teams. It’s going to be a guessing game for the crew chiefs tomorrow with only one shot at the track. Maybe we should have ran another qualifying session tomorrow, I don’t know. A 14 car show on Sunday certainly won’t be a great show for the fans and byes in eliminations doesn’t say much for a Championship Countdown. I’ll get over it. Hopefully Dallas will be our luck changer.”
The next stop on the NHRA tour takes McMillen and team to the Texas Motorplex for the NHRA AAA Texas Fall Nationals October 15-18.
It’s not too late to participate in the SHE4Life Breast Cancer Awareness campaign in Dallas. Put the name of a loved one who has or is battling cancer on McMillen’s car. All proceeds benefit SHE4Life. Visit SHE4Life.com for details.
