TOPEKA, Kan. — The ninth race of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Race takes place this weekend at Heartland Park Topeka and Terry McMillen finds his Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster winless so far on the NHRA tour.
“I don’t think you can ever underestimate the depth of talented teams here in the NHRA,” McMillen said. “There’s no such thing as an easy round. We’re going to have to win our first round the old fashion way and earn it.”
ATLANTA – Can you be 0-7 on race day this season and still be confident? After losing seven straight elimination rounds, Terry McMillen, driver of the Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster thinks so. “We might be the only 0-7 team out here, but we’re better than our record would indicate,” McMillen said.
While some would argue that McMillen might be full of confidence, it’s hard to argue with his team’s early season accomplishments. McMillen has qualified in the top half of the field in the last three races and set new personal best elapsed time and mile per hour records this season. Yet, winning a round on Sunday still eludes that Elkhart, Ind. based team.
Spencer Lacy and his Lil’ InstiGator team showed off their new Amalie Racing crew jerseys.
Despite the 47 degree temperature and 25 mph winds the team raced on and looked good doing it.
ROCKDALE, Texas – New Breed Racing’s Alesi Gerthe is pleased to announce her recent completion of Phase 2 of this year’s Women in the Winner’s Circle Driver’s Academy. This Phase took place once again at Athlete’s Performance in Phoenix, Arizona.
During Phase 2, the focus was on the business side of racing. Lyn St. James and her panel of experts covered topics such as branding yourself, sponsorship, media relations, and other information.
“It was an honor to be invited back to Phase 2 and have the opportunity to experience and learn about on camera interviews, making speeches, and interacting with people, as well as learn more about the business side of racing”, said Alesi. “We also were tested on areas covered in Phase 1. Ms. St. James and her team provide a professional, first-rate program and I’m so pleased with the entire experience.”
MADISON, Ill. – Terry McMillen drove his Amalie Oil Top Fuel Dragster to another career best qualifying effort at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals this past weekend at Gateway International Raceway. While McMIllen’s seventh best qualifying position would be a new career best for the Elkhart, Ind. resident, it would not be enough to propel him to his first round win of the 2010 season. Veteran Pat Dakin would provide McMillen his sixth consecutive loss.
“I hope that’s the last chapter in our book on how to lose races in the first round,” a frustrated crew chief Richard Hartman said.
MADISON, Ill. – It has been a busy week around the Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster race shop. Terry McMillen, owner and driver of the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel team hopes this week is even busier as the team rolls into the Gateway International Raceway for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.
“Richard (Hartman, crew chief) has been going over everything with a fine-tooth comb,” McMillen said. “This car is so close to putting up some really impressive numbers – it’s what keeps us motivated. If you look at our incremental times from the 330 foot mark to the finish line, we’re a top five or six car. Yet our 60 foot numbers are at the bottom half of that same incremental sheet. The car really wants to run – if we can just figure out that piece of the puzzle (60 foot times) the car will go.”
BAYTOWN, Texas — Terry McMillen piloted his Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster to his most consistent outing of the 2010 Full Throttle Drag Racing season. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough for the Elkhart, Ind. based team to earn its first round win.
“My guys did such a great job this weekend,” McMillen said of his team. “The Amalie dragster was running like a bracket car all weekend. Losing first round this weekend hurt more than most.” A broken blower snout would cause the car to lose a cylinder early in the run, eventually pushing the head gasket.
Albuquerque, N.M. — Terry McMillen will display his Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster and sign autographs during a Parts Plus Customer Appreciation Day on Tuesday April 13 (1pm – 3pm) in Albuquerque New Mexico. One lucky person will win a trip to the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals April 16-18 compliments of Parts Plus, Amalie Oil and Hoosier Thunder Motorsports.
“Parts Plus has been a great distributor for Amalie,” McMillen said. “Having a chance to stop by, have some lunch and spend some time with them between Houston and Vegas is a special treat for us. We’re looking forward to making some new friends in New Mexico.”
What: Parts Plus Customer Appreciation – Albuquerque New Mexico
When: Tue, April 13, 1pm – 3pm
Where: 5900 Office Blvd NW Albuquerque NM 87109
BAYTOWN, Texas – Terry McMillen will bring high hopes and his Amalie Oil Top Fuel Dragster to Houston Raceway Park this weekend for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. It will be McMillen’s first appearance at the east Texas track.
McMillen hopes Houston marks the spot for his first round win of the season. “We’re just taking it one round at a time,” he said. “We’ve ran pretty good at times, we just need to find a way to win a round. If we can do that, we can kind of fight our way into the top 10. It’s a little bunched up and it would be pretty fun to make it a little messier.”
CONCORD, N.C. — Terry McMillen and his Amalie Oil Top Fuel team headed into the NHRA 4 Wide Nationals full of hope and optimism on the heels of a career best performance just two weeks earlier at the Gator Nationals in Gainesville. While zMax Dragway provided his first round win last season, this trip to Charlotte wouldn’t be as kind.
“I was excited about four wide racing before I got here,” McMillen explained. “I just struggled all weekend trying to get comfortable staging the car. I just never felt comfortable in my own car.” For the first time in McMillen’s racing career he was timed out at the tree for not staging the car quickly enough, losing his third qualifying attempt. He also had uncharacteristic slow reaction times.
While a few teams adjusted well to the new conditions, most struggled along with McMillen to find the right staging procedures. Red light starts, timed out attempts and smoking tires seemed more than normal.