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Brooch Boutique Joins Bunker Hill Dragstrip for Ladies Only Racing

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Bunker Hill, Ind. (December 22, 2022) – Bunker Hill Dragstrip, owned by Top Fuel veteran Terry McMillen, is excited to announce the launch of the Brooch Boutique Ladies Only Sportsman Class in 2023. 

Brooch Boutique, an online women’s clothing store shipping worldwide, with physical locations in Rochester, Warsaw and Wabash Indiana, is partnering with Bunker Hill Dragstrip, to form the first ever Ladies Only Sportsman Class for the 2023 season. The Brooch Boutique Ladies Only class will compete 4-6 times at select Sportsman Bracket Racing events. A detailed schedule will be released in the near future. While not required, ladies who plan to race this class are encouraged to sign up for points. The 2023 Brooch Boutique Ladies Only points champion will earn a Championship Trophy and a $500 championship bonus. 

In 2022 Bunker Hill Dragstrip held a one time Ladies Only race, referred to as the Grocery Getter Race. The idea behind this was to give women, who have never raced before, an opportunity to race their daily driver. Of the 50 ladies who entered the race last year, many had never been down the track before. 

“We are so excited to bring the Brooch Boutique Ladies Only class to Bunker Hill”, says Bunker Hill Dragstrip co-owner Cori McMillen. “I was one of the 50 women who raced last year in our Grocery Getter race. Having no experience racing, I felt comfortable racing against other women. After a red light first round, I wanted nothing more than to race again. Thanks to Brooch Boutique I will get that opportunity next season, and with a championship on the line, that is even more exciting.” 

Terry McMillen, is equally excited to have the Brooch Boutique Ladies Only Sportsman Class next season. “Not only was it very cool for us guys to watch our wives, moms and sisters race, this series has the potential to get women into racing that might not have otherwise. At the end of the day if everyone is having fun, and we are growing the sport of drag racing it is a win/win situation. The fact that Brooch Boutique wants to be a part of it is awesome. I have no doubt if my wife wins an event all the purse money she gets will be spent shopping for clothes at Brooch Boutique, so I will come out a winner too because she will be spending her money and not mine” jokes McMillen.

While Brooch Boutique owner Abby Warpenburg has never been down the track in a race car, as daughter of NHRA Super Stock racer Tim Lowe, and mother to 2020 Bunker Hill Dragstrip Jr Dragster Champion Chas Warpenburg, she has a love for racing, and is excited for Brooch Boutique to be a part of the ladies only class at Bunker Hill Dragstrip, “I am so excited to have this opportunity to partner with Bunker Hill Dragstrip.  Bunkerhill holds a special place in our family’s heart. My dad raced there in the late 60’s and my son has called Bunkerhill home for many summers. The idea to be able to help to bring something new and exciting to our area for women was an easy yes.  This will be such an exciting class to watch grow and blossom this year and for the years to come.  We are honored to be this year’s sponsor, and we hope to see lots of new faces out on the track.  Girl Power!”.

The Ladies Only Sportsman Class will follow traditional Sportsman Class rules. Entry fee, buy back, and payouts will also be the same as the Sportsman Class. 

To shop at Brooch Boutique, visit one of their locations in Warsaw, Rochester, or Wabash Indiana or shop online at https://shopbrooch.com/ .

Coan Engineering continues partnership with Bunker Hill Dragstrip

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Kokomo, Ind, (December 4, 2022) – Bunker Hill Dragstrip owned by Top Fuel driver Terry McMillen is excited to announce the continuation of a partnership with Kokomo, IN based Coan Engineering for the 2023 race season. Over the last several years, Coan Engineering, a leading manufacturer in automatic transmissions, torque converters, and transmission components, has had a major presence at the historic Bunker Hill Dragstrip.

In 2023, the right lane at Bunker Hill Dragstrip will continue to be the Coan Engineering lane. Racers who win or runner up, will continue to celebrate their accomplishments in the Coan Engineering Winners Circle. 

The Coan family, who are racers themselves, understand the hard work that it takes to win an event. In our upcoming season they are taking the Coan Engineering Winner’s Circle experience at Bunker Hill Dragstrip to the next level. The winning driver of each class that competes at a bracket series event, which includes Top(Box), Mod(No Box), Sportsman, Jr. Dragster, Motorcycles, Indiana Outlaw Gassers, and Grocery Getters will receive an exclusive Coan Engineering/Bunker Hill Dragstrip Winner’s Circle Hat. 

“When I raced Top Fuel, other than a Wally there was nothing I wanted more than to earn one of the winner’s circle hats.  Having something special that you can wear and show off to commemorate a win, is really cool. We are extremely excited to launch this program with Coan Engineering, and appreciate the fact that they realize that a race win at Bunker Hill Dragstrip is a big deal, and deserves to be treated that way,” says track owner Terry McMillen.

The winner’s circle hat will be an addition to the winner sticker that drivers at Bunker Hill have been collecting for years. 

Bunker Hill Dragstrip is also in the process of launching a program with Coan Engineering, to provide one free test and tune with the purchase of transmissions or torque converters. They encourage all Coan customers to hold on to their receipts as details will be announced prior to the track opening for the 2023 season.  

McMillen Buys Indiana’s First Dragstrip

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Elkhart, Ind. (July 12, 2022) – It’s no secret that NHRA Top Fuel veteran Terry McMillen has always had interest in owning a dragstrip. A few years ago when he was in the very public  process of purchasing Osceola Dragway in Osceola, IN, a lawsuit against the county for rezoning the property put the sale on hold.  The owners were eager to sell, and with the uncertainty of the pandemic and how long the lawsuit would last, McMillen gave them the option to sell to a different buyer who didn’t need the land rezoned to purchase. That buyer ultimately turned the land into farmland.

Over the next few years McMillen would check out tracks that were listed for sale, hoping to find one that made sense for the future of his family, but there was always something that made him rule each track out.

They say everything happens for a reason. Recently, McMillen was having a conversation with Mark Cregier, the track owner of Bunker Hill Dragstrip, in Bunker HIll, IN, the track where Cameron McMillen, Terry’s son races his Jr. Dragster. This conversation unexpectedly turned to health issues Cregier had been dealing with and his thoughts about possibly selling the track. It was during that conversation that McMillen realized why the deal with Oseola didn’t go through, and why the other tracks he looked at weren’t the perfect fit for his family. It was because the track meant for his family to own was Bunker Hill Dragstrip.  

In 2021 the McMillen family spent almost every weekend racing there. The racers welcomed them with open arms, and the McMillens were proud to call Bunker Hill, Indiana’s first dragstrip, their home track. This is also the track where Cameron got his first win, that in itself makes it a special place for their family. 

Before they knew it, Cregier and McMillen had put together a deal for the McMillen’s to purchase the track. 

“First of all I need to thank Mark for everything he has done at Bunker HIll Dragstrip. He bought the track during the pandemic to save it. He made several much needed updates to the facility and never stopped working on improvements, in fact, just last week the parts for the new track scraper he purchased were delivered. Our plan is to continue with what Mark started.”

The speed in which ownership will change hands feels like the 330 mph that McMillen is used to driving. Starting Friday July 15th, Terry, Cori, & Cameron McMillen will be the new owners/operators of Bunker Hill Dragstrip. Cregier has committed to helping them learn everything they need to know before he walks away. 

“If Mark wouldn’t have agreed to stay and help my family get started, I don’t think we could have done it. We are excited to work beside him and finish this season as a team.”

Ownership may be changing but it will be business as usual at Bunker Hill Dragstrip. Friday’s test and tune gates open at 5:00pm with cars on track at 6:00pm. It is 25 dollars to test and 10 dollars for spectators. Kids 12 and under are free. Saturday is a Summit Super Series points race featuring, Jr’s, Street, Sportsman, Modified, and Top along with the newest class to join the Bunker Hill racing family, Indiana Outlaw Gassers. Spectators are only 10 dollars and kids 12 and under are free.

AMALIE joins McMillen and Dan Mercier Racing 

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Elkhart, Ind. (March 24, 2022) -AMALIE® Motor Oil joins Dan Mercier Racing as an associate sponsor on the Mercier Racing Top Fuel Dragster driven by Terry McMillen, a two-time NHRA winner, including the 2018 US Nationals. AMALIE will also be an associate sponsor on the Mercier Racing A-Fuel Dragster driven by Dan Mercier

“We’re so excited to have AMALIE joining us for 2022,” McMIllen said. “The pandemic caused us to have to pause our contract with AMALIE. So, having them on the side of our Mercier Racing dragster just feels right. Dan runs a family friendly team that fits so well into our family racing roots and the AMALIE Family.”

“AMALIE, a family owned company, manufactures and blends a wide variety of high quality, top performing lubricants for automotive and Industrial applications,” said Harry Barkett (President and CEO of AMALIE). “Both Terry McMillen and Dan Mercier are considered part of the extended AMALIE Family. Terry has been a friend and the pilot of the Xtermigator for over 20 years, he is a true professional and competes with the highest level of intensity I’ve seen.”  Harry continued, “Dan was a customer for years prior to becoming an AMALIE distributor.  He is a consummate businessman who is doing a tremendous job growing our brand north of the border and we look forward to continued success on and off the track.”

Dan Mercier is the owner of Alpha 3 in Montreal, Quebec and is AMALIE’s largest distributor in eastern Canada. Mercier has competed in A-Fuel and Top Fuel Dragster. He has raced a limited Top Fuel schedule with McMillen in the past and is looking forward to working with McMillen again.

 “I am tremendously proud to be associated with AMALIE Motor Oil,” Mercier said. “My team and I feel that wearing AMALIE’s colors in 2022 is a sign of confidence from the management of this great company.” 

Mercier’s relationship with AMALIE goes beyond that of a sponsor and racer or even that of a manufacturer and distributor. 

“I fell in love with AMALIE’s products 4 years ago,” Mercier continued. “In the last 30 years, I tried several lubricant companies for my racing cars and the results were always the same; they were acceptable, but they never improved the performance of my cars in any meaningful way. To my great surprise, both in the Top Fuel and A/Fuel categories, AMALIE’s oils have made the difference in our engines. For example, before our switch to AMALIE’s lubricants, in the A/Fuel category, we changed the rod bearings every run and now we can easily do 8 to 10 runs. This proves the incredible effectiveness of AMALIE’s oil formulas. You have to visit the manufacturing plant and their laboratory to understand the scale of this company in North America and their commitment to quality and performance.”

Mercier Racing is currently planning on a 6-8 race schedule that will start with the Virginia NHRA Nationals May 13-15.

Allstar Performance joins Cam McMillen for 2022 campaign

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Gainesville, Fla. (March 4, 2022) – Cameron McMillen will make his 2022 debut at the 7th Annual Baby Gators in Gainesville, Florida this weekend. He will carry the colors of his new primary sponsor Allstar Performance in a design created by Jeff Kolts of E1GH7 Design Method. The 8 year old, Elkhart, Indiana native, is the son of 2018 US Nationals Top Fuel winner Terry McMillen.

McMillen can’t wait to to suit up for his first time out this year. “I’m really excited about racing in Gainesville,” said Cam. “I really like how the Allstar colors on the side look. I’m also excited about racing my friends Rydin and Zandir Cook.”

“The future of motorsports rests not only in the hands of these young racers but with their parents who give their time and support so they can pursue their racing careers, said Scott Walstrom, Director of Marketing for Motor State Distributing, parent company of Allstar Performance. “Our relationship with the McMillen family spans decades and Cam was wearing Allstar apparel since the day he arrived. Growing up in the pits had a huge impact on Cam’s decision to be a Jr. Dragster racer but you still must have that desire and passion to race. Allstar is proud to be represented by Cam, and the entire McMillen family. We couldn’t be happier with how the new design by Jeff Kolts turned out, it looks amazing. We wish Cam and all the Junior Dragster Racers the best of luck in Gainesville and future races. Chomp…Chomp!!!”

McMillen’s Jr. Dragster will also carry associate sponsors Race Quip, Amalie Motor Oil and The Misfit Q.

“We’ve been looking forward to this day for awhile,” Terry McMillen said. “Divisional races have always been the backbone of NHRA Drag Racing and the Jr. Dragster division is not only where the future of this sport is, but it’s where family and friend bonds are created for a lifetime.”

Cameron made his NHRA debut at an exhibition pass in 2018 at the NHRA Reading national event at 5 years old. He raced last season at Bunker Hill Dragstrip where he won his first race and he was selected as the Most Improved driver at the season-end awards banquet.

Cameron will spend a little extra time in Florida when is Jr. Dragster will be displayed with other Southeast Division 2 Jr. Dragsters at the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals. The Jr. Dragsters will also make exhibition runs during the national event, including a pass during Sunday eliminations.

The Baby Gators kicked off March 3rd. Tickets are still available for the Divisional event which will run through March 6th. If you can’t make it to Gainesville, the eveni will be Live Streamed on NHRA.tv.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will be run the following weekend, March 10-13.

FAN FAVORITE TERRY MCMILLEN ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR 2022 RETURN

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McMillen and Mercier team up for 2022 NHRA Camping World Series

– 2018 US Nationals winner will race part-time schedule with Dan Mercier Racing –

Elkhart, IN (January 21, 2022) — The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season will see another familiar face in the Top Fuel ranks as fan favorite and 2018 US Nationals Top Fuel winner Terry McMillen today announced he will compete on a limited schedule, competing in six to eight national events in 2022, so he can continue to support his son Cameron’s junior dragster career. McMillen will race under the Dan Mercier Racing banner. 

[Read more…]

MCMILLEN RACING AND AMALIE MOTOR OIL AGREE TO SUSPEND RELATIONSHIP

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ELKHART, IND (October 7, 2020) – After 19 years together, Terry McMillen Racing and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil company have mutually agreed to suspend their sponsorship relationship. Amalie Oil has suspended all motorsports sponsorships effective immediately. The move comes as the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, now Camping World Drag Racing Series, wraps up with three final races in Dallas, Houston and Las Vegas. McMillen informed his racing team of the decision this week and he will be evaluating the future direction of the organization in the coming weeks. 

“I can’t thank Amalie Motor Oil enough for the support they have shown me over the past 19 years,” said McMillen, the 2018 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel national event winner. “It is not a cliché, this company was part of my family. They stuck by us as long as they could and we are agreeing to suspend this sponsorship with no hard feelings. They have gone above and beyond to be fair with my team financially. We just reached a point where it didn’t make good business sense for either of us to move forward. They are a great company and I can’t say enough nice things about how they have treated me and this team over the years. Starting today we are exploring new opportunities. Right now it is key to keep Amalie employees working and making product so when the economy turns around they will be ready.” 

The move was directly related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the global economy. According to a research study conducted by consultant KPMG International, working from home and online shopping have become the new normal and will reduce driving in the U.S. by up to 270 billion miles a year. Additionally, 64 percent of Americans who are not driving said they’re working from home, which equates to 259 billion miles not being driven over the course of a year, dramatically reducing motor oil sales. Moving forward, KPMG is predicting as much as a 10% permanent reduction in the nearly three trillion miles typically traveled every year which has already and will continue to adversely affect the motor oil business and automotive industry as a whole.  

“I certainly understand why this happened and I remain very hopeful that we will be back sometime next year,” said McMillen, a two-time national event winner.  “My crew chief Rob Wendland and my entire team have done an amazing job giving us a car that can compete with anybody on any given day.  Anyone that has followed my racing career has seen the struggles I have had over the years.  What Rob has done to turn things around is something that I will never take for granted. Rob, his family, and my entire team mean the world to me.  This certainly is a setback, but I am not going to say it’s the end.” 

“Amalie has supported us through the good, the bad and certainly the ugly. When other teams were laying off their crew during the height of the pandemic, Amalie made sure that I was able to keep my team intact and employed. I know that this decision was extremely painful for Amalie, as it is for me, but I look forward to what the future has to offer, and I won’t give up hope that I will be back on the track in a competitive fashion again one day.” 

AMALIE MOTOR OIL TOP FUELER CONTINUES TO IMPRESS IN ST. LOUIS

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ST LOUIS (October 4, 2020) — Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team continued to show off their 2020 season improvement with a dominant performance during the lone qualifying session at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. McMillen blasted to the No. 2 qualifying spot with a 3.715 second run at 319.45 mph on Friday night and took some serious momentum into race day. A long day of rain delays put the pressure on all the pro teams but McMillen’s crew was up to the task.  

In the opening round McMillen further showed his Rob Wendland tuned AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster was going to be one of the race cars to beat at World Wide Technology Raceway. The team had a favorable match up against journeyman racer Todd Paton as eliminations began under cool conditions. McMillen got the jump off the starting and never trailed in the race as his 3.777 second at 325.53 mph pass advanced him to the quarterfinals against fellow championship contender Billy Torrence. 

The quarterfinal race was one of the best side by side races of the day. McMillen was giving up lane choice but that was not a competitive disadvantage thanks to the excellent effort by the NHRA Safety Safari. Both Top Fuel dragsters launched nearly simultaneously with Torrence getting a slight advantage. That edge would prove to be the difference as the Amalie Motor Oil dragster barreled down the track and crossed the finish line in 3.714 second, a thousandth of a second quicker than his qualifying run. Unfortunately Torrence got the win light by less than two feet and .0046 seconds at over 325 mph. 

“I could not be prouder of this Amalie Motor Oil race team,” said McMillen. “My crew chief Rob Wendland has been doing an amazing job with the tune up. We are running in hot conditions and this weekend conditions were the exact opposite of what we had in Florida. This team executed and we made the most of our one qualifying run and we stepped up when we needed to against a tough team. It just didn’t go our way today.” 

The team brought out a brand new race car to begin the restarted NHRA season and through seven races McMillen knows he has a championship caliber race operation. Round wins are coming on race day and today under tough conditions McMillen’s Amalie Motor Oil team improved and posted some of the quickest elapsed times. With three races left McMillen in No. 5 in the points has the opportunity to realistically contend for a Top Three finish. 

“There is no quit in this team. We will be heading to Dallas and Houston with the goal of winning both of those races and then see where we stack up for a run to the championship. We will have points and half at the last race so anything can happen. I am proud of how this team fought this weekend under tough conditions,” added McMillen. 

Midwest Nationals Qualifying Results 
Q1: 3.715 sec, 319.45 mph; Qual. 2 
Bonus Points: +2 (2nd quickest of Q1)

Race Results 
E1: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.777, 325.53 mph def. Todd Paton, Rancho Santa Maria, Calif., dragster 13.707, 54.81 mph 

E2:  Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster, 3.717, 327.59 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.714, 323.50 mph 

McMILLEN SHOW FLASHES OF GREATNESS AT GATORNATIONALS

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (September 27, 2020) — It took almost seven months but Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team finally delivered for the NHRA AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals fans. Today in front of an impressive crowd at Gainesville Raceway McMillen raced to a semifinal finish before being upended by eventual runner-up Billy Torrence. The day was one of solid progress and a big-time upset for the team from Elkhart, Indiana. 

“We were ahead in that semifinal race against Billy Torrence and then it just dropped a cylinder at like 1.5 seconds out,” said McMillen, driver of the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster. “It started spinning the tires. It just didn’t work out. It has been a great weekend. We put on a great show in front of our AMALIE Motor Oil family. It was a successful weekend but certainly we wanted to go to the final and give ourselves a chance to win. We had the car to get there but we just made a mistake out there and it didn’t like it.” 

McMillen and his Rob Wendland tuned Top Fuel dragster struggled in qualifying trying to get a handle on a hot track with only two qualifying sessions. The driver and crew chief combo put their heads together overnight and decided to get aggressive in their first round race with Top Fuel point leader Doug Kalitta. McMillen’s best time of the weekend was a pedestrian 4.72 second run in qualifying and they dramatically improved with a 3.747 second blast to get the first round win over Kalitta. The first round win highlighted some of the positive moves the team made. 

“It was awesome to be here because with the Amalie executives out here at the track and our customers it is really good for them to see all this sport has to offer,” said McMillen. “You see the interaction with the fans and it helps everyone understand a little more about what our sport is all about. It is not just about race cars going down the track. We are taking care of the fans who are our potential customers for future sales. That is really important. Getting back here to Gainesville where we started something where we didn’t have the chance to finish was important. We finished it today the best that we could. Overall it was a good weekend we just have a couple bugs we still have to work out.” 

In the second round McMillen had lane choice over three-time world champion Antron Brown. Once again the Rob Wendland tune-up was up to the challenge for another round win. His time was slower but it was enough to trailer a tire smoking Brown and advance to the semifinals. The next round did not unfold in McMillen’s favor but with another race this coming weekend the team was taking the positives and moving forward. 

“In reality the more you race the more efficient you become,” said McMillen. “It is good for the team and good for everyone. You get a little more information every time. This is like our ninth run on this clutch pack so we are still learning this clutch system we are getting a better handle on it. It throws us a bone every once and a while. In Indy we went 3.72 and first round today we went 3.74 but we have to find consistency. Rob has done a marvelous job of giving us a good race car. The inconsistency of the clutch discs is something we are working through and that is something he can’t control. We have to continue to work on that clutch package.”  

McMillen and the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel team will be back in action at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway with two qualifying session, Saturday, October 3. 

Gatornationals Qualifying Results 
Q1: 4.724 sec, 162.96 mph; Qual. 9 
Q2: 5.111 sec, 137.40 mph; Qual. 11 
Bonus Points: 0 

Race Results 
E1: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.747, 321.27 mph def. Doug Kalitta, Ypsilanti, Mich., Mac Tools dragster 3.877, 310.91 mph  

E2: Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.827, 310.63 mph def. Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco dragster, 4.575, 178.06 mph 
E3: Billy Torrence, Kilgore, Texas, Capco Contractors dragster 3.817, 321.88 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.841, 311.34 mph 

McMillen Has More Goals On Tap Exiting U. S. Nationals

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photo © Cori McMillen

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind (September 6, 2020) — Entering the 66th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team had a number of goals most importantly picking up their second win at the historic event. In addition to victory the team was looking to continue gathering data and runs on a brand new chassis as well as making a switch in their clutch package. The three rounds of qualifying for the event including a Friday night session gave the team the opportunity to run in optimal conditions. 

“We had a number of things we want to accomplish this weekend at the U.S. Nationals,” said McMillen. “We wanted to get another U.S. Nationals win in the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster of course but we also wanted to continue to show the rest of the class that we are one of the top teams. Even though we didn’t get our top goal we accomplished all our other goals.” 

On Friday night after a lengthy delay McMillen and his Rob Wendland tuned AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster made a 3.799 second run at 323.27 mph which was quick enough to place the team 10th on the qualifying sheet. It was the first run in the cooler night conditions since the team brought out the new chassis. 

“We knew we would have really good conditions on Friday night,” said Wendland. “We had a killer tune up in this Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster but we got delayed almost two hours and the conditions changed dramatically. We were able to make a few changes but I know there is more in this tune up. We got some good data and I know we can run in those conditions if we need to again.” 

During Saturday’s two qualifying sessions McMillen’s team got information from both runs in spite of one run being less that successful. The opening run of the day was a tire smoking 4.267 second run which was followed by a much improved 3.773 second run at 317.87 mph which left the team as the No. 11 qualifier. 

“We learned a lot from the first run on Saturday and put it to good use on the final run,” said McMillen. “Rob was excited to see how the car reacted and we felt good going into race day. We got a good handle on the new clutches and we knew we were headed in the right direction. The one thing was we were a little behind the eight ball and know we would have a tough first round.” 

In the opening round today McMillen squared off against Leah Pruett the No. 6 qualifier. It was a battle of two Top Fuel championship contenders. In an epic race McMillen made another dramatic performance leap running 3.726 seconds at 320.13 mph which was the fourth quickest run of the event. Unfortunately, Pruett was beside him making the quickest run of the event, a blistering 3.703 seconds at 325.61 mph pass. The team took the best of the situation and will head to the next race, the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, September 26-27. 

Qualifying Results 
Q1: 3.799 sec, 323.27 mph; Qual. 10 
Q2: 4.267 sec, 195.36 mph; Qual. 11 
Q3: 3.773 sec, 317.87 mph; Qual. 11 
Bonus Points: 0 

Race Results 
E1: Leah Pruett, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Mopar dragster 3.703, 325.61 mph def. Terry McMillen, Elkhart, Ind., AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster, 3.726, 320.13 mph