PHOENIX, AZ (February 23, 2020) — Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil Top Fuel team  had a career best weekend at the NHRA Arizona Nationals posting their quickest elapsed time in the first round today at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Racing as the No. 4 qualifier against three-time world champion Antron Brown, McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster had lane choice and confidence. 

The team knew they would have their hands full even on the strength of crew chief Rob Wendland’s strong tuning performance on Friday night. The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster blistered the track with a 3.696 second run at 326.79 mph which was just a thousandth of a second off his career best elapsed time. Heading into the first round McMillen was eager to get to the starting line. 

Unfortunately McMillen’s aggressiveness got the best of him and the veteran driver jumped the tree with a red-light start. The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster proceeded to make a career best run of 3.691 seconds at 323.89 mph in a losing effort.

“I knew we had a great race car going into the first round today,” said McMillen from his pits. “I don’t know when I have been more excited about getting a race started. My crew chief Rob Wendland and these Amalie team guys showed we had a race car that can compete with our run on Friday. We were the No. 4 qualifier and drew a three-time world champion in the first round with Antron Brown. That shows you how tough this class is. I knew I needed to give it 100% on the starting line. Every driver will tell you there are times you just get too jacked up. I knew I needed to do my job and I just hit the throttle too early.”

With two races in the books on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season McMillen and his Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster team have shown positive results even if the stat sheet doesn’t reflect round wins. Two weeks ago the team made solid runs in qualifying and then this weekend in Phoenix they stepped up their game on the performance side.

“That was a career best run and we didn’t get to go to the next round,” said McMillen. “I am a positive person and I know I have a race car that can win rounds this season, a lot of rounds. Rob has put in a lot of hours on this race car and we saw the results this weekend. It is tough to lose like that but I know the next race is the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals and you better believe we will be ready for that race. I have to thank all the fans that waited out the weather yesterday and supported us all weekend.”

With a few weeks to get back to the shop the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel team will take the career best elapsed time tune up and look for ways to improve even more. It will be a busy weekend at Gainesville Raceway for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals but one that McMillen looks forward to every year.

“We are focusing on the Gatornationals starting right now. It is our biggest race of the year since it is our sponsor’s race but it is also great to see so many supporters on the ropes and in our hospitality area,” added McMillen.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 5.903 sec, 104.28 mph; Qual. 12
Q2: 3.696 sec, 326.79 mph; Qual. 4
Q3: 4.024 sec, 225.82 mph; Qual. 4
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

E1: Lost to Antron Brown, red-light, 3.691 at 323.89 mph vs. 3.729 at 326.95 mph

Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018.

POMONA, CA (February 9, 2020) — The 60th annual NHRA Winternationals proved to be a solid first race for Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil team . Beyond the race day results the team worked together acclimating new teammates and racing in challenging conditions giving McMillen a lot of confidence heading to Phoenix.

On race day McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster were confident about what lay ahead in kick-off event of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The team did not participate in any pre-season testing so the first race was a good opportunity to make immediate improvement.

“I am really excited about getting the race started. We didn’t test so we didn’t get a good run in the first qualifying session,” said McMillen, an eight time Top Fuel career finalist. “The final two qualifying sessions were awesome.  We ran mid 70s and we are sitting in the No. 7 spot going into the race. We feel comfortable but we know there is more out there. We need to pick it up but it will be a challenge today because it is going to be cold and the track will be tight.”

The Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster entered race day as the No. 7 qualifier and drew No. 8 qualifier Clay Millican in the first round. Both dragsters left the starting line nearly welded together but McMillen drove into severe tire shake. The veteran driver was able to pedal his 11,000 horsepower dragster but he was unable to track down his opponent. It was his fifth run of the season following four qualifying runs and for McMillen there was minimal rust to shake off on hos driving skills.

“It is really just like riding a bike,” explained McMillen. “You get in it and you just feel comfortable once you are in there. You go through the warm up and then the game is on. You would think you would be rusty but I really wasn’t.”

Coming out of the race and looking ahead to the next event at the end of the month in Arizona McMillen knows his team is coming together.

“Making solid runs to start the season shows how all the hard work over the winter has paid off,” said McMillen. “We have a couple new guys on the team so we are going through some transitional changes. We have a couple people in different positions. We are definitely working together to get more efficient. The car is solid and when we are making runs everything looks good after the run. Everyone is doing their job.”

Working through the pressure of top shelf competition was the biggest take away for the Amalie Motor Oil team. Racing at the highest level and having success like McMillen has experienced over the past seasons doesn’t come without hard work and practice. This weekend making consistent runs in the 3.70s before the weather shifted on race day set the team up for a great start to the 2020 season.

“We can practice all day long in the shop but it is totally different when you are at the race,” summed up McMillen. “The clock is ticking here and we train at the shop but this is the real deal. If you mess up here you don’t make the round. It is a little more tense for the guys. A few of them have a few jitters going into first round.  This is the fun part of the sport. Everything has to be precise and because of all the power these race cars make if you make one mistake it is over.”  

McMillen and the Amalie Motor Oil team will be back on track at the Arizona NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, February 21-23.

Race Results

Q1: 6.757 sec., 93.04 mph, Qual. 11

Q2: 3.758 sec., 325.45 mph, Qual. 6

Q3: 3.748 sec., 322.58 mph, Qual. 6

Q4:  3.750 sec., 326.24 mph, Qual. 7

E1: Clay Millican, 3.731 sec., 323.58 mph def. Terry McMillen, 4.640sec., 183.05 mph

Terry McMillen Racing based in Elkhart, Ind., is a Top Fuel drag racing team competing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The team was founded in 2007 and has shown remarkable determination and dedication. McMillen won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in 2018 and has qualified for the NHRA Countdown, the end of season playoffs, in 2017 and 2018. Throughout his career with longtime sponsor AMALIE® Motor Oil McMillen has raced to eight final rounds including a career best five finals in 2018.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (September 29, 2019) – Terry McMillen and his AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ team fought through adversity to claim an elusive round win in the first round of eliminations. The win marks the team’s first round win since Epping, New Hampshire earlier this summer. 

“We had a good weekend,” McMillen explained. “I should clarify. It was a good weekend on the track and a tough weekend in the pits.”

The team lost the generator that powers the pits in between qualifying rounds, which in turn damaged the air compressor as well. While McMillen scrambled to rent a generator, the team continued to hustle on the service of the car.

“It was all we could do to get back up there for the fourth session,” McMillen said. “It just goes to show how much this team has come together.” McMillen would post a 3.727 elapsed time at 329.10 MPH in that session. That run moved him to the ninth qualifying spot and a first round match-up with Clay Millican.

“It’s hard to believe that Top Fuel has come to this,” McMillen continued. “You go out and run a 3.72 in qualifying and don’t have lane choice.”

McMillen would post a 3.781 to Millican’s 3.802 for the win on Sunday. 

“I would rather face Clay in a final round,” McMillen said. “Hopefully we get an opportunity to do that someday. Right now my thoughts and prayers are with his family. He lost his mother Saturday.”

McMillen will be on the track again October 11-13 in Charlotte at the NHRA North Carolina Nationals.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (September 2, 2019) – After finding the consistency the team had searched for much of the summer, defending U.S. Nationals Champion Terry McMillen and his AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ team fell to Steve Torrence in the opening round. The loss and Billy Torrence’s win ended McMillen’s hopes for The Countdown to the Championship.

“We didn’t make the Countdown and that sucks,” McMillen said. “But, it really didn’t come down to this race. We gave up too many rounds during the season. It was just more than we could try and make up for in one race.”

McMillen made five solid runs during qualifying and eliminations all in the 3.76 to 3.78 elapsed time windows in what turned into the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history.

“This is a good team,” McMillen continued. “We’ll go into spoiler mode. There’s six races left and while we can’t win the Championship we can make a difference in that outcome. Plus, it’s never to early to start building for next season”

BRAINERD, Minn. (August 18, 2019) – Terry McMillen and his AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel team didn’t accomplish what they set out to do in Minnesota, but the defending U.S. Nationals Champion has a plan to stay in the Countdown with one race remaining.

“We changed a couple of components to help us get more consistent,” McMillen explained after his first round loss to Doug Kalitta. “We’re just going to have to link our wounds after this loss and come back with a combination that we can make a run at this with. The right lane was a little tricky early after the rain the night before. We just missed it. It is what it is.”

McMillen still holds a slight lead for the tenth spot in the Countdown, just seven points over Scott Palmer and 41 points over Billy Torrence. Point values at the U.S. Nationals are worth 1.5 more than normal.

“We’re headed for Indy for some Thursday testing.” McMillen said. “There’s never a margin for error in drag racing. The U.S. Nationals will just prove it that much more.”

KENT, Wash. (August 4, 2019) – Terry McMillen and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ team struggled through the first part of the Western Swing, but hopefully have found the consistency needed to hold on for a spot in the NHRA Countdown. McMillen earned five bonus points over the past two races, yet failed to notch a round win.

“It’s the best weekend we’ve had in a long time,” McMillen said of the recent Northwest Nationals held just outside of Seattle. McMillen remains in the Top 10, six points ahead of Scott Palmer and 66 points ahead of Billy Torrence.

“It’s tight right now for the last spot,” McMillen continued. “I have to be looking over my shoulder at Scott and Billy, but at the same time I’m looking forward at Prock and Crampton. We’ve been here before. I can tell you this, we’re going to go down swinging.” Austin Prock and Richie Crampton are tied for the eight spot, 77 points ahead of McMillen.

McMillen earned two bonus points in the first qualifying session in Sonoma and then earned an additional three points with the quickest elapsed time of the third session in Seattle.

“Every point counts,” McMillen said. “We just came up short on race day. Consistency is the key down the stretch. If we can keep making consistent runs and keep improving, we’ll be right where we need to be when the Countdown starts.”

Two races remain before the Countdown. The next is the Brainerd, Minnesota, August 15-18 and the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis August 28 – September 2 where McMillen will defend his U.S. Nationals title.

NORWALK, Ohio (June 23, 2019) – Terry McMillen, driver of the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ Top Fuel dragster posted the low elapsed time of eliminations in his first round win over Austin Prock. The win moves McMillen to ninth in the points standings and just eight points from Richie Crampton. McMillen would turn on the red light in his round two match up with veteran Pat Dakin.

“That was a pretty stout run,” McMillen said of his first round win. “We made up some ground (in the points standings), so that was good. We’re getting back where we need to be.”

“That second round loss was all me,” McMillen said of his rare red light start. “In the second round the track was getting tricky. I’m not sure it was going to make it, but I didn’t give us a chance. It happens, that’s racing. Our mind is already focused on Epping.”

McMillen qualified sixth for the event, his third highest start of the season. “Overall it was a good weekend,” McMillen said. “We got to meet a lot of people from Tub O’ Towels and it was great to see their excitement for NHRA Drag Racing.”

The NHRA New England Nationals will be July 5th – July 7th at the New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.

BRISTOL, Tenn (June 16, 2019) — For the sixth time this season, Terry McMillen and his AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ team qualified in the top half of the field for an NHRA race. McMillen and his Rob Wendland led team posted a 3.795 elapsed time in the second qualifying session to secure their position. The cooler (yet still hot) Bristol conditions allowed for aggressive performances on Friday night and back to finessing the tuneup on Saturday and Sunday.

McMillen would face RIchie Crampton in the opening round of eliminations. A solid 0.055 reaction time and some skillful driving would give McMillen his first round win since Charlotte, ending his four race drought.

“We needed that,” McMillen said of the round win. “It was a good morale booster for the team. The car got out there and dropped a couple of holes and made for an interesting ride, but I’m glad we were able to hold on for the win.”

In the second round, McMillen would face Crampton teammate Doug Kalitta. McMillen would leave again first with an 0.026 light and looked to be on the path to a sure win as Kalitta smoked the tires at the hit. Suddenly near half track, McMillen’s car would start to drop cylinders causing the pan pressure switch to shut the car off. Once Kalitta saw that he pedaled the car and was able to run down McMillen at the finish line as all McMillen could do was coast to the loss.

“That was a tough one,” McMillen said. “There wasn’t much I could do at that point. I could see the finish line right in front of me and I could hear Doug coming on strong.”

“We want to build on this going into Norwalk and get stronger as we head towards the countdown.”

The next race is the final race of the ‘back to back’ four race Eastern Swing. Tickets are still available for the Norwalk, Ohio race June 20-23.