Terry McMillen Racing

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McMillen and Wendland Ready to Race for Championship

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Photo courtesy of NHRA/National Dragster for media use only. Terry McMillen in car and Rob Wendland on the right.

After over three months away from the racetrack AMALIE® Motor Oil Top Fuel team owner and driver Terry McMillen is ready to get back to racing at the upcoming E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park this week. His team, led by crew chief Rob Wendland, used the downtime effectively to streamline his organization and also maximize the newfound family time. McMillen and Wendland have a strong relationship and have put together a plan for the rest of the season they both feel could lead to their first NHRA Mello Yello championship together.

How ready are you to get back to racing?

Terry McMillen  –  “It is almost like starting the year over. You have all that anticipation. We built a new car over the winter and took it to Gainesville. We never got to run it so it has never been down the track. We are excited to see what the new car will do. (Crew Chief) Rob Wendland and the entire team have done a fantastic job just keeping everything going. All our wish lists or want to do lists are all completed. It is time to leave the shop, hear some noise and smell a little nitro. This is the longest we have ever been home sitting at one time. It is just go time. It is going to be different by far.”

TM- “We only have two qualifiers so it is not like you can go out there and try and hit a home run. You have to get the car down the track to make sure you are in the show. There could be close to 20 cars going into Indy so you can’t make a mistake. Hopefully you get that first run in that sets up the weekend.”

TM- “It is going to be different to not be able to interact with the fans the way we normally do. That has been the mainstay of our sport, the fan interaction and the business to business. We are going to be pre-signing hero cards and we’ll all be wearing masks. You appreciate the fans now more than ever because they have a choice where to spend their money and they come out to see us race. You want to give back but it is a difficult time and we want to be as safe as possible. I think everyone understands and we are all just going to have to tip toe this thing and get through the end of the year to regroup and go into 2021.”

Have you been able to get some of the projects that you have been putting off?

TM – “We moved a lot of the shop stuff around and got it organized internally in the shop. We made a specific area to work on our heads and a place to work on our superchargers. We permanently wired some of the equipment that was previously just temporarily wired. We made some upgrades inside the trailer and we also polished all the aluminum on the outside. We had never had the time to do that. We relocated some cabinets and made the flow of the shop a lot better.  We have sections for everything and have streamlined a lot of things.”

What has been the hardest aspect of this layoff (mental, sponsorship, etc.)?

 TM – “There are so many things that have been challenging. You have to look at it from the sponsor perspective which is near and dear to me because Amalie Motor Oil is my family. Not being able to run Gainesville was extremely disappointing. Whenever you reschedule an event it seems to never be quite as good. You lose a little of the impact but Amalie has such great customers so we are hoping to over deliver later this year. It is trying times for all our sponsors. They have all done a good job of staying focused and giving us the opportunity to keep everyone working. We are ready to be at the top of our game when we get back to Indy thanks to their support.”

How have you kept your team motivated during this stretch?

TM – “Really Rob has done a great job of handling the crew. I don’t have to be down in Indy every day. They have their schedules and internal communications and they are working off a master list. When something is done it gets checked off and then everyone is updated. We are making sure that every little detail is covered. Ultimately, that will be where it starts for winning races when we get back to the track.”

TM – “You have to have the small things covered. When the small details are handled it seems like the bigger issues take care of themselves. We are making sure we have the parts that we need to have to make this all happen. It is a juggling act. I would rather be going 300 mph with my hair on fire because we have so much to do because we are racing. The only nice thing about the break is it has been a more relaxing time to work on our to-do list versus a mid-season thrash when we need parts by next week. It has been extremely busy regardless and I am trying to figure out how I ever had time to race.”

Your son Cameron is going to race Junior Dragsters at second Indy race. How excited are you about that?

TM – “The biggest positive about the layoff has been we got the chance to do things we normally never would have done at this time of the year. We fostered dogs and we got to spend more time with Cameron. We tested his Junior Dragster a couple weeks ago. He is going to get to run the second Indy race. As a six year old that is pretty cool and I am excited we will be racing at the same track at the same time. That is a milestone for me. I am all excited about it. I can’t wait to get out there.”

How do you plan for so many back to back races as an independent team?

TM – “You just have to approach it like any other race. The biggest key for us is having the inventory of parts. What you have to keep in mind is a lot of the vendors have also been closed down. Getting parts will be tricky because they might be backed up with orders from everybody. That is a big key to this whole thing. I think Rob has done a great job to make sure we have all the parts that we need either in our hands or the orders have been placed to we are all set once the season gets rolling again. That is going to give us a leg up. If you can finish the year with what money you have that will be a huge accomplishment or anyone. This year could feel like an Ironman Challenge. You have to manage all your parts and be smart about it. Sometimes that Hail Mary may not happen because you can’t afford to hurt those parts.”

What has you most excited about this run for the Mello Yello NHRA championship?

TM – “I think we have as good a chance as anybody whether it is the most funded teams or not. We are in a position today like no other time. We are prepared to go the distance. We are prepared to go to battle. We are going to have a good car. If this car shows us what we believe it is going to do that chassis will help us succeed. Rob has done a great job of tuning. We will be contender once we get the whole package together. The set-up of this season has definitely leveled the playing field. It may not be about dollars and cents this time. Used to be on Friday night big teams could go out and swing for the fences to get the No. 1 spot and get those bonus points. There isn’t a Friday night now so we all have to be a little more conservative on how we approach the race track. Our notes will be very important. We are going to have to rely on data that we have and certainly in this business a little bit of luck helps too. If you push everything hard enough you will create opportunities and that is what we have to do.”

Talk about your relationship with Crew Chief Rob Wendland…

TM – “There is no doubt about it, he is my best friend. We are not together every day we think alike. We have the same common goals. We have the same passion for what we do. When you add that combination up, it can be dangerous in a good way. With this shorter race season I feel like we have a really good opportunity to really get in there and mix it up. I would be shocked if we are not a top five car. Rob has kept everything on track. I am the most blessed guy to have him by my side.”

How excited are you to send the Amalie Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster back down the track?

Rob Wendland – “I am very excited to get back to the track for sure and I am excited to run this new car that we have. Racing in some of the conditions we will face over the next month, hot tracks, that kind of thing, I think this car is going to do really well. This morning we had a meeting discussing the 2020 NHRA policies. We have to follow this protocol because if we don’t we don’t get to race. That opened everyone’s eyes a little bit. Based on the performance we had earlier in the season I am extremely excited to hit the gas again.”

How have you kept the team motivated?

 RW – “Our separation wasn’t extremely long. Terry took really good care of this team. We had some time off but we came back and we all sat down and discussed every project that we wanted to do but never had time for. We went into serious detail with it. I told the team we have to work like we are going to race tomorrow. We got a tremendous amount of things done, lots of organizational things and maintenance things. We built a number of things we hadn’t had time to build before. We made the most of this time being productive but we also got to spend some time with our families. That was huge. We picked a number of days we were going to work and when we weren’t working we were spending time with our families. The motivation came from the more we do now and the better we are organized the better team we will be and the more successful we will be.”

As a crew chief how do you plan for so many back to back race weekends?

 RW – “We are going to go into Indy in full race mode. We are going into this race with the same mindset as if we were just racing last week.  We just need to get those hits on the new dragster in testing on Friday and see what this thing is going to give us. Our goal is to get two or three hits and get a handle on this race car. As far as fourteen races in a row kind of thing I have prepared everyone the best I can as far as our forecast of parts that we are going to need. The way that we run the car is we are conservative because we have to keep an eye on the budget. We are cautious about parts and wear and tear so I can’t see how the reduced schedule or back to back races is going to hurt us. We do better if we can go from one race right to the next one. We tend to get on a better roll that way.”

How well do you think the Amalie Motor Oil team is suited for the two Saturday sessions and then into racing on Sunday?

RW – “We have had some success with that program. We have used Saturday as a little bit of a test day. I will say this we have missed some opportunities on Friday and had our backs against the wall on Saturday. It has worked out for us a lot and there have been times when we missed out. As a crew chief it is a tough call because you want to get up in the top spots in qualifying but we have raced a lot from No. 9 to No. 13. There are so many good cars out there that if you are No. 6, No. 7 or No. 8 it is like a final round match-up. You are going to be running another really good quality race car.”

RW – “These first two races it looks like we will be racing in the heat of the day. The tricky part will be our ‘night session’ will be Sunday morning first round racing at 9 a.m. in the morning. We have never experienced that before only maybe in testing have we hit the track that early. The conditions will be totally different than what we saw on Saturday. Crew chiefs can make that change, that testing on Thursday and Friday will be important to get up there early,”

What has you most excited about this run for the championship?

 RW – “For me it is a lot of pressure. I know that we have a team, a car and a driver that can actually win a Mello Yello Top Fuel championship. Who knows what is going to happen. All of a sudden we might look at this schedule and not have as many races as we thought.  I think we are going to go into every race thinking this could be our last race. We are going to get after it and race smart. You can’t try and over pressure yourself. When we won Indy I remember my father in law telling me just go A to B. He said don’t try to overthink it. He told me our car was running good and just make sure it goes down the track. That day it worked out for us. I don’t think a lot of these races will be a horsepower game because of the conditions we’ll be running in. It could be more of a finesse game at the start anyway. In that respect we have the same chance as anyone out there and maybe a little better.”

Can you talk about your relationship with Terry?

RW – “Usually during the season we both have motorhomes and we travel together. In between races we will stop at a campground and all the kids get together and go swimming or we do whatever together. Not a lot of crew chiefs have that kind of relationship with the owner/driver. He loves my kids as much as I do and I feel the same for his family. It definitely feels more like a partnership.”

RW – “When I open the shop I treat it like my shop and that is how I work with him to run the team. Every dollar we spend I treat like one of my own personal dollars. Terry appreciates that and I appreciate the opportunity he has given me. We have a very strong personal relationship that I really can’t describe. We tell each other that we love each other all the time and we mean it. I don’t know of a lot of other teams that have that kind of relationship. They might but I know we have a strong bond.”      

McMillen Uses Downtime Away From Track to Rescue Dogs

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Elkhart, IN (May 28, 2020) — Since the postponed AMALIE® Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Terry McMillen has been staying busy in his race shop with crew chief Rob Wendland but in his down time he has let his family go to the dogs. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has been on hiatus since mid-March and McMillen along with his wife Cori and son Cam have been fostering puppies for a Northern Indiana organization, Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group. The McMillens already have three dogs and a cat so bringing additional puppies into their family only seemed like a logical idea. 

“When we got back from Gainesville, our dog sitter Jen Schwartz, who runs the organization, asked if we wanted some puppies to play with for a couple of days, and it has turned into a constant cycle of fostering,” explained Cori McMillen. “We have had about 15 puppies since we started this. We typically have two puppies at a time.  If one gets a home, then she brings me another that same day.”

Now as an additional commitment to the organization McMillen Racing is auctioning a replica crew shirt designed by ProThings, die-cast dragster, cap and visor all signed by Terry McMillen. The auction launched today on eBay, click here to see auction, with all proceeds going to Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group.

“Fosters are the backbone to the rescue. The more fosters we have, the more dogs we can rescue,” said Jen Schwartz Founder and Director of Homeward Bound Animal Welfare Group. “I have known the McMillen family for a few years, so when they offered to foster, I was thrilled.  With their family fostering two puppies at a time, it gives me the ability to put more focus into rehabilitating dogs with more serious medical conditions.  I know they are enjoying time with the puppies, so it’s definitely been a win-win situation.” 

Throughout the down time the McMillens have been busy fostering and comforting each puppy they receive. The ability to house multiple animals has made a huge difference and also creates a busy atmosphere at home. 

“Our job is to help them transition into home life, since they have never been in a home environment.  We only foster puppies and it has worked out great, because she needed someone to help fostering puppies specifically. The puppies fit best into our lifestyle since we have three dogs and a cat of our own, so bringing an older dog in with an unknown background could cause conflicts.  Our dogs just ignore the puppies,” added McMillen  

Homeward Bound is a non-profit organization that does not receive state or federal funding in turn they rely on fundraising and private donations. They have rescued over 6,000 dogs with the help of a small group of volunteers who are dedicated to helping pets out of less than perfect situations and getting them into their forever homes

“They don’t have a brick and mortar building so, they rely on fosters.  They will take in any dog that needs a home no matter the age or medical condition. They take dogs that are in kill shelters in Indiana and in other states, so that they have a chance at a life.  They also get puppies that are actually puppies from breeders but are considered ‘reject’ puppies that for whatever reason, usually because of a physical or medical condition, can’t be sold to pet stores.  If Homeward Bound didn’t take them, they would either be put back into the breeding cycle or euthanized,” added McMillen.  

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. 

Terry McMillen Offers Fans Personal Mother’s Day Shoutouts

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Elkhart, Ind. (May 1, 2020) — Terry McMillen, the 2018 U.S. Nationals Top Fuel champion, is offering fans the opportunity to have him send a special message to their mom this Mother’s Day. Through the CAMEO™ Marketplace, which lets fans book a personalized video shout-out from their favorite athlete, celebrity or entertainment personality, McMillen will make himself available starting today. Understanding many people may not be able to get out and see their mothers this Mother’s Day McMillen wanted to offer a unique gift to his NHRA fans. 

“I know a lot of our fans might not be able to take their moms to lunch this year or even see them if they are a first responder,” said McMillen. “I wanted to offer them the chance to send a personal message from me to their moms. NHRA is one big family and our AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil team is privileged to be a part of that family as well.”

Fans can visit cameo.com/terrymcmillen, fill out the request form and click the “book now” button. For $15 McMillen will record a personalized message to the fan’s mom and deliver more horsepower than a bouquet of flowers this Mother’s Day.

“I miss seeing all the fans’ families at the track so I thought this would be the next best thing. We are hoping to get back on the track as soon as we can do it safely for everyone. We are working hard in the shop every day and we definitely want to thank all the medical professionals, first responders and especially moms at this time of year,” added McMillen.

A link will be sent to the email and any cell number (via text) that fans provide when they order their Terry McMillen CAMEO video. The CAMEO video can be downloaded via the link emailed or texted, and fans have a non-commercial and personal license to use it forever.

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.

Aggressive Start Ends McMillen’s Race Early in Phoenix

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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.

McMillen and Amalie Oil Make Strides at Winternationals

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photo © NHRA / National Dragster

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.

McMillen Looking to #GatorDone in 2020

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POMONA, Calif. (February 6, 2020) – It’s a new season, a new decade, and the AMALIEⓇ Motor Oil team is coming into the 2020 season with a new attitude.  What seemed like one of the shortest off seasons for the AMALIE team, proved to be one of the most productive. With 5 of the 7 crew members from the 2019 season returning, along with veteran crew chief, Rob Wendland, the team was able to focus on preparing, rather than training for the 2020 season.  “They say if you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail,” said McMillen, “and showing up prepared, has brought the team a feeling of confidence going into the season opener”.  

Like every team, the Amalie team experienced a few hiccups during the off season.  The largest one happening at the beginning of January, when Rob Wendland, had to have emergency shoulder surgery.  Plans to debut a new AMALIE Motor Oil XTERMIGATORⓇ , were put on hold, but the team worked hard in his absence to make sure that preparations in the other departments didn’t fall behind. 

 “ I was extremely proud of how my team came together during Rob’s time away for surgery.  It just goes to show what a great team Rob Wendland has built. I also want to give a special thanks to Tony Durhammer, who is helping Rob build our new car.  Welding with a sling isn’t the easiest thing to do and we appreciate his help.”

The AMALIE team skipped the pre season test session in Las Vegas, and plans to utilize the first few qualifying sessions to get a baseline on the tune up.  With the confidence the team is exuding, and the excitement in the pit McMillen has a feeling that the team will definitely be able to #GatorDone in 2020

McMillen scores round win at Midwest Nationals

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photo © Roger Richards and CompetitionPlus.com

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.

Consistency not enough for McMillen

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photo © Roger Richards and CompetitionPlus.com

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”

McMillen leaves Brainerd with a plan

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photo © Roger Richards and CompetitionPlus.com

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.”

McMillen finds consistency on the Western Swing

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photo ©Burghardt Photos and CompetitionPlus.com

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.