ROCKINGHAM, NC. (April 17, 2008) — After a successful season opening race that found the Amalie Oil Top Fuel dragster in the final round, Terry McMillen and his crew roll into Rockingham with high expectations when qualifying begins this Friday, April 18th, for the second stop on the Nitro Jam Drag Racing series. Like a heavy weight fight, this is just round two of a scheduled 11 round bout.
“I’m very happy with how San Antonio turned out,” McMillen said as he unloaded his car in sunny Rockingham. “Certainly we would have loved to win the race. But with a everything being new on this car and no chance to test it before getting to San Antonio, I think John Smith (crew chief) and my guys did an outstanding job. It was better than I had hoped for.”
The Smith led crew put McMillen in the final round with an opportunity for his third carreer win in Top Fuel. Looking forward to this weekend’s Rockingham race McMillen finds himself optimistic.
“Our guys worked through a lot to get us to the final round. I think we grew a little tighter as a team through all of that. It’s going to get tougher from here on out. There’s a lot of racing left to do and a lot of good teams that will be fighting all year long for a chance at a world championship. I believe we have an opportunity to be one of those teams fighting in the end if we stay on our toes.”
McMillen makes NHRA debut at Torco Race Fuels Nationals
ELKHART, Ind. – Terry McMillen, driver of the Foley/Lewis Torco Nitro Top Fuel Dragster backed by Evan Knoll, will make his NHRA debut this week at the Torco Race Fuels NHRA Nationals October 5-7. The race held at Virginia Motorsports Park is one that McMillen has been looking forward to all year long.
“We circled these dates on our calander right away,” McMillen said. “Evan Knoll does so much for drag racing and this is one of the many events that he sponsors, so we wanted to be here to support him and to get some Top Fuel NHRA experience.”
“I’m lucky enough to work along side of Evan at Torco,” McMillen continued. “He’s really a great guy to work with. When it comes to racing, no one does it better. He gives us the best tools to work with and now this opportunity to race with the best of the best. It’s pretty exciting.”
Rumble in the asphalt jungle!
ELKHART, Ind. – You could call it a ‘rumble in the jungle’, the ‘party in the pits’ or just ‘mayhem in Martin’, Terry McMillen calls it home. The gator themed Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by Torco Race Fuels will be a fan favorite at this weekend’s Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals. The event takes place August 3-5 at the Knoll Gas Motorsports Park off of US 131 near Martin, Michigan.
“This race is the craziest race on the circuit for us,” McMillen explained “We will have a couple hundred hometown fans witnessing this event as our guests. We race and test here so much it’s just home for us.”
Besides being McMillen’s home turf, the track has proved to be friendly for the Indiana based team over the past few seasons, including a runner-up finish last season. This year, expectations are just as high. “The team is stating to jell,” McMillen said. “My crew chiefs Andy Mac Daddy and TV Tad made some changes in Grand Bend and the car responded, running a 5:89 in first round. With the addition of Austin Lambright we believe we have the nuclease to start going rounds and winning races.”
How low can you go?
ELKHART, Ind – As the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam rounds the half way mark of the 2007 season and the points battles start to heat up like a humid night on Lake Michigan, Terry McMillen wonders what it will take to make the Torco Nitro Top Fuel Field at this weekend’s Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals.
The August 3-5 event held at the Knoll-Gas Motorsports Park in Martin Michigan will feature an all-star cast of Nitro pilots including; seven time defending IHRA Champion Clay Millican, J.R. Todd, Melanie Troxel and teammate Doug Foley. Knoll himself will even compete at the event, adding another quality car to the mix of competitors.
Fresh off of his first win in Edmonton and semi-final appearance in Grand Bend, McMillen has fought his way into contention for the championship, currently in the fifth position. While McMillen fights to stay in the points battle with TJ Zizzo, Bruce Litton, Scotty Cannon and Bobby Lagana he knows just qualifying for the field will be an accomplishment.
“The competition this week is going to be awesome,” said McMillen. “Evan has five his of his NHRA cars coming over to compete at his race. This means it will be nothing short of a blood bath to get in the field.”
Edmonton still friendly for McMillen
ELKHART, Ind. – It’s a 38-hour jaunt from the Hoosier Thunder Motorsports race shop to the Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. For McMillen and his Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car powered by Torco Race Fuels, everyone of the long miles to Edmonton are welcomed.
“Rob and Kim Reeves (Castrol Raceway track owners) do such a great job making this race one of the friendliest on the Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Drag Racing circuit,” said McMillen. “Our team always looks forward to the CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco.”
Edmonton’s friendly spirit goes beyond the hospitality of the Reeve’s family for McMillen. During the past two seasons McMillen’s hotrod has made it to the semi-final and final round. “There’s certainly something special about Edmonton for us,” McMillen added. “Plus it has the best lighting of any track that we’ll race all season, guarantee,” McMillen joked regarding the long summer days of northwest Canada where the sun doesn’t set until past midnight. “These fans truly love drag racing. They’ll hang out all night with us.”
McMillen adds NAPA to Tulsa stops
ELKHART, Ind. – Terry McMillen and his Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by Torco Race Fuels, will make a few extra stops on his way to the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park, May 25-27. The stops include two appearances at area NAPA stores.
McMillen will display his InstiGator Funny Car, sign autographs and be available for pictures. Some fans will actually have an opportunity to sit in the race-ready car.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” McMillen said. “Anytime we get a chance to be one-on-one with the fans, it’s a chance to make a new friend.” The appearances leading up to the race will also bring Hoosier Thunder Motorsports partners together. “This is a great chance for us to all look at the successes we’ve had with NAPA, Amalie Oil, Torco Accelerator and Skull Shine car care products,” McMillen added.
InstiGator Ready to Make Strong Showing in Rockingham
ELKHART, Ind. (April 17, 2007) – The Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by Torco Race Fuels returned from the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals and made more changes to the car. “We did OK in San Antonio,” explained McMillen. “But you can never rest when it comes to racing. Tad [Heflick] and Andy [McMillen] have been working day and night since we got home to find the performance edge we need.”
At the same time, the InstiGator completed its winter-long face lift at GO Graphix, undergoing some more modifications once all the graphics were removed. The Amalie Oil InstiGator is arguably the most photographed car in all of drag racing. “We’re receiving more emails that ever before,” said McMillen. “GO Graphix did a great job. The look of that car helps promote everything we do. From every marketing partner on the car to our Gator Wear.”
McMillen Sees Rockingham Differently Now
Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu with Moisture Loc sidelines drag racer
Elkhart, Ind. – It was October 2005 when Terry McMillen strapped into Evan Knoll’s Top Fuel Dragster for the 2005 IHRA World Finals in Rockingham. Just one month earlier, McMillen had earned his Top Fuel license with Knoll’s help. Now he would attempt to qualify for what would become the fastest Top Fuel field in IHRA history. While McMillen would narrowly miss the field (.026), things looked promising for the 2006 season.
As McMillen began winter testing in Knoll’s Top Fueler in preparation for the 2006 campaign, he began to notice a problem with his eye. After many visits to the doctor, McMillen had been diagnosed with a rare fungal eye infection (Fusarium Keratitis) as a result of using Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu with Moisture Loc product. The injury required McMillen to undergo corneal replacement and lens surgery. It would sideline McMillen’s Top Fuel hopes for the 2006 season.
McMillen Readies InstiGator – Shows Off New Look in Texas
SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car, powered by Torco Race Fuels and driven by Terry McMillen, will take on a brand new look for the 2007 Nitro Jam racing season. While the McMillen hotrod will keep its trademarked alligator appearance, it will have a fresh new look.
“We spent this off season reworking our chassis and tweaking our engine combination,” McMillen explained. “This is going to be a brand new ride and we wanted it to have a new look.” The Amalie Oil InstiGator Funny Car has been one of the most photographed race cars in all of drag racing since its inception during the 2002 season. McMillen is sure the new look will attract more attention than ever. “Everyone has always loved this car,” he said. “This new look will turn more heads than ever before. The folks at GO Graphix did an outstanding job giving this gator fresh look.”
InstiGator Rested and Ready for Finals
The Amalie Oil InstiGator team, powered by Torco Race Fuels, spent all of September on the road. Racing, displays and appearances is what the Hoosier Thunder Motorsports team lives for. “We’ve been very busy this past month,” explained Terry McMillen, team owner and driver. “After four weeks straight on the road it was nice to get home, rest and take care of the InstiGator. We’ve given her a full physical, inside and out, she’s ready for Rockingham.”
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