MCMILLEN FORGES AHEAD DESPITE UNCERTAIN 2021 PLANS

by Bobby Bennett    Thu, 2020-12-10 20:00

 

It's the uncertainty which Terry McMillen cannot stand.

McMillen, who, for over a decade, has raced Top Fuel in the NHRA, faces an uncertain 2021 where the odds do not appear to be in his favor. But those who know the fan-favorite drag racer from Elkhart, Ind., understand he's made a career out of beating the odds.

Though, this time might be the most overwhelming situation he's faced since jumping into Top Fuel in the mid-2000s. McMillen's longtime sponsor Amalie Oil suspended his contract amid a pandemic-fueled slowdown.

"Unfortunately, it takes a lot of money to run these cars, and until we can find a corporate sponsor to help with this, I'd say no," McMillen responded when asked if he's racing in 2021. "Right now, it's just really too early to tell. We have a few companies that we're still talking to that we've had multiple conversations with, and there's an opportunity. I don't know if it's an opportunity for a full year. Maybe each one of them can do half a year. I'm not really sure yet, but ultimately our goal is to be out there and make that work. All my people are still intact. The team is still intact and with the intention of bringing it back."

According to McMillen, Amalie isn't gone as a sponsor but have had to curtail their efforts.

"The contract is suspended; it has not in any way been terminated or anything like that," McMillen explained. "The problem that you have right now is that over 300 billion miles have not been driven this year. That means people are working from home, and you got to wonder how much of that is going to be the new format going forward. Because people working at home seem to be working out for most companies, and if they can reduce the amount of building they need to pay for, it's undoubtedly going to put more money in their pockets. So, I'm not sure how it's all going to play out, but right now, I know that there are 300 billion miles not driven, and that means you're not selling oil. And to be in the oil business, you have to sell oil and it's a situation where I don't want them to lay off employees and stuff like that, and then be paying for a race car because that's not fair, either.

"Ultimately, we have agreed to agree that we're going to continue to monitor this monthly, and if things do make the turn and start going in a better direction, they're definitely going to be back involved. The scary part about it is, or my biggest concern is that, will we ever be back to what was normal before the virus? Because if more companies start letting people work from home, that means fewer miles will be driven and then certainly less oil that's going to be needed. But the worst case is we'll adjust the contract, but if I'm not there at the race track, I pretty much guarantee you Amalie is going to be back in some fashion. I mean, I'm still selling Amalie racing oil to 70 Weight Oil, to all the Top Fuel teams and things like that, And that's still going to happen. And I talK to them probably every other day. So, it's not that our relationship is strained in any way; it's just a setback because of the COVID."

 

 

Just because the contract is not voided doesn't mean the vultures haven't been circling since McMillen and Amalie announced back in September they were suspending their activation of the marketing program.

In fact, when CompetitionPlus.com posted a rumor mill item suggesting one team based in Brownsburg, Ind., was switching addresses, McMillen believed he was being sent a subtle message that his crew was headed elsewhere.

"I thought CompetitionPlus.com was sending me a message, and I just didn't know it yet," McMillen said. "There were some calls. Some calls were made to Rob and the team and all that as well. My team has been very, very loyal to us, and we've been to them, and we're doing everything in our power to try to make a comeback in 2021. So, if it works out, it's going to be super exciting. I think if we came out this year with a car that ran well, we can compete with anybody on any given day, and it would be nice to have a full season underneath our belt with that car and the likes of my team doing the job that they do."

McMillen has kept his team intact, despite a bleak outlook.

"It's such a small niche industry," McMillen said. "It's like everybody knows everybody and knows everything about everybody kind of thing, which is a good thing. It's the family aspect, which is one thing you have to enjoy. But certainly, the vultures are flying, waiting to see what scraps are available. Right now, we're holding off and fighting everybody off that we can, and with the hopes that we can get this thing solidified and get a partner for 2021.

"I've got a lot of people working it. Fans have been sending us some great leads, people from the motorsports industry have been sending us great leads, and a team of folks that I have we're all working on reaching out to people. We have some one-race sponsors, we have a few things like that, but unfortunately, that doesn't make the truck and trailer payment every month. So, I got to have something that's going to lock me in and get us through the whole season."

McMillen said he would love to race one-event deals, but at this time, this is not a viable option. He's routinely dealt with the psychological aspects of being on the sidelines. In today's world, McMillen is learning to live life under what has become the new normal.

"It's scary as heck," said McMillen, who has raced professionally since 2010. "We've worked all our lives to get to a level. Back in the day, we ran Top Alcohol Funny Car, and we did well; felt great about it. Then, when we had the opportunity to move up to Top Fuel and then finally make a Top Fuel program work where it was really a car to be dealt with every time, we went to the starting line. When you finally get to that pinnacle, it's like, man; you just don't want to walk away right now. And you do everything you can to try to maintain and keep everything the same so that you can come out there and compete at that same level. By no means is it just Terry McMillen; it is my team led by Rob Wendland. This team has given us the ability collectively to go out there and be the car that we are today.

"When you finally get there, something that I thought in my lifetime I would never see is something that could just take our country down the way COVID did. And cause all the heartaches and financial restrictions that it has on so many companies and individuals. So, that has pretty much been the downfall of 2020. Hopefully, on January 1, we're going to flush 2020 away and get through maybe a couple of tough months in '21 with the virus. Hopefully, after that, we're going to be back to business as normal for everybody."

 

 
Categories: 
:::::: News ::::::