MCMILLEN STEERING CLEAR OF MURPHY AND HIS LAW
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"The first thing that that we did was switch fuel lines," McMillen explained. "We went to a Brahman Miller fuel line. What was really amazing about that was the car picked up three more gallons of fuel from the minute we hit the gas to the end of the track. That’s a big deal in a fuel car because you’re pumping so much volume in there anyway and it didn’t change the pressure. So that was one thing that made a difference.
"The other thing is that in Sonoma we changed our primary fingers around a little bit and that seemed to help. So coupling the two together started giving the car some positive results. The 60-foots were picking up and certainly running really good. We’re still fighting a little issue, it keeps dropping a couple holes down that top end of the track but we just have to go out there and keep bleeding fuel away and slowly, but surely we’ll get to the point where it stops doing that, and the car will probably even go faster."
A first round loss at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., didn't hurt Terry McMillen's big picture playoff chances but they certainly didn't help either. In a scenario where he could have made his chances to clinch a first-ever NHRA Countdown berth, McMillen lost to Scott Palmer, a driver who ranks one spot behind him in the point standings.
McMillen enters next weekend's NHRA U.S. Nationals with a 77 point lead over Palmer, and a 154 point lead over 11th place Shawn Langdon.
Because Langdon lost too, McMillen didn't lost any ground in keeping his place in the regular season top ten.
For once, and McMillen will reluctantly agree, the odds are swinging in his favor pending Armageddon or World War 3.
Still, McMillen has seen this story play out too many times outside of his favor to get too excited before he clinches. In no certain order, McMillen has finished the championship chase by losing with totals of 1, 8 and 11 points.
"Right now we’re just staying focused," McMillen admitted. "Rob and the guys have put together a really good car. This car is going A to B really consistent, so all we need to do is go up there and do our job. Hopefully, it’ll take care of itself. I don’t want to think about the points, but I’d be lying if I sat here and told you that it wasn’t in the back of my mind 24 hours a day."
There's a part of him which still holds strong to the glass-half full mentality.
"I think that will secure number 10 spot, worst case scenario, and we should get locked in off of that," McMillen said. "That’s our goal this week, just to go out there and grab two rounds, but I’ve got no problem winning this thing if it happens."
And with Indy accounting for a point-and-a-half, McMillen now on defense instead of offense, isn't sure if he's a fan of the different point system.
"I really don’t like it anymore," McMillen said with a smile. "Some days it would have been nice to have that when we were running back in our less fortunate days. We’ll just maintain our composure. Don’t go up there and try to reinvent the wheel, just race the racetrack like Rob’s been doing the past few races. We should come out okay if we follow that game plan."
McMillen won't rest until he can put his name on the Countdown board.
"Heck, who knows, we could have World War III tomorrow, and this whole thing could end," McMillen said shaking his head. "But right now we’re confident; we’re upbeat in where we’re heading. It’s all about the Amalie Motor Oil car and my guys, Rob Wendland, and the whole team has done a fabulous job. It made a big difference having these guys two years in a row working on the car. We didn’t have to go back through boot camp in the beginning, and now it’s starting to pay off."
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