MILLICAN SURPRISES WITH TOP SPOT IN HOUSTON
No one was more surprised by Friday night’s qualifying results in Houston than Clay Millican.
After a relatively slow start to the 2017 NHRA season, Millican surprised even himself with two tremendous runs to kick off the 30th annual NHRA SpringNationals, culminating with a new track record and the top spot on day one at Royal Purple Raceway.
Millican outran three-time and defending champion Antron Brown by the narrowest of margins, rocketing to a potential sixth top qualifier award if his time holds on Saturday with a 3.722-second mark at 325.69 mph in the Parts Plus / Great Clips Top Fuel machine.
“I am just absolutely wound up about it,” an excited Millican said. “Grubby (David Grubnic) sticks to his gameplay. He wanted to be top five and that is what I told him when I got back - we are top five.
“The first run was good. We went 3.80 and I was number three. I didn’t expect to go to number one. I didn’t think it would stay and that is what I told them at the far end of the racetrack, it is number one for right now, but it is not going to hold. But it did and I am happy.”
Millican bested a 3.800 at 318.09 after round one, moving him from third to first in the next-to-last pass of the day. Brown was just behind in the Matco Tools dragster with a 3.723 at 322.50 mph. Doug Kalitta qualified third with a 3.731 at 327.03 mph. Brittany Force (3.745) and Leah Pritchett (3.747) round out the top five.
“Nighttime runs are what makes me love drag racing,” Millican said. “Watching fuel cars go at night is just awesome. I got to do my favorite thing tonight which is go out there and stomp on that loud pedal. And for that thing to go so quick right down the racetrack was awesome.”
Adding to Millican’s excitement, Houston is home to the veteran racers very first NHRA final back in 2004, a narrow loss to Brandon Bernstein. That race was actually the first of three consecutive finals that season for Millican, who still remains winless in 247 races, sitting at 0-8 in final rounds.
“I would have never thought, all those years ago, that I would be standing here still having not won an NHRA event. But Sunday could be the day,” Millican said.
For now, Millican’s fate rests in the hands of mother nature as two afternoon sessions on Saturday could lend a helping hand in Millican retaining the top spot. Then again, maybe not.
Either way, he will be ready for whatever the weather throws at him as he prepares the car for Sunday.
“I hope it is a typical Houston day - a hundred-something degrees tomorrow and we stay number one,” Millican said with a laugh. “Our strategy tomorrow will be to see what we can get away with on the racetrack given the conditions. Will we stay number one? Honestly, that is up to the weather. Weather is what dictates how quick these things can go and we put up a pretty good number out there tonight.
“For now, I am just going to have fun driving this Parts Plus / Great Clips car. As mamma always says, when the time is right, it will happen. We are ready though, I promise you that.”