The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals marked Clay Millican’s final event as a single-car Top Fuel operation before he joins forces with Tony Schumacher under the Rick Ware Racing banner at the U.S. Nationals.
Millican said the process of building a second team has been intense and demanding, describing the transition as more challenging than a typical between-rounds thrash.
“I know zero about building a second team, and I have been a part of building one, and it is an absolute thrash even if you start in November,” Millican said. “The amount of work that my team has put in is so impressive.”
Millican credited car chief Jesse Snyder with managing the new team’s parts list and ensuring the new car is outfitted identically to their current machine. He said the effort has brought together people from multiple areas of the sport.
“It’s been a wild mad dash thrash, and it ain’t over with, and it won’t be over with probably until a couple races in,” Millican said. “But, man, it’s been fun to watch so many people from so many different places all come together to do one thing, and that’s get to — what is it, eight-time? – eight-time champ back on the track.”
The addition of Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel champion, brings a second competitive entry to Rick Ware Racing. Millican said balancing his team’s championship push with the expansion effort has been a test of leadership and delegation.
“Jim O’s [Oberhofer] just made sure that our car is ready to go, and when each person gets their job done, whatever it may be, and if they’re done at lunchtime, then they’ll direct a few hours to the other car,” he said. “We have people coming in, so those roles are all getting filled. It’s really starting to come together.”
Millican acknowledged the pressure that team leadership has faced during the transition, including Oberhofer, Rob Flynn, Nicky Boninfante, and Troy Fasching. As for his own role, Millican said he’s been on the outside looking in.
“I’m used to diving in,” he said. “I don’t know whether it’s a curse or a blessing that I haven’t had to go be in the middle of it too much.”
As for racing alongside Schumacher, Millican said the relationship has shifted significantly over the years. “I’ve never spent a ton of time with Tony ’til the last few months, and the more I’m around him, the more I like him,” Millican said. “I usually didn’t like him because he beat me so much. He beat everybody all the time.”
He referenced a humorous comparison to the film Days of Thunder, largely due to his team owner Rick Ware’s background in NASCAR, clarifying that there’s no rivalry between him and Schumacher today. He quickly dismissed the notion it could turn into a Cole Trickle/Ross Wheeler type atmosphere.
“No Rowdy and Cole at the beginning of the movie,” Millican said. “It’s after, towards the end of the movie, when Cole’s helping Rowdy. That’s where we’re at.”
