HOMETOWN RACE BODES WELL FOR MILLICAN
Wed, 2008-09-24 09:00
“There’s no place like home . . . there’s no place like home.”
Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” said it with such conviction that you just knew she would eventually find her way back home.
Clay Millican feels the same way. His big smile gets bigger when he talks about racing before many of his longtime fans, friends and family when NHRA’s POWERade Series makes its annual stop at Memphis Motorsports Park for the 21st O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Friday through Sunday at the Millington track.
Much has changed since Millican’s last Top Fuel race here a year ago. He and Memphian Mark Pickens formed MPE Motorsports, LLC earlier this year as the team struggled to overcome an unexpected sponsor loss.
Although he loves his home, Millican, a Drummonds, Tenn., resident, will tell you he would have preferred spending a little less time there and at the new MPE Motorsports shop in neighboring Munford this year. He raced just once in the season’s first 16 events before he and Pickens launched what could be called the “We almost didn’t make it” tour. “There’s no place like home . . . there’s no place like home.”
Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” said it with such conviction that you just knew she would eventually find her way back home.
Clay Millican feels the same way. His big smile gets bigger when he talks about racing before many of his longtime fans, friends and family when NHRA’s POWERade Series makes its annual stop at Memphis Motorsports Park for the 21st O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Friday through Sunday at the Millington track.
Much has changed since Millican’s last Top Fuel race here a year ago. He and Memphian Mark Pickens formed MPE Motorsports, LLC earlier this year as the team struggled to overcome an unexpected sponsor loss.
Although he loves his home, Millican, a Drummonds, Tenn., resident, will tell you he would have preferred spending a little less time there and at the new MPE Motorsports shop in neighboring Munford this year. He raced just once in the season’s first 16 events before he and Pickens launched what could be called the “We almost didn’t make it” tour.
Determined to stay in touch with constantly changing tuning ideas in the nitromethane-fueled Top Fuel ranks, Millican and Pickens opted for a seven-race schedule that began last month at Reading, Pa. This is the fifth event and it concludes with visits to Las Vegas (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) and Pomona, Calif. (Nov. 13-16).
“After the year we had, it was beginning to look like I may be back to Kroger driving that fork lift,” said Millican, referring to job he abandoned years ago. “But it was wonderful for Mark and his wife Lauren to come in and purchase all the equipment and keep the team together. We will do our best to keep representing them in a good way. I’m glad to have it all together and keeping it in Tennessee.”
Pickens, a versatile racer who competes in NHRA’s Sportsman division, said he “feels very, very good” about racing at Memphis. “This is an extremely important race for us,” he continued. “It’s always good to do well for your home fans, friends, family and yourself.
“This is for Clay. He is the hometown hero and my reason for getting into this in the first place was to bring big-time racing back to Memphis – Memphis-based and owned. There’s a great tradition of racing in the Mid-South with Bill Taylor, Larry Reyes and Raymond Godman.
“The team has made some good strides fairly quickly. It’s more like three strides forward, one stride backward, and that’s a good thing. Team chemistry is excellent, and we have a very experienced crew chief (Lance Larsen) who is really close (to finding a competitive tune-up) and a driver who is spot-on every time the light goes down.”
Millican, obviously, is excited about the locals getting a look at the Hope4Sudan/Lend America/Nitro Fish dragster.
“Lance continues to make progress in the tune-up area and that sure makes a difference for going rounds,” said Millican, who drove into the semifinals at Reading. “The guys are doing a great job.
“It’s going to be a busy week. The car will be on display at Auto Zone this week and we are planning an open house at the new shop. Plus we expect to see lots of friends and family. It’s going to be a good week. Our first win is coming up at home.”
Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” said it with such conviction that you just knew she would eventually find her way back home.
Clay Millican feels the same way. His big smile gets bigger when he talks about racing before many of his longtime fans, friends and family when NHRA’s POWERade Series makes its annual stop at Memphis Motorsports Park for the 21st O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Friday through Sunday at the Millington track.
Much has changed since Millican’s last Top Fuel race here a year ago. He and Memphian Mark Pickens formed MPE Motorsports, LLC earlier this year as the team struggled to overcome an unexpected sponsor loss.
Although he loves his home, Millican, a Drummonds, Tenn., resident, will tell you he would have preferred spending a little less time there and at the new MPE Motorsports shop in neighboring Munford this year. He raced just once in the season’s first 16 events before he and Pickens launched what could be called the “We almost didn’t make it” tour. “There’s no place like home . . . there’s no place like home.”
Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” said it with such conviction that you just knew she would eventually find her way back home.
Clay Millican feels the same way. His big smile gets bigger when he talks about racing before many of his longtime fans, friends and family when NHRA’s POWERade Series makes its annual stop at Memphis Motorsports Park for the 21st O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Friday through Sunday at the Millington track.
Much has changed since Millican’s last Top Fuel race here a year ago. He and Memphian Mark Pickens formed MPE Motorsports, LLC earlier this year as the team struggled to overcome an unexpected sponsor loss.
Although he loves his home, Millican, a Drummonds, Tenn., resident, will tell you he would have preferred spending a little less time there and at the new MPE Motorsports shop in neighboring Munford this year. He raced just once in the season’s first 16 events before he and Pickens launched what could be called the “We almost didn’t make it” tour.
Determined to stay in touch with constantly changing tuning ideas in the nitromethane-fueled Top Fuel ranks, Millican and Pickens opted for a seven-race schedule that began last month at Reading, Pa. This is the fifth event and it concludes with visits to Las Vegas (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) and Pomona, Calif. (Nov. 13-16).
“After the year we had, it was beginning to look like I may be back to Kroger driving that fork lift,” said Millican, referring to job he abandoned years ago. “But it was wonderful for Mark and his wife Lauren to come in and purchase all the equipment and keep the team together. We will do our best to keep representing them in a good way. I’m glad to have it all together and keeping it in Tennessee.”
Pickens, a versatile racer who competes in NHRA’s Sportsman division, said he “feels very, very good” about racing at Memphis. “This is an extremely important race for us,” he continued. “It’s always good to do well for your home fans, friends, family and yourself.
“This is for Clay. He is the hometown hero and my reason for getting into this in the first place was to bring big-time racing back to Memphis – Memphis-based and owned. There’s a great tradition of racing in the Mid-South with Bill Taylor, Larry Reyes and Raymond Godman.
“The team has made some good strides fairly quickly. It’s more like three strides forward, one stride backward, and that’s a good thing. Team chemistry is excellent, and we have a very experienced crew chief (Lance Larsen) who is really close (to finding a competitive tune-up) and a driver who is spot-on every time the light goes down.”
Millican, obviously, is excited about the locals getting a look at the Hope4Sudan/Lend America/Nitro Fish dragster.
“Lance continues to make progress in the tune-up area and that sure makes a difference for going rounds,” said Millican, who drove into the semifinals at Reading. “The guys are doing a great job.
“It’s going to be a busy week. The car will be on display at Auto Zone this week and we are planning an open house at the new shop. Plus we expect to see lots of friends and family. It’s going to be a good week. Our first win is coming up at home.”
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