When Clay Millican sets his mind to deliver a promise, the likable drag racer from Drummonds, Tenn., until he reaches the objective. Friday night, the Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster driver could finally say, "Mission accomplished."

Millican, who once showed up to Bradenton Motorsports Park back in 1998 without an engine in his Modified Eliminator dragster or enclosed trailer yet still won the race, walked away from qualifying at the $250-to-win PRO Superstar Shootout. This time, he had plenty of engines in the trailer.

Personal success was never his plan. 

Bob Tasca III couldn't contain his enthusiasm. And regardless of what happened the night before with two blockbuster speed runs being disallowed in Top Fuel, Tasca knew his team had pulled off quite the feat as he drove to the provisional No. 1 qualifier during the first day of qualifying at the PRO Superstar Shootout. 

Joining Tasca atop their respective fields were Clay Millican (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock).

For a period of 30 minutes during the PRO Superstar Shootout testing phase on Wednesday, the consensus floating around the starting line at Bradenton Motorsports Park was the 340-mile-per-hour barrier was close to falling. Then reality hit. 

Bob Brockmeyer, the founder of the Compulink timing system, has been called many things over his career, but "reality" has likely never been one of them. Thursday morning, Brockmeyer became reality. 

Since Antron Brown's 339 mile-per-hour run and Shawn Langdon's 338 were done in the unofficial confines of testing - there's no disallowing the runs. There is, however, legitimizing them. 

Doug Kalitta wasted little time showing why his Applied Innovations-sponsored dragster entered the 2024 season with the No. 1 on the side. 

During the second day of testing at the PRO Superstar Shootout, Kalitta drove his way to the quickest run of To Fuel testing with a 3.658 at 335.46 miles per hour on his final run of the day. 

"The conditions are really good right now, and the track's in good shape." Kalitta said. "Everybody's really doing a hell of a job with this event, with the track. And the conditions, we're just getting lucky tonight. Real proud of my guys. Alan and the guys are making it happen. 

Testing ahead of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicked off on Tuesday in Bradenton, Fla., as part of the PRO Superstar Shootout.

After a barrage of quick runs for the day, Brittany Force emerged as the top runner in Top Fuel. Her 3.680 at 336.91 vaulted her ahead of Justin Ashley as the pace-setter.

Red Line Oil’s motto has been, “If you know, you know.”

At the upcoming PRO Superstar Shootout, Red Line Oil will prove they know how to make a splash. The leading high-performance oil company will provide a $10,000 bonus from Red Line Synthetic Oil for the victor, along with the inaugural Don Schumacher Nitro Superstar Award, named in memory of the late team owner and former Funny Car driver for the forthcoming Top Fuel versus Funny Car Shootout. The competition format for the main event will include four qualifying sessions, with non-qualifiers in Top Fuel and Funny Car filling the slots for Saturday’s showdown. The quickest driver from each category will advance to the final round for a shot at the bonus and the prestigious Don Schumacher Nitro Superstar Award.

It’s not the Cajun Nationals that was a staple in the NHRA schedules of the 1970s and 80s, but it’s a start. 

The NHRA has officially announced the revival of the Laris Motorsports Insurance Cajun NHRA SPORTSnationals, a significant event in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Scheduled for March 15-17 at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La., this marks the return of the prestigious race after a hiatus since the 2015 season. The event, featuring classic crawfish artwork from the 1978 NHRA Cajun Nationals, aims to provide racers with an additional SPORTSnationals opportunity in 2024, complementing the JEGS SPORTSnationals scheduled for July 10-13.

Hundreds of sportsman racers representing all seven NHRA divisions nationwide are set to converge on No Problem Raceway for the Cajun NHRA SPORTSnationals. The competition will unfold across eight categories, offering a substantial purse exceeding $150,000, including more than $50,000 in contingency offerings. Beyond the racing, the event promises a distinctive atmosphere celebrating the unique facets of Cajun culture, creating a memorable weekend for participants.

Randy Meyer Racing has unveiled its lineup for the 2024 NHRA season, with reigning NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster national champion Julie Nataas and two-time national event winner Hunter Green set as the team’s primary drivers. Celebrating its 45th season, the team plans to compete in 26 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events, with Nataas and Green aiming for national and regional championships. Scott Dean will also vie for a regional title, while Megan Meyer and newcomer Deni Jensen will participate in select match race appearances.

Team owner and tuner Randy Meyer expressed optimism about the upcoming season, highlighting Nataas’ and Green’s achievements in the previous year. 

When Clay Millican rolls through the gate at Bradenton Motorsports Park for the inaugural PRO Superstar Shootout, forgive him if he smiles a little broader than average. He might even chuckle a bit. 

The Top Fuel driver turned social media superstar has his own memory at the facility outside of Tampa, Florida. The memory has nothing to do with Top Fuel drag racing or anything. The thought of racing Top Fuel was too lofty a dream to fathom. 

“You’re talking about a guy that made a living driving a forklift who pretty much had every credit card maxed out and a guy named Raymond King and the Koffel family, they felt bad for me and made sure my engine showed up and dad-gummit if we didn’t win,” Millican admitted. 

Oildowns by Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car drivers are a nightmare and often a byproduct of racing hard. They can also be the result of inattention to detail.

NHRA, facing the time constraints of live television and declared time windows, as well as curfews and canceled sessions, has determined the issue must be addressed through policies intended to cut down on event delays.  

NHRA recently outlined their penalties for drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car who have oildowns during the upcoming 2024 season – which consists of 21 races – beginning at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-10.