ROCKINGHAM, NC (September 10, 2010) — After a difficult summer in his new 2011 Mustang, Extreme 10.5 Dan Millen found something to smile about on Friday at the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) Simpson Dragstock VII in Rockingham.
The Al-Anabi Racing driver became the fifth and final member of the distinguished Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club, going 3.951 at 199.20 miles per hour in his first qualifying run at notoriously fast Rockingham Dragway.
“It’s been a rough season and I have to thank a lot of people,” Millen said. “Of course, KH (Al-Anabi Racing owner KH Al-Thani) and also (Pro Extreme driver) Todd Tutterow. He’s really helped us a lot and taught me a lot about this combination. We finally got it. We knew we had something to work with.”
Millen treated the appreciative crowd to a spectacular run, taking his Mustang on a memorable pass that was nearly flawless. He celebrated in front of the grandstands afterward and was honored for being the final member of a Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club that also includes Chuck Ulsch, Gary White, Spiro Pappas and Todd Moyer. Many had speculated the fifth spot would be filled this weekend at Rockingham, though Millen was the dark horse among competitors that included Billy Glidden and Jeff Naiser, who had both reached the 3-second mark in testing.
“There was big pressure on everybody else to be in the 3s. We wanted to do it, too, but we just wanted to get to the other end,” Millen said. “We were more worried about going in a straight line. “The 3-second club is a nice touch. We wanted to get it. I’m glad to be able to take that last spot. It makes me very happy.”
Millen was just as pleased to get the full potential out of his powerful jet black Al-Anabi car. The Dearborn Heights, MI native debuted the new Mustang at Martin, MI in June, but had trouble finding the ideal combination for the car. It led to a number of frustrating runs this summer before Millen and his team overhauled the entire car. That had an immediate impact, as Millen put together back-to-back passes of 3.85 in testing before Friday’s historic run.
“We have the right combination now. We changed the car significantly,” Millen said. “It’s a completely different set-up from front to back. This is the way we expected to run after everything we changed.”
Millen credited Tutterow and the rest of his Al-Anabi team for the improvements, and also noted how much he has enjoyed racing for KH Al-Thani under the Al-Anabi banner.
“I was approached by KH and after I spent some time around him, I knew I wanted to (drive for Al-Anabi),” Millen said. “He’s a smart guy and he’s great to work with, and a great individual to be involved with.
“Todd was very patient because we had a lot of struggles. We were all frustrated, but once we fixed the car, it can really go down the track.”
ABOUT THE ADRL
Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, the American Drag Racing League is the nation’s premier sanctioning body for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The professional categories featured in the ADRL are Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in all of drag racing. The 2010 ADRL tour consists of 10 national events run throughout the United States. For more information on the ADRL, visit www.ADRL.us.
The Al-Anabi Racing driver became the fifth and final member of the distinguished Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club, going 3.951 at 199.20 miles per hour in his first qualifying run at notoriously fast Rockingham Dragway.
“It’s been a rough season and I have to thank a lot of people,” Millen said. “Of course, KH (Al-Anabi Racing owner KH Al-Thani) and also (Pro Extreme driver) Todd Tutterow. He’s really helped us a lot and taught me a lot about this combination. We finally got it. We knew we had something to work with.”
Millen treated the appreciative crowd to a spectacular run, taking his Mustang on a memorable pass that was nearly flawless. He celebrated in front of the grandstands afterward and was honored for being the final member of a Mickey Thompson 3-Second Club that also includes Chuck Ulsch, Gary White, Spiro Pappas and Todd Moyer. Many had speculated the fifth spot would be filled this weekend at Rockingham, though Millen was the dark horse among competitors that included Billy Glidden and Jeff Naiser, who had both reached the 3-second mark in testing.
“There was big pressure on everybody else to be in the 3s. We wanted to do it, too, but we just wanted to get to the other end,” Millen said. “We were more worried about going in a straight line. “The 3-second club is a nice touch. We wanted to get it. I’m glad to be able to take that last spot. It makes me very happy.”
Millen was just as pleased to get the full potential out of his powerful jet black Al-Anabi car. The Dearborn Heights, MI native debuted the new Mustang at Martin, MI in June, but had trouble finding the ideal combination for the car. It led to a number of frustrating runs this summer before Millen and his team overhauled the entire car. That had an immediate impact, as Millen put together back-to-back passes of 3.85 in testing before Friday’s historic run.
“We have the right combination now. We changed the car significantly,” Millen said. “It’s a completely different set-up from front to back. This is the way we expected to run after everything we changed.”
Millen credited Tutterow and the rest of his Al-Anabi team for the improvements, and also noted how much he has enjoyed racing for KH Al-Thani under the Al-Anabi banner.
“I was approached by KH and after I spent some time around him, I knew I wanted to (drive for Al-Anabi),” Millen said. “He’s a smart guy and he’s great to work with, and a great individual to be involved with.
“Todd was very patient because we had a lot of struggles. We were all frustrated, but once we fixed the car, it can really go down the track.”
ABOUT THE ADRL
Based in O’Fallon, Missouri, the American Drag Racing League is the nation’s premier sanctioning body for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The professional categories featured in the ADRL are Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Extreme 10.5, Pro Nitrous and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in all of drag racing. The 2010 ADRL tour consists of 10 national events run throughout the United States. For more information on the ADRL, visit www.ADRL.us.
