CLAY MILLICAN TO RUN RATT TRIBUTE DRAGSTER
Car to feature famous Eighties Band
DECATUR, MI. – Stephen Pearcy and the rock band RATT enjoyed their 1980s drag racing exposure so much that they are back for more – literally. Two decades later, their name will be emblazoned on the Clay Millican-driven, Evan Knoll dragster for the balance of the 2007 NHRA POWERade tour promoting their upcoming June tour with another popular Eighties icon band Poison.
The RATT – Back for More dragster will make its debut in two weeks at Bristol Dragway’s O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, May 18 – 20.
Knoll, an admitted heavy metal and rock and roll aficionado, has been chomping at the bit to get the tour underway.
“I can remember rocking in the Eighties to RATT,” Knoll said. “When I cranked up my stereo, everyone in the neighborhood knew I was listening to RATT. Come to think of it … nothing has changed. I still like it loud. The neighbors still complain about the noise.
“Top Fuel and RATT makes the perfect combination.”
Plans include various appearances at NHRA POWERade events for Pearcy including Bristol. RATT’s last foray into drag racing was during the 1986 season on the side of Dale Pulde’s legendary Buick Somerset Regal Funny Car.
“NHRA Drag racing is like RATT–n-ROLL … colorful, fast, dangerous and exciting,” Pearcy said “To be partnered with such an 'A' level program with Evan Knoll, Latrell Preston, Clay Millican and Dan Pikarsky just blows our mind. The band is more than ready to 'Lay It Down' with Clay that 'River-RATT' from Memphis. We’re all extremely excited to support SKULL GEAR, KNOLL Gas Motorsports and TORCO. The boys and I can’t wait for that first RATT Race at Thunder Valley!”
Millican, like Knoll, considers himself a rock and roll junkie.
“This is going to be fun,” Millican said. “This is an honor to represent a band that I grew up listening to in high school. This is going to be fun. Can this job get any better? You get to drive 300 miles per hour and hang out with really cool people.”
RATT just like many of the veteran drag racers are returning for another North American tour to promote a forthcoming “Best of” CD and DVD through Rhino records. A full itinerary is still being finalized, but Poison and RATT will join forces for a summer trek that is scheduled to begin June 13 at the Bi Lo Center in Greenville, S.C., and wind around the country through September 1st.
The tour, which brings the two bands onstage together for the first time since 1999, will visit major U.S. cities such as Boston, Detroit, New York, Oklahoma City and Los Angeles.
