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Pomona, Calif. - The preparations are the same -- days of making test runs while arduously tuning up for the beginning of yet another drag racing season. But this is a dynamically different year for Clay Millican, Mike Kloeber, and the only professional Top Fuel team headquartered in Mumford, Tenn. (population 5,004).
They have a new team owner (Evan Knoll) and a new challenge.
After seven years of International Hot Rod Association competition that included unprecedented results -- 50 victories and six consecutive season championships -- Millican steps into a new arena, the National Hot Rod Association, for the first time with a commitment to run all 23 races and compete for the prestigious POWERade Series crown.
The venues aren’t totally unfamiliar. Millican has 60 NHRA races -- 46 in the past four years -- on a resume that shows three runner-up finishes while running partial schedules.
“We are excited to be running all the NHRA races this year,” said Millican, who has been in test mode to be fully prepared for the traditional season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. “I want to thank Evan Knoll for giving us the opportunity. We’ve also been able to do a lot of testing, and that has been good for me. I get to drive the car, get to stage it and get good looks at the Christmas tree before we go to Pomona.
“Testing also has been good for the guys who work on the car because they will be fully prepared when it comes time to go rounds on Sundays. We’ll be in mid-season form. Mike (Kloeber, the team’s longtime crew chief) has been working hard. We want to be able to play with the big boys.”
Early test results from Las Vegas and Phoenix have brought smiles from the Knoll Gas Motorsports/Torco Racing Fuels Top Fuel team.
“The car and engine are definitely happier than they were last year,” Millican said. “The performance was back the way it was in 2005. And Mike hasn’t really tuned it up yet. He just wanted to make sure the car went down the racetrack so he could gather more information. He’s been changing a lot of stuff and there’s a lot of stuff he still wants to try.
“Somewhere along the way last year we obviously got off-track. We are determined to be going in the right direction and it looks like that’s what we’re doing. All of us know we must run better this year.”
Millican said the team has added a technology trailer to better compete with his new fulltime rivals. “We’ll be able to service our equipment and carry more spare parts with the new trailer. We want to be competitive right from the get-go. We’ll be running for the championship so we’ve got to be prepared. We know the rest of the teams are going to be prepared.”
Millican’s 2006 NHRA record reflects the difficulty experienced by a team that, over the years, has become quite used to winning rounds and races. He didn’t qualify only four times in 48 previous races. But he didn’t make the 16-car field an uncharacteristic five times in 13 outings last year.
“Evan Knoll has given us the opportunity to make the transition to NHRA,” Millican said. “It’s a pretty rare occasion when your team owner is your sponsor. At the same time, we want to thank our former owner, Kenny Koretsky (who sold the team to Knoll in January). Kenny was looking out for our team’s best interests. He wanted us to be able to raise our level of competition and that was pretty cool.”
Knoll, a drag racing entrepreneur who sponsors and has sponsored several Top Fuel and Funny Car teams, watched as Millican piled up IHRA honors, at times defeating Knoll-backed race cars.
“One day when I was walking through the pits,” Millican said, “Evan said he wanted to talk to me. ‘Do you know how many millions (of dollars) I’ve spent to beat you?’ he said. ‘Since I couldn’t beat you, I’m going to own you.’ "
Now Millican, Kloeber and crew have 23 opportunities to reach the NHRA winner ’s circle and reward their new boss.
“I know this team is a group of winners, and we have to go out there and do what we’ve always done – be as prepared as we can be,” Millican said. “I have no doubt we can win races, and that’s what we’re planning on doing, winning races and making the new Countdown to the Championship. It should be a fun year.”
Millican excited, optimistic about move to NHRA Top Fuel racing
Pomona, Calif. - The preparations are the same -- days of making test runs while arduously tuning up for the beginning of yet another drag racing season. But this is a dynamically different year for Clay Millican, Mike Kloeber, and the only professional Top Fuel team headquartered in Mumford, Tenn. (population 5,004).
They have a new team owner (Evan Knoll) and a new challenge.
After seven years of International Hot Rod Association competition that included unprecedented results -- 50 victories and six consecutive season championships -- Millican steps into a new arena, the National Hot Rod Association, for the first time with a commitment to run all 23 races and compete for the prestigious POWERade Series crown.
The venues aren’t totally unfamiliar. Millican has 60 NHRA races -- 46 in the past four years -- on a resume that shows three runner-up finishes while running partial schedules.
“We are excited to be running all the NHRA races this year,” said Millican, who has been in test mode to be fully prepared for the traditional season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. “I want to thank Evan Knoll for giving us the opportunity. We’ve also been able to do a lot of testing, and that has been good for me. I get to drive the car, get to stage it and get good looks at the Christmas tree before we go to Pomona.
“Testing also has been good for the guys who work on the car because they will be fully prepared when it comes time to go rounds on Sundays. We’ll be in mid-season form. Mike (Kloeber, the team’s longtime crew chief) has been working hard. We want to be able to play with the big boys.”
Early test results from Las Vegas and Phoenix have brought smiles from the Knoll Gas Motorsports/Torco Racing Fuels Top Fuel team.
“The car and engine are definitely happier than they were last year,” Millican said. “The performance was back the way it was in 2005. And Mike hasn’t really tuned it up yet. He just wanted to make sure the car went down the racetrack so he could gather more information. He’s been changing a lot of stuff and there’s a lot of stuff he still wants to try.
“Somewhere along the way last year we obviously got off-track. We are determined to be going in the right direction and it looks like that’s what we’re doing. All of us know we must run better this year.”
Millican said the team has added a technology trailer to better compete with his new fulltime rivals. “We’ll be able to service our equipment and carry more spare parts with the new trailer. We want to be competitive right from the get-go. We’ll be running for the championship so we’ve got to be prepared. We know the rest of the teams are going to be prepared.”
Millican’s 2006 NHRA record reflects the difficulty experienced by a team that, over the years, has become quite used to winning rounds and races. He didn’t qualify only four times in 48 previous races. But he didn’t make the 16-car field an uncharacteristic five times in 13 outings last year.
“Evan Knoll has given us the opportunity to make the transition to NHRA,” Millican said. “It’s a pretty rare occasion when your team owner is your sponsor. At the same time, we want to thank our former owner, Kenny Koretsky (who sold the team to Knoll in January). Kenny was looking out for our team’s best interests. He wanted us to be able to raise our level of competition and that was pretty cool.”
Knoll, a drag racing entrepreneur who sponsors and has sponsored several Top Fuel and Funny Car teams, watched as Millican piled up IHRA honors, at times defeating Knoll-backed race cars.
“One day when I was walking through the pits,” Millican said, “Evan said he wanted to talk to me. ‘Do you know how many millions (of dollars) I’ve spent to beat you?’ he said. ‘Since I couldn’t beat you, I’m going to own you.’ "
Now Millican, Kloeber and crew have 23 opportunities to reach the NHRA winner ’s circle and reward their new boss.
“I know this team is a group of winners, and we have to go out there and do what we’ve always done – be as prepared as we can be,” Millican said. “I have no doubt we can win races, and that’s what we’re planning on doing, winning races and making the new Countdown to the Championship. It should be a fun year.”
