Tuttle Motorsports Returns to Auto Club Finals with Cory Mac at the Wheel of the Liquid MPG Dragster
Pomona - The Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster
driven by Cory McClenathan had a good outing at the 2016 NHRA Auto Club
Finals in Pomona. The Tuttle Motorsports owned team owned by Dexter
Tuttle showed some improvement from their first initial outing in
Dallas. With 19 cars fighting to get into a 16 car field, Cory Mac
qualified 16th with a 3.90 at 303 MPH to make the show.
In round one, Cory Mac faced the number one
qualifier and newly crowned Champion, Antron Brown. At the hit, Cory Mac
was out first with a 0.064 reaction time to Brown’s 0.075. Cory Mac’s
lead quickly vanished when he began experiencing tire shake and pedaled
it. The car then began to drop cylinders and smoked the tires. At that
point Cory Mac gave up the fight since Brown was on a clean pass and
couldn’t be stopped. Brown stopped the clock with a 3.72 at 323 MPH to
Cory’s 5.39 at 128 MPH.
Tuttle Motorsports Team Qualifies for Quickest Field in NHRA Drag Racing History
Pomona - Clay Millican driving the Parts
Plus / Liquid MPG entry qualified for the quickest field in drag racing
history at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona. With the record bump
spot at 3.83 seconds and 21 cars trying to get into a 16 car field, just
qualifying was an accomplishment for any team. Millican qualified in
the 15th position during the third session with a 3.82 at 312 MPH.
There were some tense moments during the
fourth and final qualifying session for Millican as such notables as
Brittany Force and Terry McMillan were not yet in the show and both gave
it all they had to bump into the field. Millican did not improve in
round four which would have left the Tuttle Motorsports team on the
outside of the field if two of the five cars not already in the field
had stepped up.
In round one, Millican took on number two
qualifier Antron Brown who qualified second with a 3.82. As the lights
came down, Brown got out of the gate first with an .063 to Millican’s
.084. At about 300 feet out a rocker arm broke which caused a domino
effect of carnage to the engine and ended the season for Millican and
the Tuttle Motorsports team.
While Millican wishes he could have advanced
to the next round, he was happy to have qualified in such a tough
field. “It was a great weekend, all good. We qualified for the quickest
field in drag racing history, we just had a tough day on race day. I’m
happy over all on how well the car performed” Millican said.
Millican Experiences Mechanical Problem in Opening Round at Reading Event
Reading PA - Clay Millican and the Parts
Plus Team/ Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster had a difficult time in round
one at the 30th annual NHRA Nationals in Reading PA. But the team did
qualify in the 13th position with a respectable 3.83 at 316 MPH.
In the first round, Clay met up with
championship contender Doug Kalitta. As both cars did their burnouts,
Clay’s Parts Plus Team/ Liquid MPG car continued to roll forward when
the brake handle broke. The car never stopped until it got past the
finishline. Meanwhile, Kalitta made a clean pass to move on to the
second round.
It was an unfortunate situation for Tuttle
Motorsports but these cars are prone to all types breakage. The team
will regroup as the tour heads west to Las Vegas.
Parts Plus/Liquid MPG Team Get Back on Track at Carolina Nationals
Charlotte - After a short skid where the
Tuttle Motorsports team didn’t make it into eliminations at Indy, the
Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Dragster rebounded in Charlotte at the Seventh
annual Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals.
Clay Millican qualified 16th out of 19 cars
trying to make the field. Clay ran a 3.90 at 286 MPH to earn the right
to face number one qualifier, JR Todd. It later turned out that only
one round of eliminations would be contested as rain was quickly moving
into the Charlotte area.
As the cars were lined up with both bulbs on
the tree lit and the lights flashed yellow to green, it was Todd out of
the gate first with an 0.073 light to Millican’s 0.117. Millican tried
to overcome Todd’s narrow lead but was unable to find enough horses to
over take him. As the cars crossed the finish line it was Todd taking
the win with a 3.79 at 320 MPH. Millican ran a close 3.82 at 314 MPH but
still had his hands full as his engine exploded into a large ball of
fire. Millican was able to get the car stopped safely.
The team will quickly regroup as the next event on the schedule is the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals this weekend in Dallas.
Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Team Has Competitive
Weekend at Northwest Nationals in Seattle
Seattle - The Tuttle Motosports team showed
improvement on every run at the O'Reilly Northwest Nationals in Seattle
which gave them and their driver Clay Millican some momentum going into
the second half of the season. "The Seattle race was a real good
stepping stone for Brainard" Millican said. Brainard will be an
important race for all of the NHRA teams that have yet to secure a spot
in the Countdown to the Championship.
Millican qualified the Parts Plus / Liquid
MPG Top Fuel Dragster in the 14th position with a 3.96 at 305 MPH. In
round one, Millican took on Shawn Langdon who qualified third. At the
hit it was Langdon out of the gate first with Millican in hot pursuit.
But Millican was never able to catch up as Langdon not only took the win
but low ET of the event as well. Langdon registered a strong 3.78 at
317 MPH to Millican's valiant 3.87 at 309 MPH which was his best run of
the weekend.
While early round losses are never easy,
Millican was happy with how the Tuttle Motorsports team performed.
"I'm really proud of how our team picked this car up after the first
round of qualifying to the first round of eliminations. We picked up a
tenth from where we started and made five good runs without ever hurting
anything" Millican said.
With the conclusion of the Western Swing,
the Parts Plus / Liquid MPG team will head east to Brainard after the
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series takes a week off. Clay Millican is
now in 12th place for the Countdown with two more events to go.
Millican Upsets Top Qualifier with Hole Shot in Sonoma
Sonoma CA - Clay Millican in Parts Plus /
Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster used a hole shot to upset number one
qualifier Brittany Force at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
Millican, who has a great record of leaving
on his opponents all season, qualified on the bump spot with a 4.29 to
face Force who qualified on the pole with an impressive 3.76. Millican
had his work cut out for him since it's not often that the sixteenth
qualifier beats the number one qualifier.
At the hit, Millican put his experience and
quick reaction times to work and scored a 0.056 reaction time to Force’s
0.095. Both cars were on a good run all the way down the track but
Millican was able to hold on for the win even though Force had a
slightly quicker elapsed time of 3.90 at 308 MPH. Millican had a slower
3.92 at 305 MPH to take the first round victory.
Millican then moved on to face Khalid
alBalooshi in round two. At the hit, Millican was again out in front of
his opponent but sadly lost traction and went up in smoke. Meanwhile,
alBalooshi was on a clean run and took the win.
This coming weekend, Millican and the Tuttle
Motorsports team will give it another shot as the NHRA Mello Yello
Series heads north to Seattle for the NHRA Northwest Nationals. Seattle
is the final event in the three race western swing.
Millican Loses Traction in the Mile High City
Denver - Due to the high altitude and hot
conditions, performance has always been a struggle for any race team
competing at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. But this weekend it was
traction that was in short supply for the Parts Plus/Liquid MPG Top
Fuel Dragster team.
Clay Millican qualified 14th with a 4.17 at
277 MPH to take on former NHRA Champion Larry Dixon. As the lights came
down on the tree, Millican got a jump on Dixon at the starting line with
an 0.064 light to Dixon’s 0.082. Unfortunately for Millican, he lost
traction and coasted while Dixon cruised to victory. Dixon recorded a
3.96 at 268 MPH to Millican’s 4.74 at 170 MPH.
The Parts Plus/Liquid MPG team now moves on to Sonoma, California for the second race of the Western Swing.
Millican Takes Two Steps Back in Norwalk
Norwalk OH - After a pair of final four
finishes at the past two events, Clay Millcan did not survive the
opening round of eliminations in Norwalk at the NHRA Summit Nationals.
Millican qualified in the 14th position with a 3.88 to set up a first
round meeting with Antron Brown, who qualified third with a strong 3.76.
At the hit, Brown got out of the gate first
with an 0.056 to Millican’s 0.070. Brown's momentum carried him all the
way down Broadway where he crossed the finish line first with a 3.75 at
324 MPH. Millican recorded a 4.03 at 241 MPH in a valiant effort.
After a short break, the Parts Plus/Liquid MPG team moves west
to Denver for the Mopar NHRA Nationals, July 18-20 at Bandimere
Speedway.
Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Team Continues to Make Progress and Go Rounds
Chicago - Clay Millican continued where he
left off in Epping by going all the way to the semifinals for the second
straight race. This time Millican went to the final four at the 17th
annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago.
Millican qualified 15th in a stout field which included 19 Top Fuel dragsters battling it out to get into sixteen car field.
In round one, Millican got some revenge as
he dispatched hometown favorite Tony Schumacher from the field in a very
close race. Millican, who has been leaving on everyone this season got
off the line first with an 0.076 to Schumacher’s close 0.077. Millican
was able to hold on and grab the stripe in a tight win. Millican rang up
a 3.84 at 312 MPH to Schumacher’s 3.86 at 323 MPH.
In round two, Millican took care of Bob
Vandergriff. Again, Millican was out of the gate first with a 0.062 to
Vandergriff’s 0.100. From there it was all Parts Plus as Millican rang
up a 4.67 at 152 MPH to Vandergriff’s traction plagued 9.28.
In the semifinals, Millican faced former
NHRA Champ Antron Brown. This time it was the opponent who got the
starting line advantage. Brown got out of the hole with an 0.044 to
Millican’s 0.072. At the finish line it was Brown as he crossed the
stripe first with a 3.96 at 308 MPH to Millican’s 4.47 at 196 MPH.
Millican had slowed because he broke an intake adjuster on the hit.
Brown went on to secure the Route 66 title.
The Parts Plus/Liquid MPG team now heads to Norwalk, Ohio for the Summit NHRA Nationals held over the Independence Day weekend.
Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Team Rebounds in New England with Big Semifinal Finish
Epping NH - Clay Millican driving the Parts
Plus / Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster chased away the mid-season blues
they experienced in Bristol with a great semifinal finish at the second
annual Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals. The trip to Epping was the
best outing so far this season for the Tuttle Motorsports team.
Millican, who qualified 13th took out number
4 qualifier Britteny Force in round one. At the hit, Force was out of
the gate first with an 0.066 to Millican’s 0.098. Force then shook the
tires which allowed Millican to make up for the disadvantage at the
starting line and then charged to the finish line for a well deserved
first round win. Millican scored a 3.92 at 305 MPH over Force's 4.56 at
274 MPH to advance in eliminations.
In the second round, Millican drew JR Todd
driving for Kalitta Racing. This time Millican was out of the gate
first with an 0.051 reaction time to Todd’s 0.079. Millican never
trailed and grab the win light with a 3.834 at 318 MPH to Todd’s nearly
identical 3.836 at 320 MPH.
In round three, Millican took on yet another
one of the multi-car teams. This time it was the former NHRA Champion,
Tony Schumacher driving the US Army car for DSR. As the lights came
down it was Millican with the starting line advantage with an 0.074 to
Schumacher’s 0.077. Schumacher over powered Millican without losing any
traction and never lost the lead. Schumacher recorded a 3.82 at 322 MPH
to Millican’s valiant 3.86 at 316 MPH. Schumacher would go on to win
the event.
The Parts Plus/Liquid MPG team now heads to
Chicago for the O’Reilly Route 66 Nationals this coming weekend hoping
to capitalize on the success they had in New England this past weekend.
Parts Plus Team Suffers Early Loss at Summernationals
(Englishtown NJ) Clay Millican didn’t have
the kind of weekend that the Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster
is capable of at the historic NHRA Summernationals. The popular
Drummonds, Tennessee driver qualified on the bump spot only to face the
top qualifier, Doug Kalitta, in the first round of eliminations.
At the hit, Millican was out of the box
first with an 0.066 reaction time to Kalitta’s 0.096. Unfortunately for
Millican, he started to lose traction and then went up in smoke while
Kalitta claimed the stripe with the third quickest pass of the round.
Kalitta stopped the clock with a 3.78 to Millican’s traction plagued
6.50.
Next, the team travels to Millican’s home
state of Tennessee in two weeks for the Ford NHRA Thunder Valley
Nationals, June 13-15.
Millican Picks Up the Pace in Topeka
(Topeka KS)- Clay Millican driving the Parts
Plus/Liquid MPG Dragster picked up the pace slightly in Topeka by
qualifying 15th with a 4.39 and making a valiant run in round one.
In the opening round, Millican drew former
Tuttle Motorsports driver JR Todd. At the hit Millican was out of the
gate first with an 0.077 reaction time to Todd’s 0.091. Unfortunately
for Millican, he began mixing up cylinders and then pushed out a head
gasket. Todd was able to capitalize on Millican’s misfortunes and
grabbed the win light with a 3.81 at 320 MPH to Millican’s 4.04 at 250
MPH.
The Parts Plus/Liquid MPG team now takes a
three week break until the NHRA tour moves on to Bristol for the Ford
Thunder Valley Nationals, June 13-15.
Millican Goes to Quarter Final Round in Atlanta
(Atlanta) It was a wild weekend in Atlanta due to the weather
which produced a marginal racing surface on Sunday and delayed much of
the racing until Monday when the conditions vastly improved.
After a long rain delay, the Safety Safari
got the track dried in time to run the first round of Top Fuel on Sunday
evening. It would turn out that much of the spotlight would be on the
third pairing between number two qualifier Bob Vandergriff and Tuttle
Motorports’ own Clay Millican who qualified 15th with a 4.18 at 206 MPH.
At the launch, Millican did a masterful job
getting off the starting line first with the sun glaring in his eyes and
was still able to produce a 0.104 reaction time. Vandergriff also
suffered from sun glare but was unable to leave on time as a result.
Just as Milican left the line, he smoked the tires and then banged the
blower but was able to coast to the finish line. Meanwhile, Vandergriff
got crossed up and went up on two wheels which caused him to cross the
center line but was still able to save the car. The center line foul
gave the round win to Millican in the Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Top Fuel
Dragster.
In round two, Millican faced Spencer Massey
who had lane choice. At the hit, Millican was out first with a great
starting line advantage and lead most of the way until he banged the
blower at half track. At that point, Massey was able to get around
Millican and take the stripe for the win. Massey recorded a 3.86 at 278
MPH to Millican’s valiant 4.18 at 195 MPH. The team now moves on to
Topeka for the NHRA Kansas Nationals this weekend.
Millican Saves Best Run for Eliminations in Houston
(Baytown TX) Clay Millican showed
improvement during eliminations at the 27th annual O’Reilly NHRA
SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries held at Royal Purple
Raceway near Houston.
In qualifying, Millican driving Dexter
Tuttle’s Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster qualified in the 15th
position with a 4.05 at 250 MPH.
In the first round, Millican drew Antron Brown, who qualified
second with a powerful 3.78 at 322 MPH. Brown has won his last twelve
opening round races when starting from the second position so the odds
were in the favor of the former World Champ to continue the trend. But
that didn’t stop Millican, Tuttle and crew chief Jimmy Walsh from coming
up with a strategy for a quicker tuneup to get past the potent Matco
Tools car.
At the hit, Brown was out of the gate first
with an 0.052 light to Millican’s 0.090. Brown maintained a slight lead
all the way to the finish line but Millican gave it everything he had
with his best performance of the weekend, a valiant 3.89 at 305 MPH to
Brown’s slightly quicker 3.84 at 318 MPH.
The Parts Plus / Liquid MPG team will take
three weeks off before moving on to the NHRA Southern Nationals in
Atlanta, May 16-18.
Parts Plus - Liquid MPG Team Takes on Four Wide Nationals
(Concord N.C.) Clay Millican driving Dexter
Tuttle’s Parts Plus - Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster competed at the NHRA
Four Wide Nationals, April 11-13. The Four Wide Nationals is a unique
and spectacular event where NHRA Mellow Yellow series drivers compete in
groups of four at the same time during qualifying and eliminations.
As was the case in Las Vegas, Millican,
qualified 13th with a 3.90 at 270 MPH. This would set up a foursome
between Clay, Antron Brown, Brittany Force and Leah Pritchett. At the
start of the run, Millican had an 0.069 reaction time and then dropped a
cylinder during the pass to finished third in the foursome with a 3.98
at 285 MPH. Sadly, a broken exhaust adjuster broke which slowed the car
down and eliminated Clay from further competition.
The NHRA now returns to more conventional
racing when the tour heads to Houston, Texas, April 25-27th for the NHRA
O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals.
Parts Plus Team Fights Clutch Problem in Vegas
(Las Vegas) Clay Millican in the Parts Plus /
Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster lost a tough battle in the first round
the Summit Racing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. The team has been
battling some clutch problems as of late and are valiantly trying to get
them solved while still qualifying at every event.
Millican qualified lucky number 13 with a
3.87 at 295 MPH. This paired him up with number four qualifier Spencer
Massey, who qualified with a decent 3.80 at 320 MPH.
In round one, it was Massey out of the gate
first with a 0.048 reaction time to Millican’s 0.057. As Massey
lengthened his lead, Millican then had a clutch problem near the finish
line but still ran a 4.21 at only 207 MPH. However, it wasn’t enough to
stop Massey’s 3.80 at 320 MPH.
Next, the team heads east to Charlotte NC for the Four Wide Nationals, April 11-13.
Millican Has a Little Too Much Power in Round One at NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals
(Gainesville FL) Clay Millican made his
first east coast appearance of the year at the highly anticipated NHRA
Amalie Oil Gatornationals. The event is one of the biggest NHRA events
of the year and one that every driver wants to add to their list of wins
and career accomplishments.
In qualifying, Millican driving for Dexter
Tuttle was on track for a successful outing as he landed 12th with a
respectable 3.86 at 308 MPH in the Parts Plus / Liquid MPG Top Fuel
Dragster.
In round one, Millican took on long time Kalitta Racing pilot
David Grubnic. At the hit, Millican was out of the gate first with an
0.061 to Grubnic’s 0.089. Unfortunately for Millican, a little too much
power was unleashed at the starting line and the Parts Plus / Liquid
MPG entry lost traction and smoked the tires. Grubnic, was long gone but
began to experience some problems near the 1000 foot mark but his
sizable lead was enough to score the win.
The team now moves on to Las Vegas for the NHRA Summit Nationals March 28-30th.
Millican Exits Early in the Arizona Desert
Phoenix - After a great start to the season at the NHRA
Winternationals, Clay Millican driving Dexter Tuttle’s Parts Plus /
Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster fought traction at the Car Quest Auto Parts
NHRA Nationals. The event took place at the newly refurbished Wild
Horse Pass Motorsports Park located just south of Phoenix.
Millican, qualified 13th with a decent 3.84
at 313 MPH to face the reining Top Fuel Champion Shawn Langdon, who
qualified fourth with a 3.76 at 323 MPH. At the starting line it was
Langdon out of the gate first but Millican was not far behind. As
Millican began to gain some momentum he started to loose traction as the
car shook hard and smoked the tires. He then had no choice but to
abandon the pass and wisely shut it off. Meanwhile, Lanngdon made a
strong run to advance into the next round.
It was a tough loss but the team will
regroup and get ready for their next event at the NHRA Gatornationals,
March 13-16. Tuttle Motorsports would like to thank their sponsors Parts
Plus, Liquid MPG, Bendix and Exide Batteries.
Millican and Tuttle Have an Exciting Debut at the
Circle K NHRA Winternationals
(Pomona) Clay Millican made his debut in Dexter Tuttle’s Parts
Plus - Liquid MPG Top Fuel Dragster at the season opening Circle K NHRA
Winternationals. By all accounts the Winternationals was a dramatic new
start for Tuttle, Millican and the return of former crew chief Jimmy
Walsh.
The team almost didn’t make it into the
elimination rounds as the trio was on the outside looking in until the
final qualifying session when it was do or die. Millican was forced to
make a Hale Mary pass to get in the show and did it with a 3.84 at 307
MPH good for the 14th spot. Prior to the final qualifying session, the
team was fighting computer glitches on each pass and Walsh had no data
to work with, so the successful pass was partly a shot in the dark.
In round one, Millican who was celebrating a
birthday, took on Antron Brown whom he had never beat in eliminations.
Brown qualified third with a 3.73 at 326 MPH. At the green, Brown got
out of the gate first with a sizable advantage but at about 300 feet out
he smoked the tires while Millican was on a picture perfect pass.
Millican was able to grab the lead and maintain it the rest of the way
to get his first round win over Brown. Millican recorded his best run of
the event, a 3.79 at 312 MPH to Brown’s 4.07 at 266 MPH.
In the quarterfinals, Millican faced former
Tuttle Motorsports driver Steve Torrence who qualified sixth with a
3.77. At the hit, Torrence got a slight starting line advantage and was
able to maintain a short twenty foot lead all the way to the finish
line. Torrence recorded a 3.79 at 324 MPH to take the win over
Millican’s valiant 3.82 at 316 MPH pass.
It was a confidence boosting weekend for the
new team as they worked through some technical problems to finish
strong and make it to the quarterfinals at one of NHRA’s biggest
signature events.
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