WILL MILLICAN BECOME WINNINGEST DRIVER

Three-time IHRA Top Fuel Champion Clay Millican of Team Werner/Lehman Racing will attempt to become the winningest driver in any professional class in IHRA history at the IHRA Spring Nationals April 23-25 at the Rockingham (NC) Dragway.

Millican, starting his fifth season of professional competition, has amassed 31 career IHRA victories. If he is victorious at the Rock, he will tie Rickie Smith's record of 32 wins to become the winningest IHRA driver in any professional class. Smith has a combined 32 wins in Pro Stock and Pro Mod. Millican will also look to improve upon his Rockingham Dragway track records for both elapsed time (4.566 seconds) and speed (316.15 mph). In 2003, Millican became the first IHRA driver in history to break into the 4.5-

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second range for the quarter-mile pass. His Rockingham Dragway e.t. record is also the IHRA all-time record. (Jeff Burk photo)
[4-22-2004]

'NEW' ATLANTA SPEED SHOP TO OPEN

The fabled Atlanta Speed Shop, a mainstay Georgia speed shop known as a gathering place for hot rodders and for campaigning a series of race cars, will reopen during the running of the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac at Atlanta Dragway on May 13-16. Speed Shop heir Julius Hughes III and the Hughes family will hold an open house at the shop, which will be located in Gainesville, Georgia, about an hour west of Atlanta Dragway.

The late Julius Hughes Jr. operated the original Atlanta Speed Shop, located in Atlanta, which had customers from the late Pete Robinson to NHRA Division 2 fuel dragster legend Hoyt Grimes, plus hundreds of racers and street rodders. Hughes Jr. was also a name in the early days of the Speed Shop, campaigning a blown roadster that won the AA/Altered class at the 1964 U.S. Nationals (photo), then later raced a series of "Zot" Funny Cars along with partners Frank Brumby and the late Harold Springs. The Atlanta Speed Shop also ran the legendary Atlanta Speed Shop Drag Strip until only a few years ago, when it was closed to make way for a subdivision.

Open house hours on May 13-15 will be 7-10 p.m. The new Atlanta Speed Shop will be located at 1572 Fulenwider Rd., Gainesville, GA 30507. (Bill Hughes photo) [4-22-2004]