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IHRA
at Grand Bend
By Ian Tocher
Photos by Roger Richards
6/17/04 |
y
now, its business as usual to report that
Clay Millican won another IHRA Top Fuel race,
thus preserving a perfect 4-for-4 record in
2004. But Millican has company in the unbeaten
category this year, as Funny Car ace Mark Thomas
also scored his fourth win June 13, at the 5th
annual Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by
Castrol at the Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand
Bend, ON. Joining them in victory lane were
Pro Mod veteran Quain Stott and Elijah Morton,
who picked up his career-first Pro Stock title.
TOP FUEL
Millican led the nitro contingent with a 4.658
at 304.25 mph in qualifying, while Rick Cooper
rounded out the eight-car at 5.001 seconds.
Fourteen teams made the trip to Grand Bend,
near the Michigan-Ontario border, but only 13
made qualifying attempts as the lone injected
nitro entry, owned by Bob Leverich, failed to
make a lap.
Millican easily disposed of Cooper in round
one, but almost forfeited the win to a tire-smoking
Todd Paton in the semi-finals when his car swerved
dangerously close to crossing the center line
toward the top end. Millican narrowly avoided
the line and disqualification, however, setting
up a final round match against Tim Cullinan,
who beat John Doc Sipple in round
one, then took out Bruce Litton in the semis
thanks to a .054 holeshot.
I almost gave away that semi-final round,
Millican said. I was back to my bracket
racing days where you look back to see your
opponent as you approach the finish line. And
you go where your eyes go and I nearly crossed
the center line.
In
the big money round, Cullinan obviously felt
the need to push the tree again, but left .223
too soon, handing the event win to Millican,
who left with a stellar .052 reaction, then
went 4.744 secs at 299.90 mph to cap off his
weekend.
"I am so proud of this Werner team,"
Millican said. "We love coming to this
race since it is the place where we got our
first-ever Top Fuel win (in 2000), so it's always
special to come back and win again."
After four of 11 races on the 2004 schedule,
Millican leads the IHRA Hooters Top Fuel points
chase with 544 points. Litton is second at 406
and Cullinan follows with 291.
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