MILLICAN RETURNS TO FORM

Words by Mike Perry/IHRA
Photos by Bob Johnson
8/15/05

Clay Millican began this season by winning five straight races. When he experienced a spectacular wheel stand and blowover at Milan, Mich., last month he was unhurt, but the car needed a new front half. Then, at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, Millican suffered a rare first-round loss. What had happened to the steamroller Top Fuel team of IHRA?

By defeating Doug Foley (below) in the final of the Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Millican served notice to the rest of the racers that he is back and as good as ever.

Although the blowover was fodder for numerous highlight films and news blurbs, Millican insists it was not a big deal and he was not really that affected.

"My blowover didn't land nearly as hard as Louie (Allison) did," he said. "I was really lucky. To crash a Top Fuel car, I did it the best way it could be done. Mine just looked cool. I did a long wheelie, that's all."

Much was made of the IHRA debut of long-time IHRA Top Fuel driver T.J. Zizzo as well as Foley making some noise in the points race after winning two weeks ago at Toronto Motorsports Park. Dale Creasy, Jr. also was driving a Top Fuel car for the second time in IHRA competition this season at U.S. 131. So, there was a lot of attention not on the driver who has won four consecutive IHRA World Championships.