Millican, Castellana Clinch Titles
Spiess Takes Showdown Win

Words by Mike Perry /IHRA.com
Photos by Richie Downs
9/27/05

he job at hand was very simple for both Clay Millican and Mike Castellana: go a couple of rounds in Budds Creek and clinch IHRA World Championships. The Ironmen they took home as well were just a couple of bonuses.

Millican (Drummonds, TN) clinched his fifth consecutive IHRA Top Fuel World Championship when he was able to advance to the final at the President's Cup. Heading into the race he held a 193-point lead over second-place Doug Foley, and only had to put a pair of round victories in the books to close the mathematical door on Foley this season. Actually, when Foley (Sewell, NJ) lost a pedal-fest in the semifinals to Bobby Lagana, Jr., Millican clinched the title.

Castellana (lead photo) ended the Torco Pro Modified points race when teammate Shannon Jenkins (who was second, 79 points behind) and Carl Spiering (third, 104 points behind) lost in the first round of eliminations. The '05 title is Castellana's first career World Championship.

Millican and Castellana joined Torco Pro Stock driver Steve Spiess, who clinched the World Championship in Epping, NH, two weeks ago, in the IHRA record books.

"That was the goal, obviously, at the start of the year, to win the championship," Millican said. "The thing is, it takes a full year of work to do it and get it done early before going into Rockingham."

Millican, who set the track record at 4.568 seconds en route to qualifying first, began eliminations with a 4.618 at 320.20 mph run that beat Roger Dean’s traction-troubled 10.746. In the semis, he had a solo run (4.646 at 310.77) when Todd Paton couldn’t make it to the starting line on time.