STEVE TAYLOR (jeff Burk Photo)

The weather had changed a little bit and after talking with Andy and good friends and excellent bracket racers, Josh Kanselar and Larry Ericsmoen, who was running his Ray Miller 4-link dragster.  We all agreed we were about to slow down at least a hundredth in this round. We dialed up and we both moved on to the next round. My .031 showed some nerves were there but my opponent was .043. I trusted the dial-in and ran a 5.169 (5.16 dial) to my opponents 4.998 (5.00 dial) as he broke out by .0012. A Margin of Victory of .0012 in my first round of the Million.  Second round was as large as the first round so I would guess over 90 percent of the guys who lost first round opted for the $500 buy-back.

As we got ready for the second round, everyone was probably feeling more confident as they had another shot at the tree and the track. I got through second round with a .015 light and a 5.181 (5.17 dial) as my opponent was .005 and gave the finish line back to me my .005 as he ran .026  over his 4.99 dial.

The third round was no more important than the first or the second BUT…if you win third round you collect at least $1,000. I was .009 on the tree, finally felt good at night on the start line, my opponent was unusually late at .053. I ripped it twice and was sure it was enough to prevent a breakout as I was dialed safe in my opinion. I was .021 over at 5 mph slow for a Margin of Victory of .041 as he was .019 over.

I was really relaxed going up to the staging lanes and was pretty much in the zone mentally. The fourth round got underway well as I was .009 on the tree again and had dialed a 5.17 as my 330’ time from round three showed I was on a mid-5.17 run. We added some extra fuel and felt the 5.17 dial was safe. At a local race I might have dialed a 5.16 but I felt like I had to keep everything tight at this event. Either the air changed or the warmer oil got to both of us. The result was I ran a 5.157 (.013 under) to my opponent’s 5.265 (5.27 dial). I ripped it once, as I was about two feet ahead (.015 to be exact). That closed it up a little but he won by .008 and my Million Dollar Race came to an end.

I was one of the highlights of my racing career. Even though I have won a national event and some points meets this race just has a “feeling” around it. Something special in the air so to speak. I hope you all get a chance to experience it someday. It is one of the few bracket races I would pay admission to be at even if I didn’t take the dragster.

Seeing the final round of the Million and watching them turn around in the shutdown area and drive back up the track was way cool. When one of the finalists stopped at the 1/8th mile finish line, stood up in the dragster, and pointed at and recognized the hundred or so

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racers and friends sitting at the finish line in the bleachers. Those were the die-hard racers who sat there and watched the best racers on that night win the biggest bracket race in the world…..

The last few rounds of the Million Dollar Race weren’t exactly filled with big name bracket racers, but these drivers aren’t new to winning that’s for sure. Brian Folk, Durand, IL, multi-time big money and national event winner faced off with Aaron McAulla of Tiffin, OH. Aaron who, you say? You should remember him as the guy in the Nova that won the $50,000 prize a couple years ago at the Super Pro World Challenge amid a sea of dragsters. When the smoke had cleared this night it was Jeff Rucks of Rainsville, AL, going .006 on the tree and running 4.844 (4.82 dial) to force runner-up Robbie Mayse, Frost, TX, to breakout by .002 to take the stripe with a 5.078 (5.08 dial). Both racers will not operate under the radar any longer.  They would be a great interview and hopefully that can happen soon. Congratulations guys, job well done.

I was proud to just be a small part of it.

Thanks to George Howard, his ideas and his belief in bracket racers you to can experience the Million Dollar Race next September in Memphis. I hope to be there and meet you in the staging lanes or AT THE STRIPE.