Millican steps up in Top Fuel qualifying at zMax
Tennessee native Clay Millican stepped up in Friday’s qualifying runs to top the Top Fuel division field for the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway.
Millican, a former champion in the International Hot Rod Association drag racing series, moved to the top of the Top Fuel charts with a 3.758-second pass at 318.77 mph.
Millican knocked eight-time series champion Tony Schumacher from atop the qualifying sheet. Schumacher had made a pass of 3.774 seconds at 319.75 mph at the start of the second round.
Three who mattered
Tommy Johnson Jr.: Shaded track, lower temperatures led to 3.971-second pass at 312.42 mph in second round, puts Johnson atop Funny Car qualifying sheet.
Greg Anderson: Four-time Pro Stock champ, going head-to-head against defending champ Erica Enders, leads qualifying with 6.524-second pass at 211.83 mph in second round.
Jerry Savoie: Louisiana alligator farmer and U.S. Nationals winner leads Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying with 6.862-second pass at 195.59 mph in second round.
Worth mentioning
Two more qualifying rounds for the Nitro and Pro divisions will be held Saturday, beginning at 12:45 p.m. and 3 p.m.
▪ John Force is sporting a tribute to NASCAR star Jeff Gordon on his Funny Car for this weekend’s race, complete with stylized flames and Gordon’s No. 24. Gordon is retiring at the end of the 2015 season.
▪ J.R. Todd will carry sponsorship from the Jimi Hendrix Foundation on his Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel ride for the first three Countdown races, at zMax Dragway, St. Louis and Reading, Pa.
▪ Among the spectators in the staging lanes at zMax Dragway were Carolina Panthers players Roman Harper and Bené Benwikere.
This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Millican steps up in Top Fuel qualifying at zMax."