by Network Staff
Posted on June 12, 2017
As the temps kept rising during the 48th annual NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Clay Millican and the Parts Plus/Great Clips team were looking to get things cooking in their new Top Fuel dragster.
The new car replaced a well-used chassis that had carried Millican down the track more than 350 times before being replaced in the two weeks between the Topeka and Epping events.
“We came into the weekend looking to really make some noise in this new Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster because if you were to think of our drag races in golf terms, Englishtown is a major,” Millican explains. “People would probably say Indy is the Masters, so I would say Englishtown is like the U.S. Open. Every year I’m very proud to have the opportunity to try and win the NHRA equivalent of the U.S. Open. I look at Englishtown as a race you want on your resume.”
To use another golfing metaphor, Millican and Stringer Performance crew chief David Grubnic probably wished they could have taken a Mulligan after a swing and a miss in Friday’s first round of qualifying, with the Parts Plus dragster hazing the tires by the 330-ft mark.
“We really came out aggressively in Q1 because we knew there was a lot left in this car after Epping,” Millican says. “We knew it would be hot Saturday, so we went after a good number from the get-go Friday night. After we made three consecutive runs down the track in this new race car last week, Grubby [Grubnic] felt confident we could push it a little harder than we did in New Hampshire, but that first run got away from us.”
If Q1 was the equivalent of a shank, then Q2 was a beauty of a drive straight down the middle of the fairway for the Parts Plus/Great Clips team. As the sun was setting, the new dragster’s header flames shooting over the rear wing all the way down the dragstrip was a sight to behold, as Millican ran a 3.786@314.53 mph to temporarily shoot to the No. 5 spot. If Millican hits that top 5, Grubby’s happy, regardless if it’s 1st or 5th.
With reports of a major heat wave hitting the Englishtown area Sunday, Grubnic again elected to push the car hard in Q3 to maintain that top 5 spot. For a moment, it looked like the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster was on a great pass until it started dropping cylinders on the top end, settling for a 3.849@297.75. Millican’s Q3 incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec.; 330ft-2.169; and 660ft-3.075@280.19 mph.
Grubnic aimed to get the car all the way down the track in the final round of qualifying, accomplishing that objective with a clean pass for the Parts Plus/Great Clips car with a 3.815 mph@311.56 mph. However, Millican dropped out of the top 5 to No. 8 as qualifying ended Saturday. Millican's Q4 incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec.; 330ft-2.150; and 660ft-3.051@280.49 mph.
No. 8 ended up being a great spot for the team, as that meant Millican would be breaking out his oversized nametag for another first-round matchup with No. 7 qualifier Terry McMillen. This weekend, the two racers shared more than a similar surname: McMillen’s 3.783 was only slightly quicker than the Parts Plus Great Clips dragster’s 3.786.
Entering Sunday, Millican was 8–3 against McMillen in prior events, including six first-round wins out of eight. “If we keep this up, Terry and I are going to have a lot of fun with these nametags all year. Overall, we felt pretty good about qualifying. We had a strong run going there in Q3 that likely would have helped us maintain that top 5 spot. We still felt like we were in good shape to start Sunday, and we knew there was a lot more there in the car. That heat is going to be hard to beat for sure.”
With weather conditions at 88 degrees and relative humidity at 45 percent, and a track temperature of 114 degrees, Millican and McMillen lined up Sunday in a race that appeared for a brief moment to be as close as the two drivers’ names.
McMillen surprised Millican by seizing the starting-line advantage, but the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster took command of the lead by the time they zoomed past the Christmas tree, and Millican never trailed again en route to turning on the win light with a 3.806@314.3 mph. The Parts Plus/Great Clips team advanced to a second-round Sunday showdown with Steve Torrence.
By the time second round started, temps had hit 92 degrees, with a track temperature of 123, making it a tricky, sticky dragstrip to navigate, as the heat makes it more difficult to generate wheel speed. Nonetheless, Millican was looking to keep playing a hot hand in second round against Torrence, whom he'd beaten in eight of 15 previous elimination matchups.
This time, however, Torrence cooled off the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster, taking the starting-line advantage and never looking back for the win, as Millican went up in smoke early.
Torrence kept the heat turned up the rest of the way, scorching his final two competitors in the semis and the final round to win the event and climb to the No. 2 spot in the standings. Torrence is now just seven points behind Antron Brown, with both drivers bumping previous No. 1 Leah Pritchett down to No. 3. Millican remained in 7th, with Brittany Force increasing her lead over the Tennessee native at 6th.
NHRA Top Fuel Point Standings
Through Englishtown
1. Antron Brown: 878
2. Steve Torrence: 871
3. Leah Pritchett: 842
4. Tony Schumacher: 766
5. Doug Kalitta: 648
6. Brittany Force: 609
7. Clay Millican: 520
8. Troy Coughlin Jr.: 412
9. Terry McMillen: 392
10.Scott Palmer: 380
Next Race
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
June 16–18
Bristol, TN
by Network Staff
Posted on June 5, 2017
Clay Millican was even more optimistic than usual when the Parts Plus/Great Clips Top Fuel team traveled to Epping, where the Tennessee native was a dominating force at New England Dragway in his IHRA days, winning three times.
Plus, Millican was fired up about rolling into the NHRA New England Nationals with his all-new Parts Plus/Great Clips Top Fuel dragster and chassis. Despite earning two No. 1 qualifying positions thus far in the 2017 campaign and reaching the semis twice, the previous car had more than 350 runs on its back half, so a change had been in the works for about a month.
Of course, the team was perhaps a little more tuned up than usual prerace, as this marked the first car change Millican’s crew has performed. Nonetheless, Millican was happy to see the team’s work ethic in getting the car ready and going nonstop since Topeka to get it done.
“I’m proud of the team for getting the car change done so quickly,” he says. “I’ve said all along that preparation is such a big part of this sport.
“Following Topeka, the entire crew headed right back to our Nitro Barn in McLeansboro and got down to it. I went there for a bit to ensure the little details were how I like ‘em, so there’d be no surprises come this weekend. Our guys were ready and organized to help make the changeover go as smoothly as possible, they sure did a good job.”
Heading into the East Coast Swing with a new car, crew chief David Grubnic was a little more stoic, yet fully expected Millican to qualify in the top five and keep the team’s streak of round wins going, knowing that consistency is the key to unlocking the door to the Countdown playoff in the 2017 Mello Yello Series.
“It’s a new car, but we’ve planning this for a while, so I don’t expect anything less than what we’ve been able to achieve as a team all year—most important, consistency,” explains the Stringer Performance crew chief.
In Friday’s homerun session, Millican felt like a freshly licensed teenager sliding into his first ride, as he entered the cockpit of the new Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster and prepared to swing for the fences.
“I can’t wait to see what this new chassis can do,” he said just before Q1. “Plus, Epping is a bit of a homecoming for me. Even though I am a Southern boy, I have considered Epping my ‘home field’ of sorts dating back to my success there during my IHRA days. I love the New England Dragway any time of the year.”
Millican’s enthusiasm was tempered in Q1 when the new car smoked the tires early on. Then the same thing happened again in Q2 in the same spot. Uh, oh.
“The first two runs did not go as planned at all, obviously. We went about 20 feet on each run. That’s not what Grubby or anybody wanted. But it’s a new car, so we’ll get it figured out in time for Q3. You can bet on that.”
Illustrating the power of positivity once again, Millican and the team rallied on Saturday with quite a race alongside Antron Brown in the third qualifying session. The Parts Plus/Great Clips driver kept the new car hooked up and hitting on all eight to punch his ticket to the show with a 3.747@323.97 mph. Millican's Q3 incremental times: 60ft–0.846 sec.; 330ft–2.121; and 660ft–3.002@286.38 mph.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Millican says. “What a race! That was a heck of a run—I mean, the motor felt nice, just so smooth and perfect. Grubby felt like there was more there though, so went for it in Q4.”
Grubby’s estimations proved to be correct, as the brand-new Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster bolstered Millican to his quickest pass of the weekend in Q4, propelling the popular Parts Plus driver into the top half of the field, with a 3.727@324.83 mph. Millican's Q4 incremental times: 60ft–0.844 sec; 330ft–2.114’ and 660ft-2.982/287.84 mph.
“OK, I think I love this new car, and the feeling is now mutual—we just had to get to know each other a little bit first,” Millican says with a laugh. “On the other hand, we didn’t get into the top 5, but all things considered, I think we’re pretty pleased to be the No. 7 qualifier in a new car.”
Millican would also have a new elimination-round opponent heading into Sunday, as he had never previously faced No. 10 qualifier Tom Coughlin Jr when it counted on Sunday. Grubnic felt good about their chances, coming off that Q4 run, thinking the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster had a great chance to turn on the win light by simply going straight down the track completing the run with a solid 3.79
Instead, Coughlin seized the starting line advantage and surged ahead with Millican in pursuit. The new Part Plus/Great Clips dragster completed the run, but not as quickly as expected, with Millican’s 3.831@312.78 mph falling to Coughlin’s 3.784@328.54 mpg. Coughlin’s margin of victory over Millican was 0.0591 seconds or approximately 27 feet.
“Well, we didn’t get what we wanted there, but even if we had, Coughlin’s number was the third-best of the first round,” Millican says. “We did a lot of things right this weekend. I’m especially proud of how we made some adjustments and got us qualified in the top half. This is only the first stop of the Eastern Swing, so I’m pleased that we come right back next week in Englishtown, where we can usually count on tremendous support from our sponsors and their partners and customers”
This weekend, along with the new car came a new associate sponsor in Strutmasters, a company that specializes in air-to-non-air suspension conversion kits and is widely considered a leader in the world of suspension.
“Despite not turning on that win light today, I am relieved to find this is a great new car, and we won’t have to look into turning this thing back in under the Lemon Law,” Millican deadpanned. “It’s unfortunate Brittany Force picked this weekend to get back on track [winning the event], as we dropped a spot to her in points, but we’re not too worried about where we are right now at No. 7.”
2017 Top Fuel Point Standings
(following New England)
Next Race
NHRA Summernationals
Old Bridge Township Raceway
Englishtown, N.J.
by Network Staff
Posted on May 22, 2017
For the second straight event in the 2017 Mello Yello Series, Mother Nature threw a monkey wrench into the works, with heavy rain delaying Friday night’s qualifying sessions, which is usually where Parts Plus/Great Clips driver Clay Millican shines brightest.
NHRA was ready to call off the initial qualifying sessions when the weather suddenly cleared unexpectedly, as it tends to do in the area. Thrilled to be getting in a Friday night run after all, Millican was fired up as he lined up in the left lane against Doug Kalitta. The result was not exactly what Stringer Performance crew chief David Grubnic had in mind. The Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster lost traction right off the line, so Millican clicked it off.
“Well, we were in Kansas, so we thought for moment that a tornado might take us off to see the Wizard of Oz—the weather was that nasty,” Millican says. “So we’re all excited to get up there, but the driveshaft on the car was just way too fast and out of control. We knew the track was going to be really fast, so we were looking for another shot at a late-night Q2, but then NHRA makes an announcement that some more crazy weather is heading our way, so they canceled it.”
With only two shots left at making the field, every run would be home-run session in Grubnic’s mind. On Saturday’s Q2, the Parts Plus/Great Clip lined up again with Kalitta, this time in the right lane; however, the result was virtually the same, as the Parts Plus/Great Clips car was up in smoke at the 330-foot mark.
“Another thing about the weather in Kansas is that it can be windy, and it changes really fast. So we were prepared, as we made some small adjustments to the car. But now, it suddenly shakes the tires, which means it doesn’t have a fast enough driveshaft on there. So at this point, Grubby is about ready to pull his hair out.”
For the last few weeks, the team had been planning to swap out cars following the Topeka event, so Grubnic thought momentarily that perhaps the team should have made the move sooner.
“It’s rare that Grubby is stumped, but he’s shaking his head, thinking this car is what’s causing us problems and that the driveshaft is actually slow and shaking the tires. So what in the world is going on here? We’re sitting here and can’t seem to go down the track, while everyone else is going out there and setting world records. Man, this is usually our kind of game, constantly swinging for the fences.
“So we’re heading into final run, and Grubnic sets the car in between the two runs that we’ve already made, and we had a solid run.”
Officially, Millican’s 3.727@327.03 mph qualified the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster 8th, setting up a first-round Sunday showdown between the popular Parts Plus driver and Terry McMillen, a matchup that is often a nightmare for announcers to call.
“We didn’t accomplish our objective of qualifying in the top 5, but given the crazy weather conditions, we were OK. No. 8 was still in the top half, which gave us lane choice and a first-round matchup with McMillen, who we’ve run well against in the past. Our last names are so similar; the announcers can’t seem to keep it straight when we race. So we had a little fun with it. We both wore these huge, oversized name tags: ‘Hello, my name is Clay Millican.’ And of course is ‘McMillen.’ I like Terry a lot, but when the helmets go on, it’s time to get down to business.”
The race between Millican and McMillen turned out to be as close as their surnames, with the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster taking the win light in a tight race. Officially, Millican’s 3.73 topped McMillen’s 3.75. But it didn’t have to be that close, as the Parts Plus car was on its way to a monster run when a piston broke. If not for that, Millican felt the car would have hit a 3.69.
Millican’s adrenaline shifted into overdrive when he learned his second-round opponent would be the No. 1 qualifier: Tony Schumacher, who has had had the Tennessee native’s number in the majority of their elimination round showdowns in the past. Not on this day.
It wasn’t pretty, as the tires got loose on the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster, sending the car spinning and sliding, with Millican struggling to maintain control. Little did Millican know, though, but the Sarge was having troubles of his own, as the Army car was up in smoke at the hit and let go with a huge fireball after Schumacher pedaled it for the third time. Meanwhile, the Parts Plus dragster was completely sideways, nearly crossing the centerline, but the veteran kept his car in his lane and turned on the win light.
“Man, oh man, that was cool: You’re up against one of the biggest, baddest drivers there’s ever been. Then you’re smoking the tires, the car is spinning and sliding, and I think I pedaled the car at least three different times, but we got the win light. It’s always big to beat a heavy hitter like the Sarge.”
Things wouldn’t get any easier for Millican as the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster lined up in the semis against red-hot Steve Torrence, who’s been on a winning streak of late.
This one was over before it started—literally—as Torrence appeared to jump the gun on the Christmas tree and left Millican behind for the win.
“Stevie absolutely killed me on the starting line—he was just flat-out gone. I actually heard him hit the throttle before I did. It kind of shocked me to be honest with you. I was frozen for a second, kind of shell-shocked from his engine. He’s clearly beating us, but our car was running well until we nearly hit the finish line, and it just came unglued and exploded—heck, that’s an understatement. Boom! One of the biggest explosions I’ve experienced in years, so I’m sure we made the highlight reel.
“Steve had a phenomenal light—but he did take off a bit early and somehow got away with it. At that point, we weren’t gonna catch him no matter what. Grubby had it set up to go a .74. I probably should have shut it off, but you never know—maybe his car will blow up or something—but it turned out to be ours.”
Nonetheless, it was yet another strong weekend for the Parts Plus/Great Clips crew, as the car is going rounds every race with great consistency.
“We achieving that goal at every event, so we’re doing well. I’m actually heading to the shop for a few hours to help get the new car ready. All I’m doing is helping get the seat belts, pedals and all that kind of stuff the way I like ‘em. We’ve got a great race car right now, so hopefully this new one we’re bringing out will help stop whatever’s been going on with the driveshaft the last few races. Hopefully that’ll calm Grubby down, as this thing’s been driving him crazy.”
2017 Top Fuel Point Standings
(following Topeka)
1. Leah Pritchett: 721
2. Steve Torrence: 691
3. Antron Brown: 680
4. Tony Schumacher: 673
5. Doug Kalitta: 539
6. Clay Millican: 433
7. Brittany Force: 405
8. Terry McMillen: 333
9. Troy Coughlin Jr.: 327
10.Scott Palmer: 276
Next Race
June 2–4
NHRA New England Nationals
New England Dragway
by Network Staff
Posted on May 12, 2017
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by Network Staff
Posted on May 8, 2017
Coming off the heels of two straight No. 1 qualifiers, the Parts Plus/Great Clips crew kept the wheels turning on Clay Millican’s red-hot dragster with a 3.763@312.13 mph in Q2 in a rain-shortened Saturday qualifying session that sent the team to the No. 4 spot heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds at Atlanta’s Southern Nationals.
The weekend started out as expected in Atlanta—with rain that ultimately prevented Friday’s qualifying session from taking place. This time, however, Mother Nature proved to be fickle, providing just enough misty drops to dampen the track, before stopping momentarily, and then picking up right back up again.
“That sure made for a long day, as it wasn’t a downpour like in the past, so they [NHRA] did everything they could to get us out there, but we just never had enough dry periods to get anything done,” Millican says. “So that took away our home-run session, but we got the job done Saturday just fine, despite the racetrack being really slick going down-track. For whatever reason, there was just not a lot of traction down there, which is why the speed was down on first qualifying run, but we adjusted and improved in Q2.”
Millican’s Q2 incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec.; 330ft-2.121; and 660ft-3.005@286.86 mph.
Stringer Performance crew chief David Grubnic made it clear over the past two events that being the No. 1 qualifier is not necessarily the team’s goal each week—the Parts Plus/Great Clips crew merely aims for the top 5. This week, it seemed qualifying first may not be the best thing anyway, as Brittany Force uncharacteristically struggled in her two qualifying runs, finishing at the bottom of the field in the 16th spot, giving No. 1 qualifier Tony Schumacher more than he bargained for. Force, however, ended up smoking the tires in Sunday’s first round anyway, which paid off for Millican at the end of the day.
Meanwhile, No. 4 qualifier Millican couldn’t ask for a better start Sunday. Not only did the popular Tennessee native have lane choice, which was crucial this week as there appeared to be a slight bump down-track in the right lane, but he also ended up racing unopposed.
With the rain long gone, and the sun shining on a beautiful Georgia Sunday, a dark cloud seemed to hang over Millican’s scheduled first-round opponent Terry Haddock.
“We were actually pitted beside Terry Haddock’s team, and we were pretty confident they were not going to get their car put together in time,” Millican explains. “It looked like they were having some sort of issues. By the time we were ready to go, Grubby [Grubnic] had decided we were going to really push the car and maintain lane choice and hopefully stay in the right lane and avoid that bump down-track.
“Grubby ended pushing it a little too far, and it got the tires loose. In that situation, it was sort of like a test lap; we already had the round win because Terry Haddock couldn’t make it back up there, so we wanted to get an idea of how far we could push it.”
With an enthusiastic hospitality crowd from local Parts Plus member Southeastern Automotive Warehouse looking on, Millican lined up against No. 5 qualifier Doug Kalitta in second round, following some adjustments to the car by Grubnic. The Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster put a cylinder out at the hit and the car went silent, much to Millican’s surprise. Turns out that Grubnic had elected to hit the safety button that switches off the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster after noticing the car had put a cylinder out, and quickly realizing that Kalitta was having a great-looking pass straight down the middle for the win.
“Grubby made the right call there, as he could clearly tell we were not going to win that round,” Millican says. “It’s simply a precaution to ensure we don’t hurt any parts, which we did not.”
Despite the rain-shortened weekend and the second-round shutoff, the forecast looks bright for the Parts Plus/Great Clips team, which further distanced themselves from Force’s Monster Energy car to hang onto the No. 6 spot in points.
“We moved up a spot in points during this three-week stretch in passing Brittany Force, and we put another round in between us this weekend. And we qualified in the top five every weekend, including two No. 1s, so for the initial three-week stretch of the season, I’d say we’re off to a really good start.”
2017 Top Fuel Point Standings
(following Atlanta)
1. Leah Pritchett: 641
2. Tony Schumacher: 627
3. Steve Torrence: 592
4. Antron Brown: 560
5. Doug Kalitta: 486
6. Clay Millican: 385
7. Brittany Force: 347
8. Terry McMillen: 301
9. Troy Coughlin Jr.: 295
10.Scott Palmer: 244
Next Race
May 19–21
NHRA Heartland Nationals
Topeka Dragway
by Network Staff
Posted on May 3, 2017
Car Parts Warehouse Inc., located in Brookpark, Ohio, has acquired Lake County Parts Warehouse in Perry, Ohio, Lake County Parts Warehouse in Akron, Ohio and Import Parts Distributor in Pittsburgh, Pa. according to Tony G. DiFiore, vice president of Car Parts Warehouse.
“The acquisition of Lake County Parts Warehouse and Import Parts Distributor locations will add value to all 35 Car Parts Warehouse locations,” said Mr. Di Fiore. “We now have all our bases covered: from import to domestic, and all makes and models. This is just one more reason for professional installers in Northern Ohio and
Western Pa. to make us their first call for hot-shot delivery. Car Parts Warehouse will now operate 35 locations and have more than 250 delivery vehicles on the road.”
This acquisition will only further solidify the footprint of the Automotive Distribution Network across North America,” said David Prater, president of the Network.
“We are proud of Tony and the Car Parts Warehouse team for making this acquisition under the Parts Plus banner,” said Mr. Prater. “This new expansion brings CPW approximately 3,000 new customers with more than $10 million in sales. We are extremely excited to welcome them into the group and look forward to their continued success.”
by Network Staff
Posted on May 1, 2017
When the Parts Plus/Great Clips Top Fuel team travels to zMax Dragway for the annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, they know to expect the unexpected, given the unusual format and its unique challenges. So in that sense, driver Clay Millican wasn’t too surprised to find himself in the No. 1 qualifying spot for the second week in a row, a first in his NHRA Top Fuel career.
After smoking the tires in an aggressive Q1 run, the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster launched hard in Q2, and Millican kept it hooked up with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing to blaze a trail to the No. 1 spot with a 3.716@325.77 mph. Millican’s Q2 incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec.; 330ft-2.108; and 660ft-2.978@289.69 mph.
“It’s pretty crazy to do that back-to-back, but I felt confident in that we were coming out with pretty much the same game plan as we always do: Friday night is the home-run session. And, boy, we really connected in Q2. We did it last week, and we did it this week. This week, I wasn’t too sure we’d hang onto the number one, but then again, anything can happen out here at this event. It’s definitely a big boost of confidence for the whole team.”
That is, except for crew chief David Grubnic. As the No. 1 qualifier, the entire team receives a green hat to wear for the driver intros in recognition of the achievement. When asked about the significance of qualifying first, Grubnic says, “To be perfectly honest, I don’t care about the green hat. Our goal is to qualify in the top 5; we just happened to be number one. I’m more concerned about making two more good runs on Saturday and turning that into win lights on Sunday.”
Unfortunately for Grubnic and Millican, qualifying first at the four-wide doesn’t come with the same advantages as other events. When Millican’s Friday night number held up through Saturday, the popular Parts Plus driver was set to face not only the No. 16 qualifier but also the No. 8 and No. 9 qualifiers as part of the four-wide format.
“We’re you’re No. 1, and facing off against No. 16, it doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to be easy, but you feel pretty good you’re going to win that round. But then you toss in the No. 8 and No. 9 qualifiers, and you’re up against two other cars that were fairly close to what you ran as the No. 1.
“Again, it’s a crazy day of four-wide racing—I’m not the biggest fan of the format, but I have done well here. And you have to look at it as a spectacle that the fans enjoy. I just wish they would treat it more as an all all-star race that doesn’t necessarily count in the points race. When we return there in the fall, it’s a Countdown event, so it’s back to the usual format. And we intend to be in the thick of things when we return.”
The four-wide setup also makes it more challenging for the crew chief, as teams only get one qualifying run in each lane, so there’s less information to make an effective decision as to which lane to select. “I’m glad Grubby has to do that and not me,” Millican says. “For the first round of eliminations, we had no problems. As the No. 1 qualifier, we had lane choice. We ran pretty well, we were the second-quickest car in our group, and we were the second-quickest of the round.”
Officially, Millican’s 3.743@320.97 mph was good enough to take the quad’s runner-up spot and advance to round 2, right behind Leah Pritchett’s 3.737@316.23 mph. Then confusion set in prior to the next round, as the Parts Plus/Great Clips crew had second lane choice after Pritchett’s team.
“Leah’s crew chief chose the lane that we wanted. So we picked what we thought was the next-best lane. Well, Leah’s team ends up choosing a different lane at the last minute—and there’s so much confusion because you’re trying to get four cars into the staging area and into the lanes. We just didn’t have time to adjust and pick the lane we originally wanted.”
The Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster was up in smoke early in round 2, so Millican clicked it off. Overall, the team was pleased with their performance but not fully satisfied. Millican climbed one spot in the rankings, passing Brittany Force for the No. 6 spot in the points race to qualify for the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoff.
Most important, the team continues to improve on their consistency, which is vital as the Parts Plus/Great Clips crew heads to Atlanta this week to close out the first three-week stretch of consecutive races in the 2017 campaign.
“Personally, I love it when we get to this point where we’re racing week to week to week,” Millican says. “We’re getting into a nice rhythm, and the team is really gelling. The crew serviced the car today after first round in 43 minutes. They’re getting into a groove, which is great to see. But it gets rough on your inventory. When you head out for a stretch like this you, you have to ensure you have everything you’re going to need to inside that trailer.
“I have to credit Grubby, who has done really done well with the tune-up on the car. We ran one engine all the way through Houston, and we had no breakage. And we put a fresh engine in for this race, and we ran the same way through this weekend. Even though we lost second round, I can see the team is really coming together.
“We’re looking forward to getting to Atlanta and hanging out with Danny Ward and all the great folks from [local Parts Plus warehouse member] Southeastern Automotive Warehouse.”
2017 Top Fuel Point Standings
(following Charlotte’s Four-Wide Nationals)
Next Race
May 5–7
NHRA Southern Nationals
Atlanta Dragway
by Network Staff
Posted on April 24, 2017
Despite flashes of brilliance dating back to late in the 2016 campaign, driver Clay Millican and crew chief David Grubnic have been working fast and furiously for the Part Plus/Great Clips Top Fuel team to break out and show what their car is capable off when consistently firing on all cylinders.
The team did exactly that in Q2 Friday night, earning Millican the sixth No. 1 qualifier of his Top Fuel career—and his third in 12 races—shattering the record at Houston’s Royal Purple Raceway in the process with a track elapsed time of 3.722@328.22 mph.
The Parts Plus/Great Clips team has stressed consistency all season, and that objective was finally met with the record-breaking No. 1 qualifier run and strong back-to-back showings on Sunday that proved that qualifying effort was no fluke.
“The whole theme for this the year…has been consistency and reliability,” Grubnic says. “I’ve had enough of ‘flashes of brilliance.’ We don’t get paid for that. We’ve been working on everything—engine, clutch, the whole package. It’s not just one thing. If the engine’s off, the clutch won’t work. We’ve worked hard on everything to get better every week.”
With eight final-round Top Fuel appearances but not a single Wally to show for it, the team’s ultimate goal, of course, is to get that monkey off Millican’s back and then chase down a championship.
“That would solve a lot of our heartache,” says Grubnic, a former driver. “I’ve been down that road. I feel his pain. I went to eight finals before I won my first. We’ve got to break him free.”
After Friday’s showing, it looked as if Houston would be the launch pad to send Millican into that next stratosphere of elite drivers. Millican’s 3.772 pass topped the qualifying mark set by Steve Torrence in 2016 to put him the driver’s seat. As expected, the tenacious Tennessee native’s No. 1 qualifying time held up during Saturday’s warmer temps, albeit by the slimmest of margins, edging the 3.723@322.50 of No. 2 qualifier Antron Brown, defending series champion.
With the No. 1 ranking and the track record secured, Millican made it no secret the plan was to stay aggressive the rest of the way and keep those win lights coming until he was crowned king at the Royal Purple Raceway.
“It is really cool for me to qualify No. 1 by a thousandth,” Millican says. “Since we did qualify No. 1, my plan was to go out there and stomp on that loud pedal four times and turn on that win light four times. These races are getting harder and harder, but I’ve known all along that this Parts Plus/Great Clips team has a good car.”
Ironically enough, Millican’s first career runner-up in NHRA Top Fuel competition was at Houston in 2004, the beginning of a long frustrating quest for an NHRA Wally.
“At the time, I didn’t think much about it,” Millican says. “I never thought that 13 years later we would still be wondering when our first NHRA win would finally come to us. But I’m confident this is our year.”
With lane choice secured Sunday morning, the No. 1 qualifier lined up against Steve Chrisman in the left lane, with the Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster seizing the starting-line advantage and thundering straight down the groove with a good-looking pass that narrowly missed Millican’s qualifying time, but still ran his fastest speed of the weekend with a 3.729@326.79 mph. Millican earned lane choice over rival Tony Schumacher in E2. Millican’s E1 incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec.; 330ft-2.112; and 660ft-2.988/289.14 mph.
“Obviously, that was awesome to turn that win light on and even better at that kind of speed,” Millican says. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve got everybody’s attention now. But now we’re looking across at the Sarge and that tough Army car, which has had our number too many times in the past. So we knew we’d have to come out there with everything we had.”
In fact, Schumacher was 30-6 in eliminations against Millican heading into Sunday’s showdown, which would send the winner to the semis. Make that 30-7. The Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster once again held the starting line advantage, with Schumacher chasing down Millican at the 1/8 mile before the Army car dropped a cylinder. Millican held on for the hole-shot win despite the Sarge running his quickest pass of the weekend.
“Man, that felt good as we’ve been on the short end of the stick in that situation so many times,” Millican says. “It really felt like it was going to be our day.”
In the semis, Millican lined up against Steve Torrence, holding a 7-4 advantage in previous elimination rounds. But not on this day. The Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster was up in smoke at the hit, while Torrence went straight down the groove, turning on the win light with a 3.760@323.27 mph.
“Not sure what happened there, but that was obviously not the plan,” Millican says. “Grubby will have to take a closer look and see what happened. But overall we came out and did pretty much everything we wanted to do and managed to break a track record as the No. 1 qualifier. Again, we’re getting closer and closer every week. This is definitely the team to watch, and I’m really proud of our guys. I love this team.”
Top Fuel Point Standings
(following Houston’s SpringNationals)
Next Race
April 28–30
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
zMax Dragway
by Network Staff
Posted on April 26, 2017
The National Advisory Council of the Automotive Distribution Network recently met in Indianapolis, Indiana to provide feedback on key programs and marketing initiatives. During the meeting, the Advisory Council also toured KYB Americas Corporation manufacturing plant in nearby Franklin, Indiana.
“The Network’s Advisory Council, comprised of WD members, auto stores and service dealers, offers unique viewpoints from a cross- section of the country,” said Steve Tucker, vice president of sales and marketing for the Network. “Gaining knowledge from their perspective market areas helps us target specific program elements with real-world solutions to better leverage our brands,” he said.
In addition to the business meeting, Advisory Council members toured KYB’s manufacturing plant, led by Mac McGovern, director of marketing and training for KYB Americas Corporation. After seeing world-class manufacturing at its best, the Advisory Council completed the KYB Crash Avoidance Systems Training certification program.
“Being able to see quality-control procedures first-hand is always impressive,” said Bryan Jackson, owner of Bryan’s Auto Parts in Eastland, Texas. “It was an honor and privilege to represent the many Network members in a joint meeting with the KYB team. From our tour of their facility and in-depth discussions, they continue to prove why they are in the forefront of shocks and struts worldwide.”
by Network Staff
Posted on April 19, 2017
Fast Undercar is holding its annual Franchise Meeting and Vendor Fair from April 19th-21st, starting at the Hyatt Regency Westlake in Westlake Village, California.
It all kicks off with a Town Hall Meeting for franchise owners and corporate, providing an open forum for discussion, with a focus on their new POS software, according to Matt Porter, Vice President of the Fast Undercar Franchise Group.
Thursday will be an all-day meeting in the Air Force One Boardroom at the Reagan Library, followed by Vendor arrivals and private tours for attendees. They will all convene for a cocktail reception, dinner and an awards ceremony, where they will be presented not with little crystal trophies or plaques, but small customized surfboards. “We just wanted something a little bit different from the usual award that people stick on a shelf an forget,” said Porter.
Friday is a Vendor Fair back at the Hyatt Regency, where 40 manufacturers will be represented, followed by an open session in the afternoon.
by Network Staff
Posted on April 12, 2017
The Automotive Distribution Network held its spring shareholder meeting in Dearborn, Mich. from April 3-5, 2017. The members focused their efforts on future growth opportunities for the group and the expanded role of their IT and marketing initiatives.
“This year’s meeting encompassed 28 round-table discussions and more than 300 one-on-one meetings with members and vendors that provided exceptional communication and networking opportunities,” said David Prater, president of the Network. “The round-tables allowed our members to personally interact with staff and fellow business owners to exchange ideas and express opinions about the future direction of the Network. Additionally, the one-on-one vendor/member meetings was a great venue for discussing product line items, sales analysis and inventory updating.”
Parts Plus Mexico members also convened at the meeting along with three Mexico division vendors: WIX Mann Hummel MX, GRC Ride Control Mexicana and GMB. Blue Sage, our IT partner in Mexico also presented to the group. “As we continue to expand the Parts Plus brand in Mexico, it is vital to our success to continue working on member compliance and participation. We have more than doubled our purchases since 2015 in Mexico and look forward to signing several prospects in the very near future,” said David T. Segal, chairman of the Network and CEO of Automotive Supply Associates, Inc. in Concord, N.H.
As a special treat, the members enjoyed a private reception and dinner at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. “Visiting the museum really allowed everyone to realize the depth of our industry’s history, as well as other interesting breakthroughs in American invention,” said Mr. Segal.
