Clay Millican Rocket City summary

Millican Wins Biggest Purse in Top Fuel History at Rocket City Nationals

Huntsville, Ala. - July 4, 2005 Clay Millican of Team Werner/Kenny Koretsky Motorsports won the Rocket City Nationals Top Fuel race at the Huntsville Dragway on July 3, winning the biggest purse in Top Fuel history, $106,000.

"It does not get much better than this," said an ecstatic Millican. "I want to thank the Werner team and our crew chiefs, Mike Kloeber and Lance Larsen, for getting the car down the track every single time. It was an awesome race weekend and I'm so excited we won!"

Millican qualified in the number one position in the eight-car Top Fuel field with a new track record for the eighth-mile race with an elapsed time of 3.18 seconds at 262.39 mph. In the first round of eliminations Millican faced number eight qualifier Roger Dean. Dean left the starting line before the tree was activated, and Millican won the round with an E.T. of 3.243.

In the semi-finals, Millican went on to face John Smith, the number five qualifier. Millican won the race with an E.T. of 3.285 to Smith's 3.674, advancing to the finals against Tim Gibson. Gibson redlighted and Millican continued his winning ways with a very consistent E.T. of 3.246 at 256.85 mph.

Millican won the $101,000 purse, plus $5,000 for being the low Top Fuel qualifier, for a total of $106,000, which is the largest Top Fuel purse ever.

Millican and Team Werner/Kenny Koretsky Motorsports will race next at the IHRA Motor City Nationals in Milan, Mich., on July 15-17, where they will race a special Dukes of Hazzard movie paint- scheme.

-kkm-