Clay Millican defeated Shawn Langdon Sunday in the opening round of the FRAM-Autolite Nationals and
advanced to a quarterfinal finish at Infineon Raceway. He was also able to maintain his advantage
over Joe Hartley in the quest for 10th place in NHRA's Countdown to the Championship.
The LifeLockracing.com Top Fuel dragster responded to "massive moves our crew chief, Lance Larsen,
made in the clutch area," Millican said. "They weren't small changes, either. They worked . . .
and then they didn't."
The performance wrote a positive finish to the rugged three-race Western Swing.
Millican qualified 11th and Langdon seventh, but it was the Tennessee driver who prevailed - 3.923
seconds, 311.13 mph to 4.113, 256.89 and set the stage for his next race against Cory McClenathan.
.
"The car was so easy to drive that Lance left the combination alone for the second round," said
Millican. "He was confident the track would hold it. We were surprised it didn't."
Both cars lost traction, but McClenathan's had the momentum and turned on the win light in 4.323
seconds, 233.98 mph to Millican's 4.475 at 226.98.
"Races like that are fun to drive . . . if you get the win light," added Millican.
Millican has 619 points to 567 for Hartley with three regular-season events remaining before the
Countdown begins.
The team returns to competition at Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 13-15.
