NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Terry McMillen has enjoyed one of the best starts in his Top Fuel career, winning rounds at each of the first two events of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

McMillen and his team are excited and encouraged by the early-season success, which may prove to be perfect timing for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 17-20 at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The tradition-rich event is especially big for McMillen because Amalie Motor Oil sponsors the NHRA veteran driver’s team. The company’s main headquarters is less than an hour from the famed track, which means there is extra emphasis for McMillen and his team to put on a show in their 10,000-horsepower Amalie Motor Oil XtermiGator dragster.

“While we race 24 times a year, there’s only once where we do it front of Amalie,” McMillen said. “They really pack the people in, and what’s rewarding to me is the sensory overload that they get all weekend. Whether it’s working on the car or going down the track, they become emotionally attached.

“The memories of the people that show up to the race and the experience we’re able to give them, those are the things that make this race very special. Plus, it’s just a big race. It’s the first race of the season on the East Coast, and that in itself draws a lot of fans. To showcase what we do and be a part of this race, it’s just overwhelming.”

Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event that will be televised on FOX Sports 1, including live finals coverage at 1 p.m. ET. It is the third of 24 races during the 2016 season, and McMillen hopes to continue his early-season momentum.

The team, led by crew chief Rob Wendland, has been consistent out of the gate, making full passes on a regular basis during qualifying and eliminations. That has paid off in a number of respects, most notably leading to round-wins against eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher in Pomona and Steve Torrence, who won the opening race and held the early points lead, at the most recent event in Phoenix.

McMillen remains confident and hopeful that the team can continue to push forward, but he is thrilled about the steps everyone has already made in 2016.

“We’re making some major strides, especially this year,” McMillen said. “Rob and the entire crew have done a great job in getting to this level. It’s hard to maintain, especially for a one-car team, but I think we’ve come a long way. The new car is probably the best car I’ve ever driven in my life. We just have to keep working hard, but if we win one round at every race, we will finish in the top 10; I feel confident in that.”

A top-10 finish and a berth in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship are among McMillen’s primary goals for 2016, which means that performing well at the early-season races is crucial. He has done it so far by putting together consistent runs. The team hasn’t dipped into the 3.70s yet, but McMillen, who has a career-best e.t. of 3.806, is confident that will happen and is currently more focused on how the car has gone down the track more often than not.

“You look at what the cars are doing right now, and it’s anybody’s race on race day,” McMillen said. “In qualifying, we don’t know how to run low 3.70s yet. We’ll get there, but on race day, it’s a different setup. The thing now is to make the car go down the track without smoking the tires. If somebody outruns us, then so be it, but every time we make a full pass, we’re getting more data.”

Garnering that data has been critical for competing against a loaded Top Fuel field that starts with defending world champion Antron Brown. Others to watch in Gainesville include 2014 event winner and current points leader Doug Kalitta, four-time Gatornationals winner Schumacher, rising star Leah Pritchett, who won her first race two weeks ago in Phoenix, Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, Brittany Force, Richie Crampton, Dave Connolly, and Clay Millican.

But McMillen continues to see improvement, which could pay dividends in not only his long-term goal of finishing in the top 10 for the first time, but also his short-term goal of scoring his first NHRA Top Fuel victory.

“If we make an adjustment, we’re seeing an improvement, and that’s a great thrill,” said McMillen, who has six semifinal appearances. “As a driver, that helps you drive the car better, and if you know what the car is going to do, you’re going to be better on the lights and be more comfortable. We’ve got more round-wins this year through two events than by midyear last year. We can’t pat ourselves on the back, but Rob has a really good handle on the car and what it wants.”

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12:45 and 4:15 p.m. Friday, March 18, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, March 19, at 12 and 3:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, March 20.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRA.com/tickets. Kids 12 and younger are admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.