NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The name of motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel became synonymous with Las Vegas after his spectacular jump over the fountains at Caesar’s Palace in 1967, and the Knievel name is back on the front page at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals where the Clay Millican-driven Rick Ware Racing Top Fueler is bannering the Knievel name.

Millican, who won the prestigious U.S. Nationals earlier this season, is rocking a firesuit emblematic of Knievel’s famed white-with-stars leathers, and just pinching himself to be associated with the legend.

“As a kid in the 1970s, I had all the Evel Knievel toys and jumped many picnic tables with my bicycle,” said Millican. “Ten-year-old me is just having a field day. When I saw the firesuit I was like a giddy little kid. I've been trying to explain to the kids on the crew about Evel, but they just can't understand how big he was. When I was a kid, Evel Knievel and Muhammad Ali were the biggest things in the world to us.”

Ware, also a big Knievel fan who actually saw him jump in the 1960s, struck the deal with Knievel’s son, Kelly, to represent the famed name at this NHRA event and on his entry at the Las Vegas NASCAR event that preceded it, all in celebration of the upcoming move of the Evel Knievel Museum from Topeka to Las Vegas early next year. Kelly Knievel was on hand for Friday’s first qualifying runs and will return to the track Sunday to watch.

Longtime fans may remember that Scott Palmer carried the Knievel Museum colors at the NHRA race in Topeka in 2019, and is also a huge fan.

“I called Scott before the race to let him know that we were doing — he was the only person outside of our team that knew — and he was excited for us. Yesterday, when Kelly got here, I let him get settled, and then I texted Scott that he was here and Scott set a world record getting to our pit," said Millican.

“It’s been great to get to know Kelly and talk about his dad and his favorite memories,” said Millican. “He’s the kind of guy I’d like to hang out with. I tried not to ask him a million questions about his dad, but he was great and very personable with the fans. He was out here signing autographs and we had a lot of people form Montana, where Evel was born, stop by because they still have such a connection to the name.”

The Rick Ware racing team will represent the Knievel brand at future NHRA and NASCAR races in Las Vegas over the next four years.