Things Got WILD for Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican On This Run

While everybody loves to see Top Fuelers blast the 1,000 foot track in record time, some the most exciting racing happens when things don’t go quite right and the drivers have to fight the car trying to break traction, leading to what is known as a pedal fest. Last weekend in the second round of eliminations at the NHRA Heartland Nationals, Speed Society Racing team driver Clay Millican faced off with #1 qualifier Tony Schumacher. With records falling all weekend, all eyes were fixed on the pair, fans anxiously awaiting more record numbers to light the scoreboards. Instead, both crews had overestimated the track and Schumacher and Millican both lost traction just off the line.

Both drivers began the intricate dance require to tame 11,000 ponies that have suddenly been freed from the fences of traction and run freely though the tires and into the growing cloud of smoke behind each car. Pedaling the throttle and simultaneously tugging on the handbrake, the drivers have to try to slow the tires back to a slow enough speed that they regain traction, each hoping to hook back up and get back on the throttle before the other. After a couple of stabs at the throttle, Schumacher’s engine let go in spectacular fashion, a common occurrence when you’re dealing with gallons of nitromethane being started and stopped quickly inside the engine.

Meanwhile, Clay was doing his best to regain traction as well in his Great Clips/Parts Plus sponsored fueler in the other lane. After Sarge banged the blower off of the engine, Millican should have had an easy win, but years behind the wheel have taught Millican to keep fighting when you can’t see the other car, and fight he did. Even as the car drifted sideways across his lane and came within inches of crossing the centerline – which would have automatically given Tony the win – but wrestled the nose of the beast back toward the finish line, taking the win and moving on to the semifinal round.

Clay is always quick to give credit to his crew when things go right for his team, but this is one case where Millican earned the win himself!