By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
Clay Millican, an NHRA Top Fuel driver, recently took time to interview with The Capital Sports Report.
TCSR: Why did you get into racing?
CM: “Well, I grew up going to races my entire life, as my dad was into anything motorsports, whether it was sprint cars, NASCAR, or tractor pulls. But when I first saw a Top Fuel car, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I’m lucky to be able to do it.”
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TCSR: You previously worked for Kroger as a Forklift operator for more than a decade. But you wanted to be a drag racer. Why wasn’t it a fit for you at Kroger’s, as you wanted to accomplish your dreams of being a race car driver?
CM: “I loved working at the food warehouse, but my dream was to drive a race car for a living. I was able to do that because it was like hitting the lottery. I don’t want to say I was old, but I was older than most in swapping careers to be on this racing circuit. My wife convinced me that it was the right time to do it since she knew how much I wanted to do this. I’ve been making a living doing this since 1998.”
TCSR: In 1998, you earned your Top Fuel license. And then you made your debut in a Chicago White Sox-themed and sponsored dragster at the inaugural event in Chicago. What was that like?
CM: “We ran that car just for one race. It was a one-race deal. With Peter Lehman from the Chicago area, we rented all the equipment, as well as put a team together to be able to do it. It was the very first race at the brand new race track there in Chicago. From there, we had to start hunting for equipment to be able to do this for the long term. We had to buy our stuff from there.”
TCSR: In 1999, you traveled to Germany to take part in the Nitro Olympics and finished in second place, earning the silver medal. Could you talk about that?
CM: “That was cool. I had very limited experience in a Top Fuel car at that time. I had an opportunity to go to Germany and enter into the competition that they call the Nitro Olympics. Cars from all over the world came there for the event, and we lost in the final round. The loss in the final round gave me a silver medal in the Nitro Olympics. It was also a one-time deal.”
TCSR: In 2000 and 2001, you took off from the NHRA. Yet, you were still racing at the IHRA level, where you were named the 2000 IHRA Rookie of the Year and the 2001 Driver of the Year. Was it a lack of sponsorship to why you were not competing in the NHRA?
CM: “I didn’t have a sponsor. This sport revolves around sponsorships, and in January 2000, Peter Lehman bought his equipment, and we raced at the IHRA level. We finished second in the championship both years, if I remember right. Our sponsorship was mainly tied to the IHRA at that time, and we set a lot of records.”
TCSR: How do you compare racing in the IHRA to the NHRA?
CM: “It is different, but much of the same equipment. The only things that are different are that it is a lot different race tracks that the NHRA races at. The IHRA doesn’t do Top Fuel anymore, as well, and I haven’t raced there since my last championship in 2006.”
TCSR: In 2004, you went to three consecutive final rounds. Could you talk about that?
CM: “At that time, the car was pretty unbeatable. That year, I think we raced 10 NHRA races, and we went to a bunch of semifinal rounds. Our car ran as good as any other car in the field. We just wanted to be able to race our car.”
TCSR: Could you talk about making the Countdown to 1 in 2009?
CM: “It was fun. We had a car that was pretty consistent, but it wasn’t capable of winning a lot of races. We did make a final round that year, where we ended up competing with Larry Dixon in the finals. It was cool to make the Top 10, but it’s tough out here every year to do that.”
TCSR: You have been a TV host for numerous shows. You hosted Speed’s Show Blow It Up in 2007, the same year you made a guest appearance on Speed’s Drag Race High.
The following year, you hosted Drag Race High in 2008 and 2009. You also co-starred in Pink All Out in 2009 and 2010 on Speed, before doing Burnout on MTV2 in 2011. Could you talk about being on the camera with these shows?
CM: “It was fun, and an opportunity to promote the sponsor that supports our team. I love doing television shows. I loved doing Pinks All Out – it is one of the most successful shows on Speed TV. I was a part of that show for two years, and this past year, I had a show on MTV2 that was the third highest-rated show ever on an MTV Network, called Burnout. I worked with some great kids who will do wonderful things in the future. I worked with students from the Universal Technical Institute. You will be seeing more of me in that role, but I don’t have any announcements to make as of yet.”
TCSR: So you see yourself doing more television shows in the future?
CM: “Absolutely. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do that. It is not how I make a living, because I make a living through drag racing. I don’t even care about that income, to be honest, because it is more about me promoting our sport than anything. Our sport is growing, and we have to continue to get it exposure in any way that we can.”
TCSR: How do you juggle racing and your television shows at the same time?
CM: “When I sign up to do a TV show, they know first and foremost that racing is my focus. The producers usually adjust the show’s schedule around my NHRA schedule. There have been other opportunities that I have had to pass up because of racing. I love drag racing, and television is another way to promote our sport. The producers and the production companies have been phenomenal. They understand that being a drag racer is why they wanted me on the show.”
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TCSR: You have won numerous championships at the IHRA level, with six consecutive from 2001 to 2006. What would it mean to you if it did happen at the NHRA level?
CM: “My goal at the end of every year is to be in the running for the championship. If it is meant to be, then it’ll happen. We can only take care of what we can do, as a team, and not focus on other teams and what they’re doing. When you do that, you lose focus on the ultimate goal. If it’s not meant to be, will I say to myself that my career is incomplete? No, because I’ve won a lot of races (51 IHRA wins, 0 NHRA wins). I won 6 IHRA Championships, as well. If it all went away tomorrow, I would be happy, because I’ve done something that millions around the world would want to do. I appreciate the opportunities that this sport has given me and win or lose at each race, I have a smile on my face. Life is good no matter what happens.”
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