INDIANAPOLIS – Veteran Top Fuel driver Terry McMillen qualified No. 1 for the first time in his NHRA career on Saturday, powering to the top spot during the final qualifying session of the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fifth race of the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and third straight at Indy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
McMillen, who has two career victories, jumped from 14th to the No. 1 position with a run of 3.807-seconds at 312.28 mph on his final pass of the day in his 11,000-horsepower AMALIE Motor Oil dragster. He will take on Lex Joon to open eliminations, looking for his first win of 2020.
“This is amazing,” McMillen said. “We know we’ve got a really good car right now and to finally get that green hat (for the No. 1 qualifier), there’s nothing like it. Tomorrow is race day and it’s a different day, but going into the show everyone knows we’re No. 1. More importantly, my team is going to have something to remember because this was just an awesome day.”
Defending world champion Steve Torrence qualified second in Top Fuel with a 3.814 at 321.81 and Leah Pruett was third with a 3.840 at 318.02. Points leader Doug Kalitta starts eliminations from the 12th spot after going 4.007 at 275.96 in qualifying.
Johnson stayed hot in Funny Car action, qualifying No. 1 for the second time in three races with his pass of 3.976 at 318.54 in his 11,000-horsepower MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It is the 20th career top spot for Johnson, who hasn’t qualified outside of the top two since the NHRA restart last month. He will face Alexis DeJoria to kick off eliminations and is looking for his second victory of the 2020 campaign. Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan, who advanced to the final round at the most recent race, is second after going 3.982 at 320.81 and DSR made it a clean sweep in the top three after Ron Capps went 3.987 at 317.05. Points leader Jack Beckman qualified in the 15th spot.
Coming off a victory at the most recent Pro Stock race, which was at the first event of the NHRA restart in Indy, Line qualified in the top spot in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday, going 6.574 at 208.75. Line, who is retiring from Pro Stock competition following the season, earned his second straight No. 1 qualifier and 57th of his career. He will meet Robert River to begin eliminations. Teammate Greg Anderson is a spot behind after going 6.592 at 208.46 and points leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. qualified third with a 6.593 at 206.42.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith rode to the top spot with a run of 6.807 at 199.23 on his Denso/Stockseth/MSR EBR. It gives Smith his 39th career qualifier and he will race Kelly Clontz in the first round of eliminations. Smith, who is second in points, is looking for his first win of the 2020 season after advancing to the final round at the first race of the PSM year, which took place last month in Indy. Eddie Krawiec took the second spot thanks to his 6.817 at 199.08, while Ryan Oehler, the current points leader and winner of the opening race of 2020, starts from third after going 6.840 at 197.71.
In the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, which is presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars this weekend, Khalid AlBalooshi drove to the No. 1 spot for the second straight race in his ProCharger-powered Bahrain 1 Racing Camaro with a run of 5.761 at 251.72. The former world champ will meet Chip King to open eliminations. Jason Scruggs qualified second with a 5.811 at 249.81 and reigning world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson is a spot behind with his 5.788 at 247.47.
Eliminations for the Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday. Television coverage includes live action on the FOX national broadcast network starting at 1 p.m.
***BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the Inaugural Dodge NHRA Indy Nationals presented by Pennzoil at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, the fifth of the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Terry McMillen, 3.807 seconds, 312.28 mph vs. 16. Lex Joon, 4.444, 189.58; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.814, 321.81 vs. 15. Luigi Novelli, 4.358, 206.42; 3. Leah Pruett, 3.840, 318.02 vs. 14. Shawn Langdon, 4.187, 216.69; 4. Clay Millican, 3.841, 313.22 vs. 13. Joe Morrison, 4.146, 273.83; 5. Cory McClenathan, 3.864, 317.49 vs. 12. Doug Kalitta, 4.007, 275.96; 6. Doug Foley, 3.868, 312.28 vs. 11. Pat Dakin, 3.967, 308.28; 7. Antron Brown, 3.868, 311.41 vs. 10. Justin Ashley, 3.957, 308.43; 8. Billy Torrence, 3.907, 318.24 vs. 9. Terry Totten, 3.933, 289.88.Did Not Qualify: 17. Kyle Wurtzel, 4.818, 153.54; 18. Kim Davidson, 5.589, 116.41.
Funny Car — 1. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.976, 318.54 vs. 16. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 5.134, 145.64; 2. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.982, 320.81 vs. 15. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.621, 179.90; 3. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.987, 317.05 vs. 14. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.516, 189.95; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.988, 316.38 vs. 13. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.314, 236.05; 5. J.R. Todd, Camry, 4.004, 317.05 vs. 12. Mike McIntire, Camry, 4.288, 223.99; 6. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.074, 308.92 vs. 11. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.252, 292.14; 7. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.108, 255.97 vs. 10. Bob Bode, Mustang, 4.173, 250.18; 8. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.122, 280.60 vs. 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.165, 267.64.
Pro Stock — 1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.574, 208.75 vs. 16. Robert River, Chevy Cobalt, 6.839, 202.00; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.592, 208.46 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.673, 208.49; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.593, 206.42 vs. 14. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.655, 208.33; 4. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.594, 208.88 vs. 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.643, 205.66; 5. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.599, 209.14 vs. 12. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.631, 208.49; 6. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.603, 207.02 vs. 11. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.625, 208.65; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.605, 209.07 vs. 10. Bruno Massel, Camaro, 6.622, 206.86; 8. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.606, 208.42 vs. 9. ChrisMcGaha, Camaro, 6.609, 207.72.Did Not Qualify: 17. Alan Prusiensky, 7.217, 176.65; 18. Mason McGaha, 18.524, 44.40.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, EBR, 6.807, 199.23 vs. 16. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 19.336, 33.96; 2. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.817, 199.08 vs. 15. Tiffany Butler, 7.526, 176.77; 3. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.840, 197.71 vs. 14. David Barron, EBR, 7.165, 186.43; 4. Angelle Sampey, Harley-Davidson, 6.847, 195.00 vs. 13. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.141, 190.54; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.855, 196.93 vs. 12. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.072, 192.60; 6. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.878, 196.50 vs. 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.987, 192.19; 7. John Hall, Suzuki, 6.888, 194.44 vs. 10. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.938, 195.76; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, EBR, 6.889, 198.79 vs. 9. JerrySavoie, Suzuki, 6.914, 194.66.
Pro Modified — 1. Khalid alBalooshi, Chevy Camaro, 5.729, 251.67 vs. 16. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.917, 244.47; 2. Jason Scruggs, Camaro, 5.749, 251.86 vs. 15. Clint Satterfield, Camaro, 5.914, 204.08; 3. Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.788, 247.47 vs. 14. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.909, 244.34; 4. Jeff Jones, Chevy Corvette, 5.794, 249.81 vs. 13. Mike Janis, Camaro, 5.882, 247.66; 5. Chad Green, Corvette, 5.795, 250.51 vs. 12. Jim Whiteley, 5.855, 241.71; 6. Steve Matusek, Ford Mustang, 5.799, 253.80 vs. 11. Kris Thorne, Camaro, 5.851, 255.82; 7. Brandon Pesz, Camaro, 5.826,247.93 vs. 10. Bo Butner, Camaro, 5.848, 247.66; 8. Jeffery Barker, Camaro, 5.828, 249.67 vs. 9. Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 5.838, 250.13.Did Not Qualify: 17. Brandon Snider, 5.931, 240.68; 18. Justin Jones, 5.948, 226.92; 19. Todd Tutterow, 6.019, 243.50; 20. Doug Winters, 8.103, 112.98.