The BME Bulletin #3
Bill Miller Engineering's Top Fuel
Blog A RIDE ON THE ADRENALIN HIGHWAY The CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago on June 11, was a breakthrough race for the Bill Miller Engineering/Okuma/Red Line Oil Top Fuel team. Qualified 16th, driver, Alan Bradshaw, enjoyed the best day of his brief Top Fuel career. Bradshaw beat three-time, NHRA champion and #1 qualifier, Tony Schumacher, in the first round of eliminations and, then defeated J.R. Todd in the second round. His winning streak ended in a semifinal match with Top Fuel points leader Melanie Troxel. Although Bradshaw didn't get the big trophy, the race was a high point for the BME/Okuma team. "Talk about a rush! You could have cut the adrenaline with a knife," said Bradshaw with a laugh. "The guys were having the time of their lives. They busted their tails, and we had a car to go to the starting line every pass. I'm just happy to be a part of that group because we're having career moments together. I love being the underdog and going out there and thumping the big names once in a while." But...the Chicago event didn't start out as a race to remember. After a pair of tire-smoking runs on Friday, the outlook on Saturday was as bleak as the weather. "Saturday dawned with rain, rain and more rain," recalled Team Owner/Crew Chief Bill Miller. "We were 22nd out of 22 cars, but as luck would have it, the rain stopped and we ran in the afternoon session. We made the show, but by the end of the session, Alan had been bumped down to 16th. Then, the rain started again, the fourth qualifying session was cancelled and we were in." Bradshaw claimed the final qualifying spot with a 4.640-second e.t. at 315.64 mph. But the BME team had a surprise in store for the No. 1 qualifier, the powerhouse U.S. Army team of Don Schumacher Racing, in the first round. Bradshaw was out first by four hundredths of a second, and his 4.545 e.t. at 325.77 mph were career-best marks. The result was a win by the BME dragster over the Schumacher machine for the second time in as many meetings. "I gave it a little more mag, a little more fuel, and a little more clutch," Miller reported. "As I turned around and walked back toward the staging lanes after the run, I heard about 50 voices say, 'Attaboy, Bill!' Everyone on the team did a great job." The victory came at the cost of an engine, so a fresh bullet was loaded for the second-round match with Todd. Miller picked the left-hand lane, and Bradshaw was again on his game with a .017-second advantage at the start. The black-and-yellow BME dragster took the win with a 4.620 e.t. at 312.71 mph to Todd's 4.770/300.66 but...that victory cost the BME/Okuma Team another engine. "It's like Dale Armstrong once told me, 'When the car is running good, it's awful hard to slow things down,' " Miller confided. "I thought, after the first round, that I should slow down the blower, but I decided to leave it alone and gave it more fuel. All that did was make a bigger bomb." The clock finally struck midnight for the Cinderella team in the semifinal round. Melanie Troxel, unloaded a 4.476 e.t. against Bradshaw's 5.144 as a third BME motor sustained internal damage. "We learned how to run 4.50s, but that performance came at a high price," Miller explained. "The conditions in Chicago were exceptional with dry air, a density altitude of about 1200 feet, and excellent traction." With fresh engines in short supply, Bill Miller decided to sit out the race in St. Louis and restock the inventory for the team's next outing in Seattle on July 21-23. "Chicago proved that anyone we race will have to go the starting line with their 'A' game because you never know what Bill will pull out of his hat," said Bradshaw. "You can't take anything for granted in drag racing. If anyone takes the BME/Okuma/Red Line team lightly, they have a surprise coming. I won back-to-back races in Seattle and Sonoma in 2003 driving an injected nitro car in Top Alcohol Dragster, so I'm looking forward to going back to the West Coast," Bradshaw continued. "I can't wait! Bill made the wise decision to sit out a couple of races, but with the enthusiasm and momentum this team has after Chicago; a few weeks off won't slow us down one bit."
BME RACE RESULTS
O'Reilly NHRA
Summer Nationals, Topeka, Kan., May 28, 2006 -28
CARQUEST Auto
Parts NHRA Nationals, Chicago, June 11, 2006
NEXT RACE Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals, Seattle, July 21-23
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