Millican, Prock, Enders and M. Smith Power to Provisional No.1 Sports at Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

BRISTOL, TN – June 8, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Top Fuel veteran Clay Millican made the quickest pass on Friday at Bristol Dragway, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the eighth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Millican went 3.786-seconds at 325.06-seconds in his 11,000-horserpower Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster in Thunder Valley, holding off points leader Justin Ashley under the lights to take the top spot. Millican, whose first career NHRA win came at Bristol Dragway in 2017, is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and 26th in his career. Friday also marked another special moment at Millican’s favorite and home track on the NHRA tour.

“It’s always something at this place,” Millican said. “This team has absolutely been incredible. We were struggling a little after testing, and then the next thing you know we start going rounds, go to a final at Charlotte, go to the semis last week. I’m excited to do this for a lot of reasons. When you qualify No. 1 against the monsters that we’re racing against these days you’ve accomplished something. But this is the first time I’ve qualified No. 1 with Mr. Rick Ware present. We are here because this guy loves drag racing. The biggest thing he hasn’t been a part of yet is a win on Sunday, so that’s on my agenda, just in case you’re wondering.

“I would love to be the No. 1 qualifier right here at Bristol. That would be awesome. When it comes to raceday, last year I would have told you I wanted it hot on raceday, but I think we have a car now that it doesn’t matter.”

Points leader Ashley also dipped into the 3.70s with a 3.795 at 322.42, putting him second, and Antron Brown’s 3.809 at 321.27 slots him third.

Austin Prock continued to roll in qualifying, blasting to the top of the Funny Car field with an impressive run under the lights, going 3.958 at 317.34 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. Should that hold, the Funny Car points leader would gain his sixth No. 1 qualifier in the first eight races, a remarkable feat for the first-year Funny Car driver. He advanced to the final round last weekend in Epping, finishing as runner-up to his boss, John Force, and moving to the points lead in the…