he Clay Millican machine kept right on rolling Aug. 8-10, at the 22nd annual Bethesda Softworks Northern Nationals, at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, MI. With his 26th IHRA Top Fuel win, Millican passed drag racing legend Don Garlits to become the winningest nitro dragster driver in IHRA history.

In Pro Mod, Mitch Stott returned to the winner's circle for the third time in 2003, as did Funny Car points leader Rob Atchison for the fourth time this year. Meanwhile, Tim Bell scored an upset with his career-first Pro Stock race title.

TOP FUEL

Millican and his Werner Enterprises crew obviously came loaded for bear as they lowered the track E.T. record to 4.70 straight off the trailer in qualifying, then bettered it with a 4.694 that led the fourth-quickest fuel field in IHRA history.

Also significant in qualifying was Bobby Lagana Jr., who recorded his first four-second and over-300 mph passes.

On raceday, Millican rather easily handled Roger Dean and Lagana before facing off against number-two qualifier and first-time finalist Tim Cullinan, who beat Grant Flowers and Bruce Litton in a close semi-final match. "The race with Litton in the semi-finals was exciting," said Cullinan, who was competing in only his fifth IHRA Top Fuel race. "I could feel the car spinning the tires but I just stayed with it until I couldn't see him anymore. I didn't even know that I had won until I got out of the car at the top end."

Millican left first with a .053 holeshot in the final and went on to post a winning 4.74 at 303.91 mph pass, while Cullinan coasted through after losing traction early in the run. The victory surpassed the 24-year-old record of 25 wins put together by Garlits between 1972 and 1979, but it took Millican just three and a half seasons. He has won six of seven IHRA national events this season, and has a career final round winning percentage of 89.6 percent.