@claymillican25 no sir, thank YOU and your team for opening the fence and letting us in!!! I have 2 questions tho... Who let Pete Harrell in there, lol!!! And my last question, when are you doing a Drag and Drive event with Dently?? #stomponthatloudpedal!!!! 😊
The kindest most genuine? I dunno if he takes the no. 1 spot, though I agree that he certainly is among a small and select group of really open and honest folks on RUclips who are a joy to follow. Brent from PFI Speed and Steve from Steve Morris Engines are just two examples I regard as highly and value as much.
Clay Millican is a Class Act and a super nice guy. He appreciates his fans and his fans appreciate him! Big Jim O and the Crew are absolutely amazing. Watching them completely tear down and rebuild the engine and clutch assembly is incredible; and they do it in such a short amount of time! They are all great people and I greatly appreciate your video! 💥💨👍
Thanks for talking to clay What a great guy I have been to santa pod many times (England) And as a diesel enginer it's amazing to watch the engine being re built If I had a bucket list I would love to attend a meeting in the USA. Thanks for the youtube
Clay is such a humble person. Musta been a really fun experience for you. Been watching his channel for 2 years, he is really quite informative. Seems like he'll converse with anyone.
I’ve been into NHRA for several years have gone into pits numerous times and Clay is the most personable active top fuel anything you’ll find onsite. People like him and his time like this is what brings people like us. Enjoyed this immensely!
Yeah I like him and Leah, they're both cool people. After a race one weekend me and my buddy were cruising the pits (we were both students at a motorsports university) she was out with her crew packing things up, we popped in for a minute and after talking with her for a few she actually invited us in to help out, afterwards we all kicked back and grilled burgers & dogs with some beers, coolest experience of my life. Funny thing is, he actually works on her car now for tsr and she remembers that night. Her and Millican are definitely in it for the fans
Kenny Bernstein is an Ahole! Tried to get his autograph once and he turned around and walked away from me! The races was over, the car was loaded up, there was no reason for him being rude to me.
This is about as informative and interesting a video that I've ever seen. Excellent work. Clay just gave up his time and information unselfishly and really took an interest in talking. I know it's busy in these pits but there was nothing at all dismissive with Clay - totally genuine. I was amazed with the fuel injectors, fuel flow, mag amperage and ignition timing. Awesome video, nice work indeed!!
When Clay said you have to "see it, hear it, and feel it", it is absolutely true! Being right next to the cars as they run is just, in one word, exhilarating! The vibrations that are felt cannot be accurately described! I actually live about a mile (as the crow flies) from a major Midwest drag strip. The tunnel under the tower, and the drag strip itself, make almost a perfect straight line to my house. I can feel it inside my home when a nitro top fuel car takes off! That is the power of 11,000 to 12,000 hp accelerating! Man, what a rush! Thanks to you and Clay for this access to the inner workings of a top fuel team!
I live 10-12 miles from the now closed Atlanta Dragway in Commerce GA and could hear them at my house. I could easily tell if it was a single run or when one of 2 cars lifted - the noise level would change.
My first experience with Top Fuel, was when I placed in a model contest sponsored by our local Navy recruitment agency here in Indianapolis, IN. The took us to the Nationals on finals day. They had a Navy sponsored funny car. When we got to the pits, we were allowed full access to the pit, even let us sit in the car. Imagine being a 12 yr old kid with a full-blown Hemi in your lap, mind boggling! Everyone was exactly like Clay, extremely polite, accommodating and knowledgeable. I didn't want to leave. I am 60yrs old and this video took me right back to that place in time. Thank you, Sally's Speed Shop and again CLAY MILLICAN for being hospitable and knowledgeable to your fans. This just reaffirms why Clay is my utmost favorite Top Fuel Driver, besides Big Daddy! Christopher Burton, Indianapolis, IN, Racing Capitol of the World!🏁🏁🏁🏁
What an outstanding video! Watched Clay Millican Qualify on Saturday at Bandimere (I almost cried when I left knowing this was the last Mile High Nationals plus I raced my drag bike there more times than I can count) and he won on Sunday! Congrats to Clay and thank you to Sally's Speed Shop for all the Geek Stuff I want to know!
Takes a ton of time and money to fire up warm up do a burnout and make a pass and then engine gets rebuilt after each pass very impressive how fast these engines get rebuilt takes tons of knowledge and skill to rebuild a engine in 45 minutes appreciate you bringing us along Jacob @Sally's Speed Shop
Anything with Clay Millican in it deserves a like. Thanks for doing this! Clay is such an awesome guy. Went up to him at Norwalk just after he lost a round, and he was still all smiles, and in a great mood meeting us.
I met Clay briefly at Maple Grove, and was honored to shake his hand. He and the rest of the team are my favorite people on RUclips. After being away for over 40 years, Clay - through his channel - brought me back to being a fan of NHRA drag racing, and I had to thank him for it. Stomp on that loud pedal!!
This is by far the most thorough Top Fuel video on RUclips. Thank You Some of the highlights for me personally were when you took your dad behind the starting line and the impression he got there compared to being in the stands. I will never forget that experience. Another highlight was when Clay emphasized the shutdown. Most people tend to think the show is over at the 1320 or 1000-foot mark, but for a driver, this is the big time. Getting a fast car stopped is exciting, to say the least. Keep watching to the very end.
That brought back some fine memories of 1976 at Santa Pod Raceway and watching the rebuilds of the Top Fuel and Funny Car engines. I took my grandchildren fifteen years ago, I hope to take the great-grandchildren one day. Excellent video
It was 1974 at Irwindale dragstrip in California, I was standing down the track at the fence when a dry ice rocket dragster passed by me at 333 mph in 3.33 seconds. I remember the numbers because they were all threes. My ears were plugged but I opened my mouth so they were ringing until the next morning. So cool.
THIS WAS AWESOME!!!! I immensely enjoyed this!!! I’m a huge “car guy” and (unfortunately) didn’t ever get the chance to learn about what it took or how to properly build a top fuel engine. All I knew is they ran on nitro and were REALLY expensive to build/run... As a USAF veteran, the way we pull “G”s (kickin’ the tires and lightin’ the fires) is WAY different than the extreme experience top fuel drivers experience. (Save the one brave “Full-Bird” officer testing rocket sleds way back in the day....that’s the only thing I can think of that compares...) Thank you very much for the knowledge of how truly incredible the top fuel engine/dragster really is and what makes it work!!! It is truly fascinating stuff!!!
Damn! This is Arizona Nationals week (Apr. 2024), if you are there, please go up and thank Clay for taking the time and having the extreme patience to let Sally's do what I consider the most informative, personal and insightful interview I've ever seen. I learned more in this interview than I have in being a fan of Top Fuel for 50 years. I don't know why but I've never heard anyone elaborate on negative G's like Clay did and even mentioning that Big retired because of a detached retina? I wouldn't have minded if this interview had been and hour and a half long! Clay's a beauty, no doubt. 'Special thanks, Sally's!
Thanks for watching! We tried to take a deep dive for you because Top Fuel is so mind blowing when you look at how it truly works. Luckily Clay is a saint who loves sharing his craft with the world!
That was awesome. I've been a fan of Clay's since his IHRA, glory day's. He seems to be a very approachable person and love's too talk about car's and hitting the loud peddle. Can't believe that it's been 25yrs, that I've been a fan of his. Thanks for all you do Clay, and go win some more Wallies.
Clay is so cool and humble at the same time!!! Great channel. I love the "loud pedal" . I didn't realize the blower was not a screw type. I'm excited about going to the fall nationals next month Charlotte/concord.
So many awesome points and facts in this video and I've seen top fuel pretty close so can appreciate and agree theres no other feeling you can compare it to but 18:10 4 lanes of top fuel how are you guys not shifting the earth off its axis!? Massive respect to Clay and the team for doing videos like this I've seen a similar one where he was going through rough costs of all the components and he said you'll see guys loose a race jump out the car and throw the helmet on the ground in frustration and he never gets like that because "I just got to stand on the loud pedal of 10,000bhp"
THANKS CLAY AND SALLY'S,, WOW!!! MY SON MAX 7YR.S OLD AND I LEARNED ALOT ON THESE RACE CARS,, HE SAYS COOOL!!! WE LIKE REG .CARS BUT THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO..
I'm not a big "drag guy", beyond a passing interest and a fascination with the technical aspects of the performance of the engines, but this is really enjoyable to watch - 10/10. Millican was very generous with his time and knowledge, without giving away trade secrets and it was all delivered in a very genial, listenable and non-technical way so anyone can get the general idea. The performance stats and the engine specs are just mind-blowing. I admit I was stuck in the past and still thought top fuel engines produced "only" 5,000HP!!
Thanks for the video I started going to the drag strip when I was 4 years old with my neighbor I'm the '60s top fuel before they had safety straps those blowers would go Sky High they had to really be careful insane power I remember a woman who drove jet cars she was deaf she got into a bad accident Great Lakes dragaway the track wasn't loud enough she went into the pharmacy field the car was destroyed she had multiple injuries but left I'll keep watching your videos it keeps me inspired I can't build cars or race anymore but I can really enjoy this
The slow mo at the end with the footage pulsating is just insane 😮 Jacob you out did yourself on this video Jacob just amazing Brother @Sally's Speed Shop
In the last couple of NHRA races, I went to. Good old Clay was right out talking to the crowd. That is a great thing about pro-drag racing. You can get up close and personal with all the big-timers. NASCAR . F1 or Indy cars. would shoot you if you got close to the drivers or the cars. However good old Clay. He is the greatest people person in all of motorsports. Ya just have to like him. Rock on Clay. I'll be watching ya,
What are you talking about? Nascar drivers, F1 drivers and indy car drivers interact with fans all the time. You can get a pit pass at all of the races.
There is nothing more impressive then watching masters of their crafts. My hats off to all in the pits. You guys and gals ROCK Thank you for sharing this info.
Back in the 80s, during the winter nationals, there was a competition between two teams that I witnessed. The competition was to run a top fuel engine, shut it down, change a rod and piston, then fire it back up. The winning team got it done in 5 min, it was unreal.
I was at Bristol in 1975 and was right on the starting line taking pictures. The force of those engines, even back then at 8000hp was unbelievable. Best racing experience I ever had on the didelines.
Yes there is nothing like experiencing top fuel dragsters and funny cars up close and personal. From being in the pits and getting your 1st wiff of nitro when they do a start and throttle blip. Watching them in the dark is another must do. They are loud yes but it's something you feel through your entire body more than you can hear. It's like the boom from fireworks except way more intense.
Really cool to see this and hear all the staggering stats. Clay also seems to be really cool! Thank you Jacob, Clay and everyone else that contributed.
Thank you for the technical information on this amazing machine,,absolutely insane engineering to make all this work ! / My opinion is that one needs to be a little crazy to drive this vehicle!??,,I guess it's a vehicle. / GO TEAM.
Awesome video about an awesome drag racer! Clay Millican is the man! Just a good ol' Tennessee boy stompin on that loud pedal. Here is a very interesting fact about Top Fuel. Back in 1979 Shirley Muldowney, the First Lady of Drag Racing, spent approx. $247,000 to run her pink English Leather sponsored top fuel dragster. (she finished 4th in points that year, right behind Don Garlits.) Today it takes about 4 million dollars to run a top fuel car, 16x what it did in '79. Yet compared to other forms of motorsports, drag racing is relativity cheap. 8 digit budgets are commonplace for NASCAR, Indy and Formula cars. Thought a lot of fans would enjoy reading about that. Keep up the great work on your videos!
Clay Millican. WOW. What a brand ambassador! And what a sport ambassador too. I had drifted away from Top Fuel over the years. You never lose the love of it, but you can kinda get put off with the big money required. But this interview was amazing in every way. Thanks for the friendly behind-the scenes access!!! My interest is rekindled ;-)
Great video, I'm a big Clay Millican fan. The one top fuel fact that you left out, and blew me away was when I realized that on an optimal run, from start line to finish line, the engine turns LESS than 1000 revolutions
I definitely should have mentioned that. It's wild to think about that fact! But it makes perfect sense when you break down just how quickly they make the run.
Watching the crew freshen up the bullet is my version of synchronized dancing!! One of the MAIN reasons why I go to the race's is to watch the crew's do their thing!!
When Clay won Bandamire this year, I felt like I won!! He has a way of making you feel you're "on the team" and I might have even shed a tear during his videos of that event!! #stomponthatloudpedal!!
Really cool video, I’ve always been fascinated by top fuel and the engineering behind these incredible vehicles. Zero to 100 mph in less than a second is absolutely incredible. Very refreshing to see how the drag racing teams are willing to share and connect with the fans. Thank you for this video!
Good gosh! I could listen to and watch these folks for hours! Staggering power vs metallurgy vs cost vs crew fatigue vs rules vs...? Nevertheless, you and Clay Millican produced a clear and easy to understand primer on this. I myself haven't been to a Top Fuel race in roughly 50 years. That sound! That way it just vibrated the heck out of my guts was terrifying. My Dad was annoyed that I curled up in the bleachers; I missed the grand finale main event hiding behind my knees, lol! They closed Hawai'i Raceway Park decades ago, so no joy here. Now...I wanna rematch! I wanna return to the mainland at least once to experience these cars in person. Of course...these cars make four times the power the dragsters made then....(shiver)....maybe I should just use a big, ol' subwoofer with this computer of mine and spill a little Cox nitromethane model airplane fuel on the table to get the atmosphere, lol! Mahalo for an absolute blockbuster (literally), Jacob! Aloha to you and your Dad!
Clay is a class act no doubt about it. We love watching clays videos. This was a excellent video. Thanks for bringing this kind of content to the public. Anything to increase intrest in racing before we lose our sport and race tracks forever. Thanks!!!
Clay is probably. the best promotor for top fuel racing in the business. Thank you for having him on your channel to bring even more technical parts to the lay person. Well done mate!!
THANK YOU CLAY FOR GOING SO IN DEPTH. I'VE BEEN WATCHING DRAG RACING SINCE THE FIRST TELECAST OF THE U S NATLS. GREAT VIDEO. I LEARNED THINGS I DIDNT KNOW. MY FATHER RAN A FI. INJECTED ALTERD ON ALCOHOL, IN THE LATE 60s, HE WOULDN'T TELL ME ANY SECERTS 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Could not have picked a better top fuel driver for this. Clay Millican is number One. Personality, faith, work ethics, not to mention sharing his journey with us. Great job, great video!
Great video with a great Driver. You did a very good job talking with Clay and you can see how casual he is with people. Some sponsers would have kittens if their driver was that open. Thank you for the job you did making this video.
Amazing video, Clay being an amazing person as always, clutch girl doing her thing, Pete Harrell is the man and cool picture of Tony Stewart and Lyle Barnett together. This is the first Sally’s video that I have watched and it was a banger, I will be back!
Had no idea about the difference of stroke, compression and the big one to me was timing. Amazing stuff and and amazing driver and team. Thanks for sharing!
What a treat! You could have been around race cars all your life but the numbers presented doesn't make sense... one plus one no longer makes two.. It bends your mind... Also the segment of the team taking the engine apart ... An absolute display of Team work with No ego between them at all.. It's such a treat...
Very nice presentation & explanation of just what goes on... Been watching Clay since he got his start, probably one of the most approachable drivers. Spent a couple of years ('78-81) at Martin US131 in Michigan running a gremlin (lol, got to 9.2 @ 142mph), but nothing prepares you for that chest compression (its not just loud!) & sticky sweet smell of Top Fuel !! Got the chance 20 years ago to take my son with Cub Scouts to Martin, they ran an assortment of cars (including a jet powered porta potty! Lol), walked on the track (A few people lost shoes to the sticky track!!), wandered the pits, etc... BUT, they had the original Chi-Town Hustler funny car make a couple of runs, even in the stands, none of the other cars gave that kinda HP !! & that was old tech even then... So, if anyone really wants to understand, go attend a race, its the only way!! Thanx !
Wow! That’s a fast Gremlin! Sounds like a good time! It’s truly impossible to explain what top fuel does to the senses, you gotta go experience it to understand!
Lol, yea... I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the 4 wide, but to be in the staging area with 4 lighting off, rather than just 2, gotta darn near need CPR to breath again... & Yes it was fun, but a whole lot cheaper than parts are today!! Heck we got the NOS 8:71 blower for $225, the Doug Nash 4 sp (rebuilt)for a couple hundred & the Team Strange quick change (used, with extra gears) for $250... Don't think I could afford a set of tires nowadays, lol!!
Thank you Clay. I can still feel the bodily assault of my first time watching a side by side sub 6sec run. Hell I can't imagine what 4 lanes of 3 sec cars does to the body ?
DUDE!! Thank you so much! This was AWESOME!! Best video ever on the workings of a top fuel team. I love watching them strip that motor down and rebuild it. Kudos to that crew! Clay is the BEST! You do great work...appreciate your enthusiasm and passion for this amazing form of racing!! Goosebumps!
5 minutes and the engine was completely Stripped to the block and pistons removed impressive disassembly and reassembly time just amazing skill even me being a mechanic I'm not that fast but I'm only 1 person that is insane Jacob @Sally's Speed Shop
To fix the main studs from pulling out of the block you could switch to a billet steel block instead of billet aluminum. It would add a couple hundred pounds but it would be stronger and add a little bit more down force to the rear tires.
Dalton will always be remembered when we say “STOMP ON THE LOUD PEDDLE “. We love you team Millican. A humble man with the most integrity in racing.
The fact that you put the one cylinder fuel video in this made me instantly sub. What a G 🤣
This was awesome thanks for the great video of our team. Sally’s Speed Shop FTW !!!
@claymillican25 no sir, thank YOU and your team for opening the fence and letting us in!!! I have 2 questions tho... Who let Pete Harrell in there, lol!!!
And my last question, when are you doing a Drag and Drive event with Dently??
#stomponthatloudpedal!!!! 😊
Funny thing. I could care less about Drag racing. But I follow Clay and watch his videos. I just find him to be the kindest most genuine guy ever.
Clay is the man! And Top Fuel is truly incredible!
Couldn’t care less you mean?
It’s actually Couldn’t care less
The kindest most genuine? I dunno if he takes the no. 1 spot, though I agree that he certainly is among a small and select group of really open and honest folks on RUclips who are a joy to follow. Brent from PFI Speed and Steve from Steve Morris Engines are just two examples I regard as highly and value as much.
@@Hydrazine1000you got that right, Steve Morris and Brent, and 90% of the Drag and Drive Regulars are genuinely great people!! 😊
Clay Millican is one of my racing heroes, and he’s the best at what he does. He’s going to win so many championships. I love his videos. He’s awesome
Clay Millican is a Class Act and a super nice guy. He appreciates his fans and his fans appreciate him! Big Jim O and the Crew are absolutely amazing. Watching them completely tear down and rebuild the engine and clutch assembly is incredible; and they do it in such a short amount of time! They are all great people and I greatly appreciate your video! 💥💨👍
Great video. Clay is so generous with his time and knowledge. Very impressive
He really is! You gotta love Clay!
Thanks for talking to clay
What a great guy
I have been to santa pod many times (England)
And as a diesel enginer it's amazing to watch the engine being re built
If I had a bucket list I would love to attend a meeting in the USA.
Thanks for the youtube
"stomp on the loud peddle" - love that.
Clay is such a humble person. Musta been a really fun experience for you. Been watching his channel for 2 years, he is really quite informative. Seems like he'll converse with anyone.
Clay is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met! Seriously top notch!
@@SallysSpeedShopagreed, he really is!!
I’ve been into NHRA for several years have gone into pits numerous times and Clay is the most personable active top fuel anything you’ll find onsite. People like him and his time like this is what brings people like us. Enjoyed this immensely!
Is Tony Schumacher nice guy also?
Yeah I like him and Leah, they're both cool people. After a race one weekend me and my buddy were cruising the pits (we were both students at a motorsports university) she was out with her crew packing things up, we popped in for a minute and after talking with her for a few she actually invited us in to help out, afterwards we all kicked back and grilled burgers & dogs with some beers, coolest experience of my life. Funny thing is, he actually works on her car now for tsr and she remembers that night. Her and Millican are definitely in it for the fans
Kenny Bernstein is an Ahole! Tried to get his autograph once and he turned around and walked away from me! The races was over, the car was loaded up, there was no reason for him being rude to me.
Clay is the man that has time for everybody. Thank you Clay for the knowledge you share with us nitro fans.
Love this video, love the technical details and as a Mopar man really pleased that the hemi lives on
This is about as informative and interesting a video that I've ever seen. Excellent work. Clay just gave up his time and information unselfishly and really took an interest in talking. I know it's busy in these pits but there was nothing at all dismissive with Clay - totally genuine. I was amazed with the fuel injectors, fuel flow, mag amperage and ignition timing. Awesome video, nice work indeed!!
When Clay said you have to "see it, hear it, and feel it", it is absolutely true! Being right next to the cars as they run is just, in one word, exhilarating! The vibrations that are felt cannot be accurately described! I actually live about a mile (as the crow flies) from a major Midwest drag strip. The tunnel under the tower, and the drag strip itself, make almost a perfect straight line to my house. I can feel it inside my home when a nitro top fuel car takes off! That is the power of 11,000 to 12,000 hp accelerating! Man, what a rush! Thanks to you and Clay for this access to the inner workings of a top fuel team!
Wow! I’m sure you hear it loud and clean from that distance haha That’s awesome! Thanks for watching 🙌🏼
I live 10-12 miles from the now closed Atlanta Dragway in Commerce GA and could hear them at my house. I could easily tell if it was a single run or when one of 2 cars lifted - the noise level would change.
Just about the most insightful video on this subject EVER. Thank you.
My first experience with Top Fuel, was when I placed in a model contest sponsored by our local Navy recruitment agency here in Indianapolis, IN. The took us to the Nationals on finals day. They had a Navy sponsored funny car. When we got to the pits, we were allowed full access to the pit, even let us sit in the car. Imagine being a 12 yr old kid with a full-blown Hemi in your lap, mind boggling! Everyone was exactly like Clay, extremely polite, accommodating and knowledgeable. I didn't want to leave. I am 60yrs old and this video took me right back to that place in time. Thank you, Sally's Speed Shop and again CLAY MILLICAN for being hospitable and knowledgeable to your fans. This just reaffirms why Clay is my utmost favorite Top Fuel Driver, besides Big Daddy! Christopher Burton, Indianapolis, IN, Racing Capitol of the World!🏁🏁🏁🏁
Clay is a super class act. Hands down, my favorite driver.
I watched Clay Millican in calgary alberta in his Ihra days early 2000s . Great video. 50 ° timing and shrinking piston and connecting rods crazy.
What an outstanding video! Watched Clay Millican Qualify on Saturday at Bandimere (I almost cried when I left knowing this was the last Mile High Nationals plus I raced my drag bike there more times than I can count) and he won on Sunday! Congrats to Clay and thank you to Sally's Speed Shop for all the Geek Stuff I want to know!
Takes a ton of time and money to fire up warm up do a burnout and make a pass and then engine gets rebuilt after each pass very impressive how fast these engines get rebuilt takes tons of knowledge and skill to rebuild a engine in 45 minutes appreciate you bringing us along Jacob @Sally's Speed Shop
It’s truly incredible to watch! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
Clay is such a cool, and highly knowledgeable guy. This was awesome, brought back memories
Anything with Clay Millican in it deserves a like. Thanks for doing this! Clay is such an awesome guy. Went up to him at Norwalk just after he lost a round, and he was still all smiles, and in a great mood meeting us.
I met Clay briefly at Maple Grove, and was honored to shake his hand. He and the rest of the team are my favorite people on RUclips. After being away for over 40 years, Clay - through his channel - brought me back to being a fan of NHRA drag racing, and I had to thank him for it. Stomp on that loud pedal!!
Saw my first top fuel race in the exact same spot. Nothing like it!!
It's pretty amazing to watch!
Bloody awesome job covering this!! Clay is so open and loves what hes doing !!
This is by far the most thorough Top Fuel video on RUclips. Thank You
Some of the highlights for me personally were when you took your dad behind the starting line and the impression he got there compared to being in the stands. I will never forget that experience.
Another highlight was when Clay emphasized the shutdown. Most people tend to think the show is over at the 1320 or 1000-foot mark, but for a driver, this is the big time. Getting a fast car stopped is exciting, to say the least. Keep watching to the very end.
That brought back some fine memories of 1976 at Santa Pod Raceway and watching the rebuilds of the Top Fuel and Funny Car engines. I took my grandchildren fifteen years ago, I hope to take the great-grandchildren one day. Excellent video
It was 1974 at Irwindale dragstrip in California, I was standing down the track at the fence when a dry ice rocket dragster passed by me at 333 mph in 3.33 seconds. I remember the numbers because they were all threes. My ears were plugged but I opened my mouth so they were ringing until the next morning. So cool.
THIS WAS AWESOME!!!!
I immensely enjoyed this!!! I’m a huge “car guy” and (unfortunately) didn’t ever get the chance to learn about what it took or how to properly build a top fuel engine. All I knew is they ran on nitro and were REALLY expensive to build/run... As a USAF veteran, the way we pull “G”s (kickin’ the tires and lightin’ the fires) is WAY different than the extreme experience top fuel drivers experience. (Save the one brave “Full-Bird” officer testing rocket sleds way back in the day....that’s the only thing I can think of that compares...)
Thank you very much for the knowledge of how truly incredible the top fuel engine/dragster really is and what makes it work!!! It is truly fascinating stuff!!!
15:39
Damn! This is Arizona Nationals week (Apr. 2024), if you are there, please go up and thank Clay for taking the time and having the extreme patience to let Sally's do what I consider the most informative, personal and insightful interview I've ever seen. I learned more in this interview than I have in being a fan of Top Fuel for 50 years. I don't know why but I've never heard anyone elaborate on negative G's like Clay did and even mentioning that Big retired because of a detached retina? I wouldn't have minded if this interview had been and hour and a half long! Clay's a beauty, no doubt. 'Special thanks, Sally's!
Thanks for watching! We tried to take a deep dive for you because Top Fuel is so mind blowing when you look at how it truly works. Luckily Clay is a saint who loves sharing his craft with the world!
Clay is a very gracious host! It’s guys like him that make NHRA FUN.
Glad that he got the Wally this weekend!
That was awesome. I've been a fan of Clay's since his IHRA, glory day's. He seems to be a very approachable person and love's too talk about car's and hitting the loud peddle. Can't believe that it's been 25yrs, that I've been a fan of his. Thanks for all you do Clay, and go win some more Wallies.
Clay is so cool and humble at the same time!!! Great channel. I love the "loud pedal" . I didn't realize the blower was not a screw type. I'm excited about going to the fall nationals next month Charlotte/concord.
So many awesome points and facts in this video and I've seen top fuel pretty close so can appreciate and agree theres no other feeling you can compare it to but 18:10 4 lanes of top fuel how are you guys not shifting the earth off its axis!?
Massive respect to Clay and the team for doing videos like this I've seen a similar one where he was going through rough costs of all the components and he said you'll see guys loose a race jump out the car and throw the helmet on the ground in frustration and he never gets like that because "I just got to stand on the loud pedal of 10,000bhp"
THANKS CLAY AND SALLY'S,, WOW!!! MY SON MAX 7YR.S OLD AND I LEARNED ALOT ON THESE RACE CARS,, HE SAYS COOOL!!! WE LIKE REG .CARS BUT THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO..
Thank you sir! I’m glad you and your son enjoyed it!
I'm not a big "drag guy", beyond a passing interest and a fascination with the technical aspects of the performance of the engines, but this is really enjoyable to watch - 10/10. Millican was very generous with his time and knowledge, without giving away trade secrets and it was all delivered in a very genial, listenable and non-technical way so anyone can get the general idea. The performance stats and the engine specs are just mind-blowing. I admit I was stuck in the past and still thought top fuel engines produced "only" 5,000HP!!
EXCELLENT video!! Sooooo we’ll done, very impressed!!
Pete so good, what a tuner. Thanks for the great upload, always good backstage !
Thanks for the video I started going to the drag strip when I was 4 years old with my neighbor I'm the '60s top fuel before they had safety straps those blowers would go Sky High they had to really be careful insane power I remember a woman who drove jet cars she was deaf she got into a bad accident Great Lakes dragaway the track wasn't loud enough she went into the pharmacy field the car was destroyed she had multiple injuries but left I'll keep watching your videos it keeps me inspired I can't build cars or race anymore but I can really enjoy this
We hope to have our Javelin at Great Lakes Dragway, at the end of July. Thanks for watching.
The slow mo at the end with the footage pulsating is just insane 😮 Jacob you out did yourself on this video Jacob just amazing Brother @Sally's Speed Shop
It’s amazing the power these cars have! The camera itself can’t even handle it!
In the last couple of NHRA races, I went to. Good old Clay was right out talking to the crowd. That is a great thing about pro-drag racing. You can get up close and personal with all the big-timers. NASCAR . F1 or Indy cars. would shoot you if you got close to the drivers or the cars. However good old Clay. He is the greatest people person in all of motorsports. Ya just have to like him. Rock on Clay. I'll be watching ya,
He is so great about doing that! Truly one of the best people I have met period, and he just happens to be a professional driver!
What are you talking about? Nascar drivers, F1 drivers and indy car drivers interact with fans all the time. You can get a pit pass at all of the races.
Yea go ahead and pay $200 for your F1 lot pass.
Great video….well done sir!
There is nothing more impressive then watching masters of their crafts. My hats off to all in the pits. You guys and gals ROCK
Thank you for sharing this info.
Back in the 80s, during the winter nationals, there was a competition between two teams that I witnessed. The competition was to run a top fuel engine, shut it down, change a rod and piston, then fire it back up. The winning team got it done in 5 min, it was unreal.
I was at Bristol in 1975 and was right on the starting line taking pictures. The force of those engines, even back then at 8000hp was unbelievable. Best racing experience I ever had on the didelines.
Yes there is nothing like experiencing top fuel dragsters and funny cars up close and personal. From being in the pits and getting your 1st wiff of nitro when they do a start and throttle blip. Watching them in the dark is another must do. They are loud yes but it's something you feel through your entire body more than you can hear. It's like the boom from fireworks except way more intense.
In the dark, YES! it's like watching pipe organs on fire flying at 300mph.
Really cool to see this and hear all the staggering stats. Clay also seems to be really cool! Thank you Jacob, Clay and everyone else that contributed.
Thank you for the technical information on this amazing machine,,absolutely insane engineering to make all this work ! / My opinion is that one needs to be a little crazy to drive this vehicle!??,,I guess it's a vehicle. / GO TEAM.
Awesome video about an awesome drag racer! Clay Millican is the man! Just a good ol' Tennessee boy stompin on that loud pedal. Here is a very interesting fact about Top Fuel. Back in 1979 Shirley Muldowney, the First Lady of Drag Racing, spent approx. $247,000 to run her pink English Leather sponsored top fuel dragster. (she finished 4th in points that year, right behind Don Garlits.) Today it takes about 4 million dollars to run a top fuel car, 16x what it did in '79. Yet compared to other forms of motorsports, drag racing is relativity cheap. 8 digit budgets are commonplace for NASCAR, Indy and Formula cars. Thought a lot of fans would enjoy reading about that. Keep up the great work on your videos!
met Clay at Pomona one year & he's the most humble man. he told me he started out as a forklift driver!
Clay Millican. WOW. What a brand ambassador! And what a sport ambassador too.
I had drifted away from Top Fuel over the years. You never lose the love of it, but you can kinda get put off with the big money required.
But this interview was amazing in every way. Thanks for the friendly behind-the scenes access!!! My interest is rekindled ;-)
It's great that you were able to get a front row seat to all of these aspects of Top Fuel racing.
I can say never saw up close an engine rebuild of a tail in my life least at a track. This was really a neat video! Thank you for sharing. ❤️👊👍
Thank you Terry! Maybe I’ll make a video on just the engine rebuild at some point cause that part is truly amazing to watch!
That is truly impressive. Thanks for the upclose look INSIDE. Wow!!
Happy to be able to show some of this amazing stuff to you guys!
Clay has opened up Top Fuel to so many new Fans Thank You Clay your the Best.
This was an excellent production- subbed
Great video, I'm a big Clay Millican fan. The one top fuel fact that you left out, and blew me away was when I realized that on an optimal run, from start line to finish line, the engine turns LESS than 1000 revolutions
I definitely should have mentioned that. It's wild to think about that fact! But it makes perfect sense when you break down just how quickly they make the run.
Watching the crew freshen up the bullet is my version of synchronized dancing!! One of the MAIN reasons why I go to the race's is to watch the crew's do their thing!!
When Clay won Bandamire this year, I felt like I won!! He has a way of making you feel you're "on the team" and I might have even shed a tear during his videos of that event!! #stomponthatloudpedal!!
He is the absolute man when it comes to that! 🙌🏼
When they hit the afterburner i promise you i was twittling my thumbs 🤣🤣 i think that is the greatest sentence I've ever heard
Thank you! This is quite a great video that you have published here. Very interesting and I have learned a lot :)
Really cool video, I’ve always been fascinated by top fuel and the engineering behind these incredible vehicles. Zero to 100 mph in less than a second is absolutely incredible. Very refreshing to see how the drag racing teams are willing to share and connect with the fans. Thank you for this video!
Down right awesome video. Clay is one of the most personable men in Drag racing. I think Clay and John Force make NHRA drag racing. Thank you.
😊
I could sit and talk to Clay all day, very nice man
I have been in tune with Clay's channel for a few years but this interview was bye far the best I like your channel too, GODSPEED
Good gosh! I could listen to and watch these folks for hours! Staggering power vs metallurgy vs cost vs crew fatigue vs rules vs...? Nevertheless, you and Clay Millican produced a clear and easy to understand primer on this. I myself haven't been to a Top Fuel race in roughly 50 years. That sound! That way it just vibrated the heck out of my guts was terrifying. My Dad was annoyed that I curled up in the bleachers; I missed the grand finale main event hiding behind my knees, lol! They closed Hawai'i Raceway Park decades ago, so no joy here. Now...I wanna rematch! I wanna return to the mainland at least once to experience these cars in person. Of course...these cars make four times the power the dragsters made then....(shiver)....maybe I should just use a big, ol' subwoofer with this computer of mine and spill a little Cox nitromethane model airplane fuel on the table to get the atmosphere, lol! Mahalo for an absolute blockbuster (literally), Jacob! Aloha to you and your Dad!
It’s truly an incredible spectacle! I can’t blame you for hiding from the noise as a kid haha
Thanks for watching! Aloha to you sir! 😊
@@timdavis_365 It's always a pleasure!
Clay is a class act no doubt about it. We love watching clays videos. This was a excellent video. Thanks for bringing this kind of content to the public. Anything to increase intrest in racing before we lose our sport and race tracks forever. Thanks!!!
i love car people , CLAY is an awesome guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks for the great video !!!!!
Clay is probably. the best promotor for top fuel racing in the business. Thank you for having him on your channel to bring even more technical parts to the lay person. Well done mate!!
I'm a huge fan of Clay, and I love how much information he shares! Guys like him and John Force keep the sport accessible unlike any other.
I can't express what a great video that was. Thank You Sally's speed shop and Clay Millican....!!!
Thanks to Clay for sharing this crazy stuff
Awesome tech, awesome person, awesome crew !!!!
THANK YOU CLAY FOR GOING SO IN DEPTH. I'VE BEEN WATCHING DRAG RACING SINCE THE FIRST TELECAST OF THE U S NATLS. GREAT VIDEO. I LEARNED THINGS I DIDNT KNOW. MY FATHER RAN A FI. INJECTED ALTERD ON ALCOHOL, IN THE LATE 60s, HE WOULDN'T TELL ME ANY SECERTS 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Could not have picked a better top fuel driver for this. Clay Millican is number One. Personality, faith, work ethics, not to mention sharing his journey with us. Great job, great video!
The slow motion and tire rippling is just awesome Footage Jacob @Sally's Speed Shop
Thank you! 🙌🏼
Clay is a great guy. Super nice, always smiling, always gracious.
Look at the trunks of those rods !! Dang !!
Clay is the man!!!! He's always been a favorite of mine because he is always a straight up guy, he tells it like it is. If he messed up he'll own it.
That’s a fact! One of the most stand up humans I’ve ever met 👍🏼
Thanks I've learned a ton watching this video of my favorite driver.
Stumbled across your Channel and kudos, that was a superb Video 🐾👍✔️
Great video with a great Driver. You did a very good job talking with Clay and you can see how casual he is with people. Some sponsers would have kittens if their driver was that open. Thank you for the job you did making this video.
I know we shouldnt get jealous but man how cool that you get to hang with Clay!
Thanks for watching Travis!
Clay is the man!
Very cool. Clay is so cool. Good information.
Amazing video, Clay being an amazing person as always, clutch girl doing her thing, Pete Harrell is the man and cool picture of Tony Stewart and Lyle Barnett together. This is the first Sally’s video that I have watched and it was a banger, I will be back!
Clay is probably my favorite RUclipsr. I've been to a national event once in St Louis probably about 25 or 30 years ago
Clay is the man! And oh man, you need to go again soon!
Had no idea about the difference of stroke, compression and the big one to me was timing. Amazing stuff and and amazing driver and team. Thanks for sharing!
It's truly an amazing thing to learn about!
What a treat! You could have been around race cars all your life but the numbers presented doesn't make sense... one plus one no longer makes two.. It bends your mind... Also the segment of the team taking the engine apart ... An absolute display of Team work with No ego between them at all.. It's such a treat...
Very nice presentation & explanation of just what goes on... Been watching Clay since he got his start, probably one of the most approachable drivers. Spent a couple of years ('78-81) at Martin US131 in Michigan running a gremlin (lol, got to 9.2 @ 142mph), but nothing prepares you for that chest compression (its not just loud!) & sticky sweet smell of Top Fuel !!
Got the chance 20 years ago to take my son with Cub Scouts to Martin, they ran an assortment of cars (including a jet powered porta potty! Lol), walked on the track (A few people lost shoes to the sticky track!!), wandered the pits, etc... BUT, they had the original Chi-Town Hustler funny car make a couple of runs, even in the stands, none of the other cars gave that kinda HP !! & that was old tech even then... So, if anyone really wants to understand, go attend a race, its the only way!! Thanx !
Wow! That’s a fast Gremlin!
Sounds like a good time! It’s truly impossible to explain what top fuel does to the senses, you gotta go experience it to understand!
Lol, yea... I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the 4 wide, but to be in the staging area with 4 lighting off, rather than just 2, gotta darn near need CPR to breath again... & Yes it was fun, but a whole lot cheaper than parts are today!! Heck we got the NOS 8:71 blower for $225, the Doug Nash 4 sp (rebuilt)for a couple hundred & the Team Strange quick change (used, with extra gears) for $250... Don't think I could afford a set of tires nowadays, lol!!
Thank you Clay. I can still feel the bodily assault of my first time watching a side by side sub 6sec run. Hell I can't imagine what 4 lanes of 3 sec cars does to the body ?
7/29/23 first time on your channel, instant sub, great style and content, Clay is a class act!
Clay is such an awesome guy....my favorite by far. Thanks for bringing us along !
Clay is a normal human with superhuman reaction times. What a cool cat.
DUDE!! Thank you so much! This was AWESOME!! Best video ever on the workings of a top fuel team.
I love watching them strip that motor down and rebuild it. Kudos to that crew! Clay is the BEST! You do great work...appreciate
your enthusiasm and passion for this amazing form of racing!! Goosebumps!
Amazing technical information Thanks for bringing us along Jacob so awesome them spark plugs are nargly @Sally's Speed Shop
5 minutes and the engine was completely Stripped to the block and pistons removed impressive disassembly and reassembly time just amazing skill even me being a mechanic I'm not that fast but I'm only 1 person that is insane Jacob @Sally's Speed Shop
Takes me 5 minutes to open my damn hood.
Those guys are amazing...! Thanks, keep up your awesomeness and go enjoy some nature today...!
To fix the main studs from pulling out of the block you could switch to a billet steel block instead of billet aluminum. It would add a couple hundred pounds but it would be stronger and add a little bit more down force to the rear tires.
Aluminum, not only weight, also does not need liquid cooling.
Lake Speed Jr would really be in his element here, telling you two somethings you probably didn't know!
I'm sure you're right about that ! Lake Speed is a genius in my book! He'll be on the channel soon so stay tuned!
Awesome video! Love Clay’s channel. Not to Nerdy at all.