Christmas came a few days early for Clay Millican and Evan Knoll’s Top Fuel race team.

They unwrapped a new performance combination during a week-long test session at Gainesville, Fla., and were very pleased with the results. They also believe it is a harbinger of good things to come when the 2008 NHRA POWERade Series opens in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 7-10.

“We accomplished all we set out to do . . . and more,” said a happy Millican, who tutored former jet dragster driver Jessie Harris, 23, as she successfully earned her Top Fuel license. “It was a good test session.” 

The accomplishment also included Millican’s fastest quarter-mile run, 332 mph at 4.59 seconds.  His quickest run was 4.56 seconds.

“Everything went so well, considering all the (tune-up combination) stuff (co-crew chiefs) Johnny West and Lance Larsen changed. We didn’t even hurt any parts. It was wonderful,” Millican continued.  “It also was very productive.  We have five new employees and Johnny and Lance made sure everybody worked together.  It was a good a warm-up for the season.”

Millican’s unusually unproductive 2007 results prompted vows to do whatever necessary to assure he gets a good ride for 2008, one that will bring his first NHRA victory – and, presumably – more during the expanded 24-race schedule.

“Evan put us out there ahead of everyone else so we had a pre-season jump on them.  We won’t be testing again until we go to Las Vegas (Jan. 18-21) and Phoenix (Jan. 25-28) before the season starts,” Millican said.  “But we do have a lot of things to do between now and then.

“We have to find out what (sponsor) name Evan wants to put on the car, and then we’ll order team uniforms, get the car wrapped (with sponsor identification, etc.) and get all the parts and pieces together.”

With the first two races at Pomona and Phoenix, Ariz., the transporters will leave the Atoka, Tenn., shop in mid-January and won’t return until after the second series race at Phoenix (Feb. 22-24).

Harris drove Millican’s 2007 dragster while completing her license requirements.  Millican, fellow Top Fuel driver Bobby Lagana Jr. and Frank Hawley, proprietor of The Drag Racing School and former two-time Funny Car champion, signed off on the license.