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Millican is a name you know but this story is not about Clay Millican, professional drag racer with 6 Top Fuel Championships, this story about his son, Dalton. Dalton has racing in his blood and literally grew up racing. One day Dalton plans on moving into a Top Fuel car and race with his Dad's team, but for now all of his racing has been on an ATV in the AMA ATV National MX Series.
ATV Motocross Racing's Dalton Mikkican
Dalton began ATV racing because he loved jumping his ATV. His dad quickly recognized his talent and got Dalton involved with ATV racing five years ago in the beginner class. Young Millican's first ATV National win came last year at Loretta Lynn's Ranch Amateur Motocross Championships. This race draws competitors from all over the US and the nationwide qualifying system ensures equal representation from all parts of the country. The track is raced only one time a year and ensures that no one will have a chance to ride or race on it before the rest of the competition arrives. The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships have become the premiere amateur national series in the United States, and the proving grounds for America's future professional Supercross and Motocross heroes. "To get my first win there was special," says Dalton.
MX Racing with Dalton Millikan
Two races into the 2011 season and he has won the 450A class at both races and has finished second at both races in the Production A class. "I was very proud to have won the Pro class in the ArenaCross Tour event held in Memphis recently. To go out and get my first ArenaCross Tour win in front of a packed Arena and at home was awesome," Dalton tells us. Just recently he raced at the famous Balance Moto X track in Oakland, KY. Again he is continuing his early season streak of pulling hole shots and podium finishes with another second place in the 450A class.
Dalton Millican's first ATV National win came last year at Loretta Lynn's Ranch Amateur Motocross Championships
Dalton's K&N relationship came about through Lucas Oil and his Dad. Clay is good friends with Bob Harris who handles a lot of K&N's racing accounts. Dalton shared the reasons why he uses K&N filters, "To me the biggest benefit of using K&N products is you never ever have to worry about power or performance. For our race team that maintains the bikes they never have to worry about keeping the dirt out of our engines. A clean engine is a happy engine. A happy engine makes me a happy rider, because when I need to hit a 100' triple I know K&N will give the power to make it over."
Dalton also gets help from his other sponsors like MPE Motorsports, Parts Plus, Lucas Oil, Nitro Fish, Maximum Cycle, Walsh Race Craft, Joe Byrd Quad Riding School, Custom Axis, Hoosier Racing Tire, Rath Racing, VP Racing Fuels, PJ1, KPM, Lonestar Racing, Fly Racing, Dark Synergy, Oakley, JE Pistons, and Adventure Team Racing.
Obviously MX racing is what Dalton loves to do and winning makes it even more fun. The fact that he gets to race all his friends at the local races teaches him about the close comradery racers of all genres share. Clay is the racing star of the family, but keep an eye on Dalton, because his racing star is on the rise!
Deegan says his plan for 2011 is to be the first driver to win both the Pro Lite and Pro 2 in the same season.
"I feel I'm faster in that truck then the others, because of the testing and practice I have put in. And mentally I know I'm more prepared," remarked the "General" Brian Deegan, after his Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series win at Firebird Raceway in Surprise, Arizona.
After rethinking his plans stop racing in the Pro Lite class at the end of last season, Deegan came back with a dominate win at Firebird Raceway.
Starting round three of the series on the inside, the 2009 Pro Lite Champion and freestyle motocross ace jumped to the front of the pack quickly, and after multiple red and yellow flags, he continued to lead the remainder of the race locking down a first place podium finish. Due to the performance of his truck and the dominance of his win, rival teams raised concerns that Deegan's truck had been modified in some way. During tech inspection, the truck was stripped down and found to be legal, making Deegan out to be one of the toughest competitors to beat in the Off Road series.
During a tech inspection following his convincing win, his truck was stripped down and found to be legal, making Deegan out to be one of the toughest competitors to beat in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series.
At the close of last season Deegan hinted that the Challenge Cup race might be his last, his fans as well as his team, couldn't be more pleased that he has reconsidered that notion.
"I really like racing the Pro Lite class," said Deegan, "So I decided to stay in it another year and redeem myself by winning the championship!"
Deegan says his goals for 2011 are to be the first driver to win championships in both the Pro Lite and Pro 2 in the same year, and now he feels he has a great start leading towards that objective.
"K&N has been a big part of my winning ways," added Deegan. "If my Pro Lite wouldn't have broken we would be on track leading both classes. We should have a great year. I am taking the step to support charities with my winnings from the Pro 2 class so we all win. See ya at the races."
NHRA Finals with Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Champions Greg Anderson and Jason Line
The NHRA Finals were held at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. Prior to the race, K&N had a chance to speak with NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Champions Greg Anderson and Jason Line. Anderson and Line are both sponsored by Summit Racing Equipment and have impressive track records. Perfect weather, fast cars and the most skilled of drivers make the NHRA Finals in Pomona one of the most exciting events of the year.
NHRA Finals with Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Champions Greg Anderson and Jason Line
The Menzies Motorsports truck put their new wings to the test in the first round of the short track season.
Las Vegas' Bryce Menzies took to the starting line in the opening round of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona, and showed that the Firebird wasn't the only set of wings present that day. Red Bull has teamed with Menzies Motorsports and their No. 70 Trophy Truck now has its own set of wings. And they appeared to work just fine thank you, as Menzies won the first short course race of 2011in convincing fashion.
K&N sponsored Bryce Menzies exploded into the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series with a convincing season opening win at Firebird Raceway.
"I like racing Firebird, the track is fun, and it was a great start to the short course year with a win. With all the new sponsors we have all the right tools and support to give all our race trucks - wings!" said the K&N sponsored Menzies.
Menzies is entering his fourth year of racing with the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) and with the Championship Off-Road Racing series (CORR). In 2009 he completed the season with a fifth place finish in the Unlimited-2 division of LOORRS. For 2011 the team has rededicated themselves with an all out effort to win more championships. Cory Beacham is the new GM at Menzies Motorsports. With over ten years of racing experience Beacham was hired by Menzies Motorsports in January of this year.
The Menzies team has a new look and new GM with Cory Beacham, a combination they believe will win them a championship or two in 2011.
"I am really excited to be part of a Team that has a chance to win any race we enter," expressed Beacham. "I can't wait to go back East for some short course racing. I have been out of the short course racing scene for two years, and I am very happy to be involved with it again, and with such a great team."
Before the win at Firebird, Menzies Motorsports sporting their new look, brought their wings to Laughlin, Nevada. For the 17th year Laughlin held the annual SCORE Laughlin Desert challenge, and even though the winds reached up to 30mph gusts, the stands remained full with fans ready for the action. And when the dust settled it was Menzies taking the win.
Bryce Menzies feels the teams new primary sponsor is just the thing they need to reach the next level.
"We went into this year with a fresh start, and a new look, and so far it has been working out for us," remarked Beacham. "Winning Laughlin was a great confidence booster and gave the team that much more drive to know that we have the tools to do what it takes to win a couple championships this year."
"Our goals this year is to win championships and the entire Menzies team has been working extremely hard to make this happen. Without their hard work we wouldn't be where we are. I'm feeling great about where we are now, and I am looking forward to what this year of racing is going to bring us."
Next up for Menzies Motorsports is the Baja 500, and they are looking good there with a top-12 draw. The team's next LOORRS race is in Surprise, Arizona. After that they start the Texas Off-Road Championship (TORC) series, and Beacham adds, "I'm looking forward to the new experience it will bring."
Brett Thompson remembers his first race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series well. It came more than a decade ago at Rocky Mountain Raceways in Utah. He had some issues in qualifying and started last. But he maneuvered his way through the field for a top-10 finish.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series Driver Brett Thompson
"That was a long race, that was probably a 250- or 300-lap race," said Thompson, a driver from Jerome, Idaho. "It was a lot of fun and that's what got me hooked on the series. We had been racing the late models and stuff like that. That felt like a big step. I was excited. It was a fun race. We started racing the series and haven't stopped."
Thompson made the 100th NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start of his career at Phoenix International Raceway last month. He's been racing in the West Series since 2000 and has seen it change significantly, from shorter races to pit stop changes to different tracks. The K&N Pro Series West doesn't visit Rocky Mountan Raceways anymore. It doesn't have 300-lap races very much anymore either.
"Phoenix is one of our longer races," Thompson said. "It's one that really hasn't changed. We still run the same amount laps like we always have. That always suits my driving style better. I usually make a steady run toward the front. But we go to these little short tracks and it's a lot of short runs. We run 10 laps and then there's caution, then run another 10 laps, then there's caution. It doesn't give you time to move through the field sometimes. You have to qualify up front and just hold your position."
He's coming off a fifth-place finish at Phoenix. He started the race 17th in the 36-car field and made his way through eight caution periods to get to the front of the pack.
"We just ran our own race. I knew I had a good race car," Thompson said. "Sometimes you got give up qualifying to race well. Slowly worked our way to the front. I think we made it as high as third. On the last restart, the guy in front of me missed a shift and we lost a couple positions and ended up fifth. It's a good start to the season. It's where we want to start. It puts us right there in the points."
Thompson has won only one race in his career in the K&N Pro Series West. It came in 2004 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield. He had four top-five and five top-10 finishes that season and was 16th in the final West Series standings.
But when asked if any of the 100 K&N Pro Series West races he started stand out, he said, "I always think about the last race."
"Winning at Bakersfield was big," Thompson said. "That's a track everybody enjoyed and misses now. Got a win there before it tore down."
His best season came in 2008 when he posted eight top-10 finishes in 13 races and was fifth in the West Series standings. He has finished in the top 10 in the West Series standings five times.
"The enjoyable part is the fact that we're still racing," Thompson said. "It's still tough competition. I still like the cars that we drive. The biggest change that I've seen from when I started is the length of the races have gotten shorter. They're not pit-stop type races like we used to have all the time. I kind of miss that."
Another change is in support and sponsorship. K&N came in to sponsor the series in 2010 and Thompson said he's noticed a difference in how much attention the West Series is receiving since the switch. He compared it to the days when Winston sponsored the series.
"When Winston went away, it kind of floundered for a while. It was kind of a joke without any big support," Thompson said. "K&N, they're involved. They're just as involved as Winston was. That's what we expect as racers. Seeing representation at every race, that's exciting for us. That's what it takes, I think."
The next race on the K&N Pro Series West scheduled is at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., on April 16. It will be the 101st start of Thompson's career. He's off to a good start in his 11th season in the K&N Pro Series West and he said he wants to make it his best season yet.
"I would expect a top-three finish there," Thompson said. "I think I'm capable, the crew is capable. The equipment's better this year and that's what we need. In year's past it seems we always lacked one of those things, whether it was crew or equipment or maybe my focus wasn't there. This year, I think we have everything we need to go after a championship. That's what we're doing."
