Twice a year, the world’s quickest and fastest drag radial cars converge on South Georgia Motorsports Park seeking small-tire glory at the biggest door-slammer race in the known universe, Duck’s race. While it may not be the quickest class, X275 is viewed by many to be the most competitive, and Ryan Milliken has been trading blows with the best for the last few years. Most recently at Lights Out 10, where the Hardway Racing team qualified 19th out of 57 cars and made the 32-car show with a diesel-powered door-slammer record pass of 4.458 at 162.7 MPH.
The SS-fueled, Cummins-powered, Nova lined up against number 14 qualifier, Greg Henschell, in round one of eliminations and proved that staging a diesel can be done quickly and effectively. Henschell struck the tires on the line, and Milliken won with a solid A to B pass of 4.507 seconds. The Hardway Racing team earned lane choice in round two against the number three qualifier, Manny Buginga, where they would need all of the help they could get. When the green bulb lit, Milliken was first off the line, then Buginga pulled ahead until the 330-ft mark, when Milliken started to run him down. Milliken improved his diesel door car record with a 4.455-second blast, yet Buginga won the round with a 4.410, and later went on to win the event.
Congratulations to the Hardway Racing team on reclaiming the diesel-powered door car world record and for giving the event winner a tough race!