Monroe, NC (6/30/2017) -
Mills3 Racing with father and son driving
team Chris and Payton Mills had a competitive
weekend during the TORC Off Road Championship
UTV races at Crandon International Off-Road
Raceway. The North Carolina team put bad luck
behind it with solid qualifying results and
finishes.
The doubleheader event was held at the fast
and legendary Crandon course. Known for its
high speed and technical corners, the team
was making its first visit to the North Woods
facility.
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Despite
rain in the forecast, thousands of spectators
packed the hills at Crandon for Rounds
5 &6 of the TORC Series |
For Saturday’s races, Chris Mills qualified
for the Pro Modified final and finished ninth.
The top ten was his best finish yet and shows
how much the team is learning in the TORC
Series. He finished 13th in Sunday’s event.
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Addict
Racing's Chris Mills scored a 9th Place
finish on Saturday |
“We’ve not had the best of luck so far, but
I have to give it up to Jim at Addict Racing
Engines and Dave with DW Performance,” said
Mills. “They worked really hard on the car.
We want to finish races and we did that today.
Now we can start working on the cars. The
track was a blast, but you have to stay on
your game because if you miss a gear, you’re
going to lose a lot of positions. The fans
were unreal. There were thousands of people
here and it’s good for an old guy.”
Mills3’s Yamahas were built by Johnny Greaves.
The competitive rides, combined with Fuel
Tires and Wheels helped Chris Mills tame the
intimidating track.
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Greaves
Motorsports' Chris Mills |
“Johnny Greaves built great cars for us,”
said Mills. “We’re figuring out the little
bugs and the engines are there. We’re running
Fuel Wheels and Tires. The Gripper Tires did
an excellent job this weekend.”
Payton Mills qualified well for Saturday’s
Pro Stock race and broke the top 10 on the
initial land rush start. Unfortunately, the
start was called off due to a crash and Mills
had to move back to 18th. Despite the setback,
he finished 14th and gained some important
experience.
“We made the main and that’s why we came
here,” said Payton Mills. “The land rush was
a bit tight in the first corner. By the time
we got to the first corner, everyone was going
to the outside and I saw an opportunity to
go to the inside. When they waved the red
flag, we had to restart in a two-by-two how
we started. We still worked our way up.”
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Fuel
Off-Road's Payton Mills |
Payton Mills got caught up in a first-lap
crash in Sunday’s race. Though the car was
banged up, he was OK and is now ready to take
his new experience into the next race.
“The start was rough,” said Payton Mills.
“It was a little tight. I got outside and
got a good run, but I got caught in a huge
pileup in the second corner. I just got sandwiched
between two cars. This weekend gave me a lot
more confidence in my car and in myself. It
was a great feeling.”
The Mills3 Team also backed Sportsman driver
Connor Wood during the weekend. Wood, in his
first TORC starts, had a difficult run in
Saturday’s race, but rebounded on Sunday to
finish sixth.
“I had a lot of fun,” said Wood. “It’s so
much different from what we’ve been doing
back at home. I love the Mills3 Team. It’s
been a great experience. My dad was out here
and racing is a big part of our relationship.
Every race, we get closer and closer.”
Family is key for the Mills3 team. The “3”
in the Mills moniker stands for the three
generations of the Mills on the team. Unfortunately,
the eldest Mills, Chris’ father, Robert, had
a spill prior to the event. Despite the fall,
he came to the race.
“My dad Robert had a bad fall before the
race and it scared me a little,” said Chris
Mills. “He’s a trooper and he was not going
to let us leave without him.”
Mills3 Racing will be ready for the next
challenge as the TORC Off Road Championship
heads to Bark River International Raceway
in Michigan. That race is scheduled for July
15-16.