Class Ceiling

NHRA recap: For Millican, life is a highway at Route 66 Nationals

Matt Smith (left) and Angie Smith are a dynamic duo. Stripbike.com

Life is a highway and it's called Route 66!

Just ask Clay Millican as he cruised down 66  in his Parts Plus/Great Clips dragster, to a swell 3.894 @ 289.32 mph, making this his third career win. It was the highlight performance of the JEGS Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Elwood, Ill.

Amid all the fanfare , Leah Pritchett and  DSR teammate Antron Brown participated in a "Charity Challenge”  sponsored by Papa John" Schnatter . Pizza + horsepower!  Now's a party!

Pritchett was in a supercharged 2017 Dodge Challenger (that things got a HEMI!)   beating out Pizza Czar Papa John Schnatter's prized 1971 Camaro Z28, the same car he bought for $1,600 when he was 15. Can you say Grudge Match? Being a Chevy girl, I must say with all due respect,  Papa John would have had that win in the bag if not for that sneaky red eye as Leah was slicking down the track with transmission oil.  

Talk about a class act, way to go Matt Smith, Angie (Smith) is a proud girl as you post up on the top spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle! 

Angie and Matt are my pick for the Dynamic Duo in the NHRA PSM. 

And the Wally goes to:

Top Fuel -- Clay Millican, 3.894 seconds, 289.32 mph def. Leah Pritchett, 4.501 seconds, 192.08 mph.

Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 4.073, 310.63 def. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 4.310, 230.21.

Pro Stock -- Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.574, 210.67 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, Foul - Red Light.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Matt Smith, Victory, 6.816, 195.87 def. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.862, 193.24.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues June 8-10 , 2018 at Virginia Motorsports Park in Richmond. 

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Keep an eye on Tank Dell this Sunday. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

I remember thinking how in the world can these little frail guys survive at the NFL level? I mean, I saw Joe Theismann and Ed McCaffrey's legs snap. Drew Bledsoe got his chest caved in. Seeing 300-plus pound men cry when injured is humbling. So when a guy like Tank Dell comes along, I'm always a bit apprehensive. Especially when they come with a ton of hype.

For every eight to ten big strong players that get hurt, there's one or two little fellas that have relatively healthy careers. The comp that came to mind when looking at Tank was DeSean Jackson. Listed at 5'10 and weighing a heavy 175 pounds, Jackson was arguably the best “small guy” in NFL history. Dell being about two inches shorter and about ten pounds lighter, while also playing a similar role, is in line to be a similarly electrifying type of player. I put my assessment on the line and doubled down with my predictions on what his, and others' season totals will look like last week:

Tank Dell: 68 catches, 1,105 yards and 6 touchdowns- Dell will be a really good slot, but has some outside skills. Namely, his speed. He's more slippery than if Mick had greased that chicken before Rocky tried catching it. I could see his production going up as the season gets longer because Stroud will begin to look for him more and more as they build chemistry. Yes, I know I only have him with six scores. Keep in mind this is a run first offense. At least that's what we can deduce from looking at where it came from in San Francisco.

In his debut game last week vs the Ravens, he notched three catches for 34 yards on four targets. He was tied for third on the team in targets with Noah Brown and Mike Boone. While Robert Woods and Nico Collins were one and two in targets last week, I think Dell will ascend that list starting this week. Word came down that Noah Brown is headed to IR, meaning he'll miss at least the next four weeks. The chemistry he and fellow rookie C.J. Stroud have developed is palpable. From working out together, to attending UH games together, these two seem to have a nice bond already.

Woods is a solid vet two years removed from an ACL injury. Collins was a third rounder with size who hasn't done a whole lot. Dell is easily the most exciting option at receiver this team has. John Metchie III was expected to be the next guy up. Unfortunately, cancer had him take a backseat, until now. Metchie is back at practice this week, so a debut is imminent. He could potentially challenge for more playing time, but it may take him some time to get used to things and get going again.

As far as my statistical prediction for his season, he only needs to average four catches for 67 yards per game, and get a touchdown every two to three games for the remainder of the season. Given Brown being out the next few games, Metchie not quite being up to speed, Woods being an older player on a short-term deal, and Collins not really being what everyone thought he could be, it leaves things wide open for Dell to step up.

Playmakers come in all shapes and sizes. Levon Kirkland was a 300-pound middle linebacker in a 3-4. Doug Flutie led teams to playoff wins as a 5'9 quarterback. In football, size matters. The bigger, stronger guys normally win out. When it comes to receiving and returns, you want speed, quickness, and agility. Dell has that in spades. Add his competitive nature and chemistry with his quarterback and you have a recipe for a star in the making. I know I'm not the only one hoping the Texans continue Tank-ing.

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