The Clay Millican-Mark Pickens Hope4Sudan Top Fuel dragster will be sporting a different look for NHRA’s 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis next week.

Millican said Friday that Lend America, a nationally direct mortgage lender, will be an associate sponsor with Nitro Fish Apparel on the car that went to the semifinals at Reading, Pa., on Sunday.

Lend America previously sponsored Mike Ashley’s Funny Car team.  Ashley, Chief Business Strategist/Executive Vice President of Lend America, retired from drag racing competition in June. He won the 2007 U.S. Nationals Funny Car title.

The Clay Millican-Mark Pickens Hope4Sudan Top Fuel dragster will be sporting a different look for NHRA’s 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis next week.

Millican said Friday that Lend America, a nationally direct mortgage lender, will be an associate sponsor with Nitro Fish Apparel on the car that went to the semifinals at Reading, Pa., on Sunday.

Lend America previously sponsored Mike Ashley’s Funny Car team.  Ashley, Chief Business Strategist/Executive Vice President of Lend America, retired from drag racing competition in June. He won the 2007 U.S. Nationals Funny Car title.

“Mike called us and said he won last year and he wanted to get involved with our team for this year’s race,” said Millican, “and we are happy about it.”

The race was the team’s first in five months, but Millican was in top form, winning one round with a quicker reaction time and coming within nine-thousandths of a second of beating eventual race winner Tony Schumacher in the semifinals.

“I have always admired Clay and I have a lot of respect for Lance Larsen, his crew chief,” said Ashley. “I believe in his team and I wanted to be a part of something special, and I think they are special.  I see in this team a lot of the same winning characteristics that I had in my team, and it’s more than just talent. This is only the start.”

Millican and the team begin U.S. Nationals qualifying Friday, Aug. 29 with eliminations scheduled Monday at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.