Ryan Millington seeking to topple Late Model elite in South Carolina 400

Of the 56 cars entered for the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway, Ryan Millington is the only one that does not have to worry about qualifying.

By winning the CARS Tour Locked-In 225 back in August, Millington not only earned a guaranteed spot in the South Carolina 400, but also the pole for the crown jewel race. Earning a head start against elite competition has taken a lot of pressure off Millington over the past several weeks while preparing for 250 grueling laps on Saturday.

Millington knows excellent starting position does not always equal success in the South Carolina 400 due to the emphasis on tire conservation. Despite this, Millington said his scenario does create more time for him to craft a setup that can guide him to Florence’s Victory Lane once again.

“[A pole] is something we’ve never been gifted with going into a race weekend,” Millington said. “It’s going to be different, but it’s going to be nice. We’ll be able to focus on practice and have a good car for the race. That will give us a little bit of an edge, but who knows if it will even make a difference.”

READ MORE: South Carolina 400 entry list and preview

The success Millington has enjoyed during the 2024 season is something he does not take for granted, given that his team is only comprised of four people.

Millington serves as his own crew chief and diligently works on the cars alongside his father Scott. Brandon Henson assists the Millingtons as a spotter and occasional tire changer, while co-owner Bob Saville provides financial backing with his company Leisure-Tyme Rentals.

Saville Millington Motorsports may be small in scale, but the operation has consistently held its own against the elites of the Late Model Stock discipline. Along with winning in the CARS Tour twice, Millington also earned track championships at Hickory Motor Speedway in 2017 and 2020.

The formula to maintaining on-track success for Millington starts at the race shop. He and Scott are always careful when it comes to preparing their cars; a mindset that remains prevalent when it comes time for the younger Millington to get behind the wheel.

“We’ve done our best to make sure we’re mechanically sound going into each weekend,” Millington said. “We’ve always done really well at making sure we don’t have part failures or letting any stupid things happen that might take you out of a race. My dad grew up racing, and he’s been really smart, so we’ve been blessed to be fortunate.”

Tenacity rewarded Millington with his best Late Model Stock season during the 2024 campaign. After enduring a slow start to the year, Millington emerged as a perennial contender in the CARS Tour during the summer, amassing four top-five finishes that included prevailing at Florence for his second career victory.

Millington’s Florence triumph snapped a winless drought he had carried in the CARS Tour for over four years. Of all the tracks Millington envisioned would be the site of his long overdue win, Florence was not high on that list.

“I really was [surprised],” Millington said. “Florence has always been one of those places where I feel like I drive around very well, but we never had any good cars there. For whatever reason, I was able to hit on it in August, and we kind of dominated that night. We’re going back with the same package, and hopefully we’re close.”

The Locked-In 225 victory is the primary reason Millington made the trip to Florence for the South Carolina 400. He initially planned on skipping the race but earning optimal track position through his triumph was enough to convince Millington he could replicate his performance from August in Florence’s crown jewel.

If Millington wants to win from the pole, he will have to deal with a stout field of competitors. Previous South Carolina 400 winners like Brenden Queen and Kade Brown are among those that comprise the preliminary entry list alongside NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Having run plenty of Late Model Stock crown jewel events during his career, Millington understands how imperative patience is from the opening green flag. The South Carolina 400 is no exception to this rule from Millington’s viewpoint. He believes the contenders will ascertain how to save tires and secure solid track position for the closing stages.

“It’s going to be an interesting race, no doubt,” Millington said. “This is a 250-lap race divided into two 125-lap segments. Basically, it’s going to be one of those deals where the first 125 [laps] will tell you what you have for the second [segment]. You get four tires at the halfway break, so realistically only the second half matters.”

As Millington and his father finalize their setup for Florence, he finds himself grateful for his current situation. With more high-budget teams entering the Late Model Stock discipline every year, Millington takes pride over how his four-man crew can keep the elites honest every time they go to the track.

Winning the South Carolina 400 on Saturday would be a milestone achievement for Millington’s operation and further validate the sacrifices made to reach this point. The competitive depth of the field is an obstacle standing in the way of that goal, but Millington’s focus is centered on being at the front when it matters.

“At this point, we’re all just race car drivers, right?” Millington said. “It’ll be huge for us to [win the South Carolina 400], but it won’t be much different beating all those big names. We’re going to go do our best and see if we can get another one.”

Millington is optimistic he is primed for a potential breakout campaign next year following his strong 2024. One more victory in a Late Model Stock crown jewel on Saturday could give him the necessary jolt to further solidify his small team’s status as one of the best in the southeast.

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Brandon White is a contributor for NASCAR.com where this feature was originally published.