KALLEE MILLS ON HER MOM, TARA MILLS
BY NATE VAN WAGNEN
WHILE FANS of drag racer Kallee Mills are used to seeing her strap into her race car, there’ s another key member of the Mills Racing team who never takes a pass down the track but plays just as crucial a role— Kallee’ s mom, Tara Mills. Whether she’ s loading up the RV, cooking for the crew, or helping to manage the behind-the-scenes logistics of the team, Tara is the steady hand and heart behind the family’ s racing operation.
“ Ever since I was a kid, we’ ve done this as a family,” Kallee says.“ When we were in Jr. Dragsters, she’ d push the cars up. She’ d cook, she’ d clean. She’ s out in the shop with us doing whatever she can to help us out.”
Tara has been a constant presence at the racetrack and in the pits, offering support in countless ways. From keeping the team fed to managing travel details, she wears many hats.
“ She never complains. She’ s always helped us,” says Kallee, who feels it’ s important to shine a light on the mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, and women who play a supportive role in the sport.“ Honestly, I think she might have the worst job of it all. We get to work on race cars and do all that. She has to cook and clean up after all of us.”
Racers often talk about having a support system, but for Kallee, that support is also a source of motivation. Tara isn’ t just keeping things running. She’ s pushing the team to be better and holding them to a high standard.
“ My mom is the most competitive one out of us all,” Kallee says with a laugh.“ If there’ s something going on with the car that’ s not right or she thinks we can do better … she’ s like,‘ Why ain’ t y’ all doing that?’ She’ s competitive just like us. She’ s willing to do whatever it takes.”
That competitive fire extends to the financial side of racing. Tara helps manage the team’ s budget and isn’ t afraid to greenlight a purchase if it means improving performance.“ What’ s dangerous is she’ s also the one that we have to go to with the checkbook when we want to buy a new motor or something,” Kallee says.
Tara’ s cooking has become legendary at the track, too. From spaghetti to smoked meatloaf to their signature“ Mills’ Hibachi” nights, no one goes hungry at the Mills Racing pit.
“ If you know Mama Mills, you know that she’ s cooking for everybody, even if they aren’ t a part of our crew,” Kallee says.“ You’ re hungry, you can come to the Mills’ camp and she’ s usually got something cooking.”
More than anything, Kallee is thankful to have a mom who has always believed in her, even when the risks are high.“ She trusts me and she’ s never once said,‘ Are you sure this is what you want to do?’” Kallee says.“ She’ s always supported me in everything I’ ve done.” DI went that fast. I knew that my team could do it, but I didn’ t think that we would do it on our third weekend out.”
Mills was still amped up when she went into eliminations, as she went. 004 red in the first round, then. 007 red in the first round of the Slammers class, essentially the buyback class for Pro Mod. She shook the tires in the main race, but threw down a 3.62 in the Slammers round.
“ I was pushing it close in both cars on the lights,” Mills says.“ There were a couple of us that were struggling going red. But I’ d much rather have a close red light than be. 200 on the tree and losing on holeshots every weekend, I guess. We can put some delay in the box at those racetracks where the lights are kind of quick. I noticed that people that were usually pretty good on the tree— me, Lyle [ Barnett ], Ken [ Quartuccio ], and those guys— they all went red, too. I always beat myself up pretty bad, though. I was really, really bummed.”
Still, Mills found redemption when she won in the N / T Outlaw 275 Shootout, earning her first Duck X Productions jacket and hat. She also had another more personal highlight— she officially beat her dad’ s career-best E. T. of 3.62. Having grown up watching him do big things in the sport, it meant a lot to get one up on him.
“ There was part of me that was even more excited about that than the fact that we went 3.60,” Mills laughs.“ I’ m so thankful for his support and all the knowledge and advice that he gives me. Because without him, I wouldn’ t be the driver that I am. He knows exactly what to say and how to say it to me to make me want to be a better driver, want to win races, be competitive. I say that if it wasn’ t for him, I wouldn’ t be here because it’ s true. He says the same thing:‘ If it wasn’ t for you, I would have already sold all the stuff. We would have went boating all summer and going on vacations.’ The memories that we’ re making as a family, you can’ t replace them.”
Beyond her parents, Mills also credits car owners Paul and Jeanne Hayden, tuner Lee
White, and crew members Brendan Russell, Taylor Strange, and Mikey Simms for their contributions.
“ I’ m very thankful for all of them,” she says.“ We’ re more of a family. They’ re not my team, they’ re my guys. They take care of me. I’ m very, very, very thankful for all their help because without them, we couldn’ t do it.”
With a couple round wins and a quick career-best E. T. now on her scorecard, Mills is looking ahead to her next goals, which include breaking into the 3.50s and earning her first win in the Pro Mod.
“ I want to continue to push forward and do good in the Pro Mod ranks,” Mills says.“ I know Wes [ Buck, DI founder and editorial director ] has the Pound-for-Pound Pro Mod rankings. I think it would be cool to be up there with the list of legends that are on there.”
Mills entered the Pro Mod ranks wanting to win right out of the gate, and three races worth of tough competition haven’ t tempered her goals.
July / August 2025 DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 87