MCCLENATHAN LOOKS TO SCORE THIRD U.S. NATIONALS TITLE
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/c_mcclenathan_9771.jpg" alt="c_mcclenathan_9771"align="right"borders="0" />
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 25, 2008) – FRAM Top Fuel dragster driver Cory McClenathan is looking to score his third career victory at the biggest and most prestigious NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event of the season, the 54th annual U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. McClenathan has reached three final rounds at Indy, racking up wins in 1996 and 2002, and recording a runner-up finish in 1997.
With a spot in the Countdown to 1 secured, McClenathan and the FRAM team are concentrating on maintaining their current No. 4 spot in the point standings heading into the six-race playoffs for the championship following the U.S. Nationals.
"If you had asked me a week and a half ago, I would've said we had a slight chance of keeping up with the points leaders," he said. "But they've pulled away and we have to face that fact and try and keep the drivers behind us in the points from catching us. Basically, we just want to solidify our spot in the standings and go out there and qualify well and win the race. That's our objective."
After not making the Countdown to 1 last season, McClenathan goes into this year's U.S. Nationals concentrating on his driving and the performance of the FRAM dragster.
"Last year I missed getting into the Countdown and it was a big letdown for me," he said. "It's a very cool feeling to know that we're in and we're in solidly and we don't have to worry about it. You're able to put your efforts toward other things. Indy is such an important race that it's hard to look beyond that. Everybody wants to win Indy; I want to win Indy and the championship. I will settle for nothing less. If anybody messes up at all someone is going to be breathing down their neck, so I don't want to be one of them.
"I had a long talk with (crew chief) Mike Green and he feels that there are some areas with the car where we can be more aggressive, and it sounds like he's going to go that route, and I'm excited about that. I think we've got a good race car right now, and if we can utilize power in a few different ways it can be that much better at 1,000 feet.
"If I go out and do my job everything is going to fall into place. I'm not looking for any luck and I certainly want to earn whatever position we end up in. Having a good race car at this point and time in the season is definitely a good thing for this FRAM team."
McClenathan was also low qualifier at the U.S. Nationals in 1993 and 2002.
CORY McCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 4 in Top Fuel point standings after 17 events in 2008 (one win in three final rounds, four semifinal, four quarterfinal, six first-round finishes)
* No. 9 qualifier at last year's U.S. Nationals, advanced to the quarterfinals
* Indianapolis TF winner in 1996 (Tony Schumacher) and 1999 (Andrew Cowin), runner-up in 1997 (Jim Head)
* Qualified No. 1 in Indianapolis in 2002 and 1993
* Won the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas April 13 this year, his 30th career Top Fuel victory in 53 final rounds
* Runner-up in 2008 season-opening race in Pomona and in Brainerd
* Finished 2007 season 12th in Top Fuel points, the first time out of the top 10 since 2001
* Has recorded 420 career round wins in Top Fuel
* No. 1 qualifying twice in 2008 (Atlanta and Denver), has 32 career top qualifiers
* Runner-up in St. Louis in only final-round appearance in 2007
* Recorded 400th round win in Top Fuel in Richmond 2007
* Has 30 Top Fuel victories in 53 final round appearances, fourth among active drivers on all-time wins list
* Has finished No. 2 in the standings four times (1992, 1995, 1997 & 1998)
* Finished No. 10 in rookie season in 1991. Made first four-second run
* Made NHRA history with first run in the 4.70s (4.799) at Reading in 1992
* First driver to break the 320-mph barrier with 322.17 mph run in Dallas in 1997
* Swept the three-race Western Swing in 1997 en route to four consecutive wins and career-high six victories in eight final rounds
* Won four of the first six races in 1998. Equaled career-best with six wins in eight finals
* Won the U.S. Nationals twice (1996, 1999)
* Qualified No. 1 at 31 races, including once this season (Atlanta) and a career-high seven times in 1993
* Missed four races in 1993 after crash in Rockingham and still finished sixth in the Top Fuel points
* Age 45 (January 30, 1963); born in Wichita, Kansas, now lives in Brownsburg, Ind.; has 17-year-old daughter Courtney
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; third season with sponsorship from FRAM
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/c_mcclenathan_9771.jpg" alt="c_mcclenathan_9771"align="right"borders="0" />
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 25, 2008) – FRAM Top Fuel dragster driver Cory McClenathan is looking to score his third career victory at the biggest and most prestigious NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event of the season, the 54th annual U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. McClenathan has reached three final rounds at Indy, racking up wins in 1996 and 2002, and recording a runner-up finish in 1997.
With a spot in the Countdown to 1 secured, McClenathan and the FRAM team are concentrating on maintaining their current No. 4 spot in the point standings heading into the six-race playoffs for the championship following the U.S. Nationals.
"If you had asked me a week and a half ago, I would've said we had a slight chance of keeping up with the points leaders," he said. "But they've pulled away and we have to face that fact and try and keep the drivers behind us in the points from catching us. Basically, we just want to solidify our spot in the standings and go out there and qualify well and win the race. That's our objective."
After not making the Countdown to 1 last season, McClenathan goes into this year's U.S. Nationals concentrating on his driving and the performance of the FRAM dragster.
"Last year I missed getting into the Countdown and it was a big letdown for me," he said. "It's a very cool feeling to know that we're in and we're in solidly and we don't have to worry about it. You're able to put your efforts toward other things. Indy is such an important race that it's hard to look beyond that. Everybody wants to win Indy; I want to win Indy and the championship. I will settle for nothing less. If anybody messes up at all someone is going to be breathing down their neck, so I don't want to be one of them.
"I had a long talk with (crew chief) Mike Green and he feels that there are some areas with the car where we can be more aggressive, and it sounds like he's going to go that route, and I'm excited about that. I think we've got a good race car right now, and if we can utilize power in a few different ways it can be that much better at 1,000 feet.
"If I go out and do my job everything is going to fall into place. I'm not looking for any luck and I certainly want to earn whatever position we end up in. Having a good race car at this point and time in the season is definitely a good thing for this FRAM team."
McClenathan was also low qualifier at the U.S. Nationals in 1993 and 2002.
CORY McCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 4 in Top Fuel point standings after 17 events in 2008 (one win in three final rounds, four semifinal, four quarterfinal, six first-round finishes)
* No. 9 qualifier at last year's U.S. Nationals, advanced to the quarterfinals
* Indianapolis TF winner in 1996 (Tony Schumacher) and 1999 (Andrew Cowin), runner-up in 1997 (Jim Head)
* Qualified No. 1 in Indianapolis in 2002 and 1993
* Won the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas April 13 this year, his 30th career Top Fuel victory in 53 final rounds
* Runner-up in 2008 season-opening race in Pomona and in Brainerd
* Finished 2007 season 12th in Top Fuel points, the first time out of the top 10 since 2001
* Has recorded 420 career round wins in Top Fuel
* No. 1 qualifying twice in 2008 (Atlanta and Denver), has 32 career top qualifiers
* Runner-up in St. Louis in only final-round appearance in 2007
* Recorded 400th round win in Top Fuel in Richmond 2007
* Has 30 Top Fuel victories in 53 final round appearances, fourth among active drivers on all-time wins list
* Has finished No. 2 in the standings four times (1992, 1995, 1997 & 1998)
* Finished No. 10 in rookie season in 1991. Made first four-second run
* Made NHRA history with first run in the 4.70s (4.799) at Reading in 1992
* First driver to break the 320-mph barrier with 322.17 mph run in Dallas in 1997
* Swept the three-race Western Swing in 1997 en route to four consecutive wins and career-high six victories in eight final rounds
* Won four of the first six races in 1998. Equaled career-best with six wins in eight finals
* Won the U.S. Nationals twice (1996, 1999)
* Qualified No. 1 at 31 races, including once this season (Atlanta) and a career-high seven times in 1993
* Missed four races in 1993 after crash in Rockingham and still finished sixth in the Top Fuel points
* Age 45 (January 30, 1963); born in Wichita, Kansas, now lives in Brownsburg, Ind.; has 17-year-old daughter Courtney
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; third season with sponsorship from FRAM
