Cory McClenathan and the Scott Griffin Motorsports Top Fuel team will have a decidedly different look in their return to Bristol Dragway for the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, Friday through Sunday.
Color it yellow. McClenathan is wearing JEGS and Prestone yellow and black instead of his usual FRAM orange and black livery and the same goes for the dragster in this once-a-year promotion.
The last time McClenathan and JEGS/Prestone teamed up – at Columbus, Ohio, last year – he was runner-up. “We are excited to be able to fly JEGS colors” said McClenathan. “All of us hope we can go all the way to winner’s circle this year. The new colors worked out really well for us then.
McClenathan, meanwhile, will settle for a more mundane performance Sunday than what fans recall of his horrific qualifying accident here last year.
“We are looking forward to going back to the track to see if we can go some rounds on Sunday, ” added McClenathan, who suffered plenty of bumps and bruises in the finish-line crash. “After last year, we are coming to Bristol disguised in yellow instead of our FRAM orange and hope to do well.
The veteran driver has 29 career victories and could use a few more to help solidify a top-eight position in NHRA POWERade standings. He needs to be among the elite eight after the first segment (17 races) of the new Countdown to the Championship this year in order to capture the title trophy that has eluded him throughout his 16-year career. The challengers are whittled to four after four more events with the remaining quartet fighting for season honors during the final two 2007 races.
McClenathan, currently 10th (487 points), trails sixth-place by 46 points in a tightly-bunched field of contenders.
“We can make it as long as we start winning rounds, ” he said. “We need to get a hot streak going. ”
This race is the mid-point of a six-race marathon that concludes with stops at Denver, Seattle and Sonoma, Calif. The final two of 17 Countdown races take place at Brainerd, Minn. (Aug. 10-12) and Reading, Pa. (Aug. 17-19).
This is second trip to Bristol this year for McClenathan and the bright yellow JEGS/Prestone dragster. He started the car at Bristol Motor Speedway – across the parking lot from the Dragway – prior to the running of the NASCAR race.
“The fans got a preview look at the car’s colors then and were excited to see it, ” McClenathan said. “We just wanted to show them what the POWERade Series is all about – 8,000 horsepower in the engine.
Scott Griffin Racing would like to thank all our sponsors for their support. We couldn’t do this without them: FRAM, Torco Racing Fuels, JEGS, JET, GMC, Mac Tools, Lucas Oil, Nordic Boats, Seelye Wright Automotive Group, Motel 6, Serta and Lucas Cycles.
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