Fresh from his victory last Sunday in Seattle, the first race of the three that make up the Western Swing (Seattle, Sonoma, Denver) of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Cory McClenathan is aiming for a strong performance at this weekend’s FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, Calif.
Driving the FRAM Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing, McClenathan is cautiously optimistic about becoming the first NHRA driver to sweep the Swing twice. He accomplished that feat in 1997, the last time he’s won in Sonoma in his 34 career national-event triumphs. He was, however, runner-up last year to Antron Brown, who swept the Swing that year.
“We just want to do well,” said McClenathan, who is seeking his first Top Fuel championship in 20 years of competing in the class. “This is FRAM’s race. If I was able to pick one to win during the year, this would be it. It would be huge to win my sponsor’s race. That’s always something every driver dreams about doing. It would be perfect for us.
“Obviously, if we were to win it it would put us in a position to sweep the Swing at this point. We’ve done very well so far. This FRAM car has been running good, the guys have done a great job and I feel good behind the wheel.
“Yeah, we have a little bit of a leg up on it, but I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch. We’ll go in there with the same attitude as always: get qualified well, run well in the Friday evening session and go into eliminations on Sunday with the goal of ‘Let’s take it one run at a time.’ That’s how (crew chiefs) Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler will look at it and that’s how I look at it.”
With his win in Seattle, McClenathan moved into second place in the point standings, behind Larry Dixon and ahead of his DSR teammate Tony Schumacher. “We’re right there with our teammate Tony now and in second place behind Dixon,” he said. “I think it will be awfully tough to catch Dixon in the points before the Countdown. It’s probably not going to happen. But when you’re able to gain some ground you get into people’s heads. They figure that the guy can run, he can beat us, so we have to race him hard.”
The Countdown to 1 playoffs for the top 10 in points begin at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend for the six final events of the year.
CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 2 in 2010 point standings, after three victories (in five final rounds) and four semifinal finishes in the first 13 races; 172 points out of lead (Larry Dixon), nine points ahead of third-place Tony Schumacher
* 1997 Sonoma winner; runner-up in 1993 and 2009
* Qualified No. 3 in 2009 Sonoma; runner-up to Antron Brown
* Qualified No. 1 in Sonoma in 1992
* Has four No. 1 qualifiers so far in 2010
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2009 (Bristol);
* No. 5 in 2009 “regular season” Top Fuel point standings
* No. 4 in 2009 year-end standings with a victory in Concord, N.C., the opening round of the playoffs
* Had one win in four final rounds in 2009, plus five semifinal and six quarterfinal finishes
* No. 3 in 2008 Top Fuel point standings, including one win in three final rounds, as well as eight semifinal, six quarterfinal, seven first-round finishes and two No. 1 qualifiers
* Has 34 career Top Fuel victories in 62 final rounds
* Career-best elapsed time to 1000 feet: 3.752 seconds (Englishtown ‘10) - the quickest ET in NHRA history racing to 1000 feet
* Career-best speed to 1000 feet: 324.75 mph (Englishtown 2010) - second fastest in NHRA 1000-foot era
* First driver to break the 320-mph barrier with 322.17-mph run in Dallas in 1997 (quarter-mile)
* Has recorded 496 career round wins in Top Fuel
* Qualified No. 1 37 times, with a career-high seven times in 1993
* Recorded 400th round win in Top Fuel in Richmond 2007
* Has finished No. 2 in the standings four times (1992, 1995, 1997 and 1998)
* Finished No. 10 in rookie season in 1991; made first 4-second run
* Made NHRA history with first run in the 4.70s (4.799) at Reading in 1992
* 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)
* Missed four races in 1993 after crash in Rockingham and still finished sixth in the Top Fuel points
* Age 47 (January 30, 1963); born in Wichita, Kansas, now lives in Brownsburg, Ind.; daughter Courtney (10/25/90); engaged to Debi Dixon
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2010 is fifth season with sponsorship from FRAM
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