BROWNSBURG, Ind. (June 16, 2010) - Cory McClenathan and the FRAM Top Fuel Dragster team almost set a national elapsed-time record (racing to 1000
feet) last weekend in Englishtown, N.J., after establishing a 3.752-second
run. As temperatures rose on Saturday and Sunday at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park, they were unable to back it up by one percent for the record.
If conditions warrant this weekend at the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley
Nationals at Bristol Dragway, they just might go for it again.
"We have a great car," said McClenathan, who is third in the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing class point standings. "We know it will run some killer
ETs given the right conditions. If we can solidly get down the track in the
first qualifying session on Friday, get set up for the late night session
and it gets cool enough, I think we'll be able to pretty much throw down a
great low ET and go from there.
"I'm excited right now," added Cory Mac, a 33-time national-event winner who
has never won one in Bristol, but qualified No. 1 last year. "I think we're
right on the edge of not only being fast and quick, but consistent all the
time. I think we learned a lot in the last few races and maybe we can use
that to our advantage in Bristol and go out there and go some rounds.
"That¹s really what it's all about. Yes, we would like to earn those 20
bonus points for setting a national record, but we don't want to lose sight
of the fact that we need to qualify well and go some rounds. That's how we
started the season off, and we're trying to get back to that. That¹s our
plan this weekend. That's what we're going to work on."
CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 3 in 2010 point standings, after two victories (in four final rounds)
and two semifinal finishes in the first 11 races; 219 points out of lead
(Larry Dixon), 20 behind second-place Tony Schumacher
* Has never won in Bristol; was No. 1 qualifier in 2009
* Qualified No. 1 in 2009 Bristol; lost second round to Doug Kalitta
* 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
* 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. 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 33 career Top Fuel victories in 61 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 488 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
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2010 is fifth season with
sponsorship from FRAM
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, June 18 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, June 19 * FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 20 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at noon.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 3:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 4 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, June 18, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
(Digital SD feed)
Saturday, June 19, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
Sunday, June 20, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
(11800 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: 3Ž4; Bandwidth: 18 Mhz)
feet) last weekend in Englishtown, N.J., after establishing a 3.752-second
run. As temperatures rose on Saturday and Sunday at Old Bridge Township
Raceway Park, they were unable to back it up by one percent for the record.
If conditions warrant this weekend at the 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley
Nationals at Bristol Dragway, they just might go for it again.
"We have a great car," said McClenathan, who is third in the NHRA Full
Throttle Drag Racing class point standings. "We know it will run some killer
ETs given the right conditions. If we can solidly get down the track in the
first qualifying session on Friday, get set up for the late night session
and it gets cool enough, I think we'll be able to pretty much throw down a
great low ET and go from there.
"I'm excited right now," added Cory Mac, a 33-time national-event winner who
has never won one in Bristol, but qualified No. 1 last year. "I think we're
right on the edge of not only being fast and quick, but consistent all the
time. I think we learned a lot in the last few races and maybe we can use
that to our advantage in Bristol and go out there and go some rounds.
"That¹s really what it's all about. Yes, we would like to earn those 20
bonus points for setting a national record, but we don't want to lose sight
of the fact that we need to qualify well and go some rounds. That's how we
started the season off, and we're trying to get back to that. That¹s our
plan this weekend. That's what we're going to work on."
CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 3 in 2010 point standings, after two victories (in four final rounds)
and two semifinal finishes in the first 11 races; 219 points out of lead
(Larry Dixon), 20 behind second-place Tony Schumacher
* Has never won in Bristol; was No. 1 qualifier in 2009
* Qualified No. 1 in 2009 Bristol; lost second round to Doug Kalitta
* 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
* 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. 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 33 career Top Fuel victories in 61 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 488 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
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2010 is fifth season with
sponsorship from FRAM
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, June 18 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, June 19 * FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
SUNDAY, June 20 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at noon.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, June 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying
highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 3:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 20, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 4 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE:
Friday, June 18, 9:30 - 10 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
(Digital SD feed)
Saturday, June 19, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
Sunday, June 20, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K
(11800 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: 3Ž4; Bandwidth: 18 Mhz)
