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POMONA, Calif. - A failure in the engine's valve train triggered a huge fireball that erased any chance of Cory McClenathan putting the FRAM Torco Top Fuel dragster among the top four qualifiers Saturday for Sunday's season-opening Carquest Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
"We were definitely on a 4.4-second time, according to the computer numbers, but then the engine blew," said McClenathan, who had to settle for the No. 10 position with a best of 4.530 seconds at a career-best 334.07 mph. "It was different because one second the car was pulling and the next the engine went away just before half-track. We were going for a good time and it looked like we were going to get it for a while."
McClenathan races Whit Bazemore (No. 7, 4.507 at 325.14 mph) in the first round. Bazemore, a former Funny Car driver, is making his first appearance in a dragster.
"I'm confident Wes Cerny (crew chief) and Tony Shortall (assistant crew chief) will get this figured out Sunday."
McClenathan to Start Season from No. 10 Spot Sunday at Pomona
POMONA, Calif. - A failure in the engine's valve train triggered a huge fireball that erased any chance of Cory McClenathan putting the FRAM Torco Top Fuel dragster among the top four qualifiers Saturday for Sunday's season-opening Carquest Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
"We were definitely on a 4.4-second time, according to the computer numbers, but then the engine blew," said McClenathan, who had to settle for the No. 10 position with a best of 4.530 seconds at a career-best 334.07 mph. "It was different because one second the car was pulling and the next the engine went away just before half-track. We were going for a good time and it looked like we were going to get it for a while."
McClenathan races Whit Bazemore (No. 7, 4.507 at 325.14 mph) in the first round. Bazemore, a former Funny Car driver, is making his first appearance in a dragster.
"I'm confident Wes Cerny (crew chief) and Tony Shortall (assistant crew chief) will get this figured out Sunday."
