Carrier Boyz Racing: McClenathan pleased with No. 4 qualifying spot
EIGHTH ANNUAL NHRA CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NATIONALS ROUTE 66 RACEWAY - JOLIET, ILL. JUNE 9-12, 2005 Qualifying: Session 1 Friday: 4.563 seconds at 325.14 mph (#1) Session 2 Friday: 12.217 seconds at 82.49 mph (# 5) Session 1 Saturday: 4.527 seconds at 324.57 mph (# 3) Session 2 Saturday: 11.540 seconds at 84.38 mph (# 4) McClenathan pleased with No. 4 qualifying spot Thoughts with Carrier Family JOLIET, Ill. (June 11, 2005) - Cory McClenathan qualified in the top half of the field for the eighth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals at No. 4 in the Carrier Boyz FRAM AirHog Top Fuel dragster. McClenathan had the quickest time in both the first and third qualifying sessions. In Friday's first he recorded a time of 4.563 seconds which was good for the top spot at the time. On Saturday, he put it on cruise control and covered the Route 66 Raceway in 4.527 seconds at 324.57 mph. Both runs were made in the heat and humidity and Cory likes his chances come tomorrow's eliminations. "I would have like to have been a little more consistent but I'm pleased with the outcome," said McClenathan following the final qualifying session. "I know we must stay in the right hand lane. We have yet to get down the left. We've had two chances and smoked the tires both times. The other side of the coin is that I really like what I saw in the right lane. I told Todd Smith (crew chief) to keep us out of the left lane." Cory's thoughts continue to be with his team owners, Mark and Andy Carrier, their mother Shirley and the entire Carrier Family on the passing of Larry Carrier, the family patriarch, on Tuesday. "We miss having Shirley, Mark and Andy here this weekend," reflected Cory Mac. "This is their time to share their grief and celebrate Larry's life. Larry Carrier will be missed by all. I really feel for them (the family) but since I can't be there to help them, I need to be here at the track so that we can go out and attempt to win a race." Cory's keeping one eye on the NHRA POWERade point chase. Cory is currently No. 9 in the POWERade Top Fuel point standings, one point behind eighth, 16 behind seventh, 44 behind sixth and 118 out of the top five. Regarding points, McClenathan said earlier this week, "It's important that we pick up some points at this event. We need to start going a few more rounds than the guys in front of us in the points. We need to get a running shot and have momentum going our way as we head for home in the last half of the season. Points were never more important than they are right now." McClenathan begins his quest for the Top Fuel title tomorrow with eliminations for all classes getting underway at 11 a.m. The driver from Lake Havasu will square off against his former car owner David Baca. Baca qualified No. 13 at 4.699 seconds. This week Carrier Boyz Racing announced the addition of Torco Racing Fuel and Gear as an associate marketing partner. "Torco Racing Fuel and Gear is an awesome addition to our team. The additional support of Evan Knoll and Torco and their financial back will help this team achieve its full potential. It's a big deal for us," said McClenathan. TELEVISION: ESPN2 will air same-day television coverage of eliminations from 3 until 6 p.m. on Sunday afternoon (June 12). The elimination show repeats on ESPN2 early Monday morning, June 13, from 2 until 4:30 a.m. Also, tune in to NHRA2Day on ESPN2, the weekly show that gives you the inside scoop about the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA2Day can be seen on Sunday, June 12 at 11:30 a.m. Television times are Eastern Time (ET) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings. Headquartered in Danbury, Conn., FRAM®, the official filter of the NHRA®, is a unit of Honeywell Consumer Products Group, which manufactures and markets the FRAM AirHog^(TM) air filter and other quality FRAM automotive filters. The Honeywell Consumer Products Group also includes Prestone® antifreeze/coolant and car care products, Autolite® spark plugs and ignition wire sets and Holts® car care products. For additional information visit the following websites: FRAM at www.fram.com and FRAM AirHog at www.framairhog.com or call 1-800-862-7737. For 2005, Carrier Boyz Racing and primary marketing partners FRAM and Honeywell welcome the support of our associate marketing partners: American Racing Wheels, Autolite Spark Plugs, Bendix, Fabtech, GMC, Mac Tools, Prestone and PurePower Oil. Visit our website at www.carrierboyzracing.com for the most current team news, race results and team merchandise.