McClenathan goes to quarterfinals in Texas

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2009 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 2 of Countdown to 1 Playoffs (six in total)
Round 20 of 24 for season
NHRA FALL NATIONALS
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept. 25-27, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438;
jstropus@earthlink.net

MCCLENATHAN GOES TO QUARTERFINALS IN TEXAS

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 27, 2009) - Cory McClenathan, driving the Valvoline
Engine Guarantee/FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel dragster this weekend,
relinquished his points lead today after finishing the NHRA Fall Nationals
at Texas Motorplex in the quarterfinal round.

In ambient temperatures close to the 90-degree mark and rising, the No. 5
qualifier dismissed No. 12 Doug Kalitta in the opening stanza, despite
posting a tire-smoking 4.127-second elapsed time at 265.95 mph out of the
more favorable left lane, which resulted in his losing lane choice for the
second round.

Facing Shawn Langdon in that match-up, McClenathan launched with a nearly
identical reaction time to Langdon's. Neither pass was stellar, but Langdon
made it first across the finish strip with a 4.236/237.96, while McClenathan
struck the tires and slowed to a 4.403/190.14.

"You now what, we can go down either lane," said McClenathan, who slipped to
third in the Countdown to 1 playoffs standings. "It wasn't about lane choice
for us. We had a part in the car that failed and caused us to lose, and
that's plain and simple. That happens whether you have the best of parts or
not. That's just the way it is.

"The timing of it was bad. To go from first to third like that was just bad
timing. So we're just going to have to go to the next event and race this
FRAM Tough Guard dragster again. We're not out of it by any means."

Next up is the 22nd annual NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn., Oct.
2-4, 2009.

UNOFFICIAL TOP FUEL POINT STANDINGS, following two of six events in the
Countdown to 1 playoffs:
1. Tony Schumacher, 2272 (winner today)
2. Larry Dixon, 2245 (runner-up today)
3. Cory McClenathan, 2218
4. Antron Brown, 2207
5. Shawn Langdon, 2188
6. Brandon Bernstein, 2155
7. Spencer Massey, 2152
8. Morgan Lucas, 2124
9. Doug Kalitta, 2074
10. Clay Millican, 2062

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