McClenathan wins back-to-back in Concord racing four-wide

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 4 of 23
Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
zMAX Dragway
Concord, N.C.
March 26-28, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

McCLENATHAN WINS BACK-TO-BACK IN CONCORD RACING FOUR-WIDE

CONCORD, N.C. (March 29, 2010) - Cory McClenathan scored back-to-back
victories at zMax Dragway today at the rain-delayed Inaugural NHRA Four-Wide
Nationals after defeating Doug Kalitta (runner-up), his Don Schumacher
Racing teammate Antron Brown (third) and Doug Herbert (fourth).

Don Schumacher Racing teams have now won four of the six professional
nitro-class categories at zMax Dragway: Jack Beckman in Funny Car and Tony
Schumacher in Top Fuel in 2008; and McClenathan in Top Fuel in 2009 and
2010.

The FRAM Top Fuel dragster once again demonstrated its consistency by
posting a 3.820-second lap at 319.60 mph to collect McClenathan's 33rd win
in 60 final rounds. McClenathan regained the points lead after his semifinal
victory over Rhonda-Hartman Smith and Tony Schumacher. He and Kalitta
advanced to the final round. "Cory Mac" is now 52 markers ahead of
Schumacher.

"(Crew chiefs) Todd Okuhara, Phil Shuler and the FRAM boys are just so good
this year," said McClenathan, who claimed his second victory of the year in
as many final rounds. "They give me what it takes to go out there and win
drag races. And to come here four-wide and have a mishap like we did first
round out there and come back showed the teamwork at Don Schumacher Racing.²

In Sunday's opening round of eliminations McClenathan led the other three
drivers to the finish line, posting a 3.799/319.14, but a tire blew as he
pulled the parachutes. "The biggest thing is we had made a really good run,
everything was great, threw the 'chute out and, all of a sudden, it was,
snap, there it goes.

"We've been having troubles down there at the other end. I don't think it's
any one person's fault, it just happened that we lost a tire. Goodyear is a
great product. They're what we run and what we'll always run and they'll
take it back and take a look at it and they'll tell us what they think.

"My FRAM guys did a great job getting things back together between rounds,
but it takes a whole team. It's a handful down there, I just wanted to keep
it in my lane.

"Everybody on the team, including the Army guys and the Yas Marina guys made
sure we got the car back together," added McClenathan of how the team
rebuilt the chassis with the help of DSR chassis builder Norm Boutot, and
replaced the front wing, body panels, etc. "We put everybody to work and
that's what it took to get that car back together, but just to be able to
come out here with a car like that and know that you have something to win
with as a driver makes you confident. But it also puts that fire in me like
you've got to get the job done as a driver, and we just had a great weekend
all the way around."

As for racing four-wide in the future, "Everybody likes an All-Star race, I
don't think that's something that's out of the question," said McClenathan,
"but we came here with the opinion that we need to be able to go four-wide,
we need to be able to understand the lights, and I had a certain way that I
went about it all weekend long. I kept the same plan and it worked out for
us. I was happy with the whole thing.

"I've been doing this for 20 years in a fuel car, you're not going to make
everybody happy. The Smith family brought something to the table that nobody
else has been able to do, and, yes, we were able to win it, so I might be a
little biased on that."

Next up is the 23rd annual NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston, April 9-11.

UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS, after four events:
1. Cory McClenathan, 379 (winner today) - (Doug Herbert was runner-up)
2. Tony Schumacher, 327
3.  Doug Kalitta, 326 (runner-up today)
4.  Larry Dixon, 302
5.  Antron Brown, 273 (third place today)
6.  Shawn Langdon, 221
7.  Steve Torrence, 193
8.  Morgan Lucas, 173
9.  Brandon Bernstein, Indianapolis, 168
10. Dave Grubnic, 154

***