Cory Mac in good spot as 'regular' NHRA season ends in Brainerd
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES Round 17 of 23 29th annual NHRA Nationals Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway Aug. 13-15, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net CORY MAC IN GOOD SPOT AS 'REGULAR' NHRA SEASON ENDS IN BRAINERD BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 11, 2010) - With this weekend's 29th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway completing the "regular" 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, Cory McClenathan feels he's in a good spot to contend for his first Top Fuel championship in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. Racing the FRAM Top Fuel dragster, "Cory Mac" has had a solid season competing against the rest of the category's elite, including his Don Schumacher Racing teammates Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown, Larry Dixon, Doug Kalitta, Brandon Bernstein, among others. He stands third in the rankings, has three victories in five final rounds to his credit, four No. 1 qualifiers, five semifinal finishes, and set the quickest elapsed time racing to 1000 feet in NHRA history (3.752 seconds). Not resting on their laurels, he and the FRAM team, led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, still aim for another victory this weekend before the playoffs kick in at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day for the top 10 in the final six events of the year. "Todd, Phil, the FRAM boys and I are all thinking, 'Let's get back to being a consistent team,' and that's something that we're going to carry into the Countdown," said McClenathan, the 1997 Top Fuel champion in Brainerd. "So, we have one race to kind of get geared up for it. "We've had a good car all year, so I'm not too concerned about falling off. I guess Denver didn't quite go the way we wanted it to (a first-round loss), but the conditions were completely different. We know we have a good hot-weather tune-up, a good cool-weather tune-up, and the Countdown is coming up. "Points-wise, we're in a pretty good spot in third. It would be hard to pass (second-place) Tony right now," added McClenathan, who is just 32 markers behind his teammate. "Obviously, they're going to go out and try to win Brainerd, just like we are. But, as always, anything can happen. Antron (in fifth) is right there too, and he has a good car. "It's gear-up time. It's going to be different starting the Countdown in Indy this year, but I'm looking forward to that. "We've done well in Brainerd," added McClenathan, who was also runner-up there in 2008, No. 1 qualifier in 1992 and 1998, and holds the elapsed-time track record of 3.811 seconds. "It would be nice to leave there with a win and have some momentum going into Indy. I think that would be great for the whole FRAM team." CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS: * No. 3 in 2010 point standings, after three victories (in five final rounds) and five semifinal finishes in the first 16 races; 261 points out of lead (Larry Dixon), 32 points behind second-place Tony Schumacher * 1997 Brainerd TF champion; runner-up in 2008 * Qualified No. 1 in Brainerd in 1992 and 1998 * Qualified No. 4 in 2009 Brainerd, lost semis to Morgan Lucas * Holds Brainerd ET track record of 3.811 seconds * 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. 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 * 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 34 career Top Fuel victories in 62 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 498 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 Dixon * Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2010 is fifth season with sponsorship from FRAM SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, Aug. 13 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:45 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY, Aug. 14 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. SUNDAY, Aug. 15 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Aug. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Aug. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 10 a.m. (ET). Sunday, Aug. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 10 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, Aug. 13, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K (Digital SD feed) Saturday, Aug. 14, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K Sunday, Aug. 15, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K (11800 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 18 Mhz) Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners¹ interviews on Sunday. ***