Three-time Dallas champ McClenathan aims to gain 'precious' points

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2010 NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES
Roud 20 of 23
Round 3 of six in Countdown to the Championship
25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept. 24-26, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

THREE-TIME DALLAS CHAMP MCCLENATHAN AIMS TO GAIN 'PRECIOUS' POINTS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 22, 2010) - Cory McClenathan, racing the FRAM Top
Fuel dragster in this weekend's 25th annual NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas
Motorplex in Ennis, Texas (just south of Dallas), knows that every point
will count from now on as he aims to topple Larry Dixon from the No. 1 spot.

McClenathan is second in the Countdown to the Championship point standings,
just 85 markers behind Dixon, but has yet to defeat the points leader in any
round in the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. His and the FRAM
team's goal is to earn as many of the qualifying bonus points (3, 2, 1 in
each session for the top three) during a weekend to edge their way closer to
the front and hope that Dixon stumbles along the way, especially in final
eliminations.

"Now each race seems to get more and more important," said McClenathan,
who's seeking his first Top Fuel championship after four runner-up finishes
in his 20-year career. "This weekend, the Dallas race will be very important
for us to take the FRAM car out and qualify well and try to get some more of
those precious points because right now we need every point we can get to
try to close the gap on Larry. And (Don Schumacher Racing teammate) Tony
Schumacher (in third place) needs every point he can get to help both of us
move forward.

"Obviously, (DSR teammate) Antron Brown (in sixth) and everybody else is
right in there too, including Doug Kalitta in fourth and Brandon Bernstein
in fifth. There's some great cars out there that still have a chance of
doing something, but with four races left it's getting tighter and tighter.

"It is certainly exciting for the fans, but really hard on the drivers as we
all try to be No. 1. We just have to focus on our mission. We certainly have
a consistent car and crew chiefs (Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler) and team
that can make it happen."

McClenathan is a three-time champion at the Texas Motorplex, in 1996, 1997
and 2000. He also qualified No. 1 there in 1997, and was runner-up in 1994
and 2002.

CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* Age 47 (January 30, 1963); born in Wichita, Kansas, now lives in Fishers,
Ind.; daughter Courtney (10/25/90); engaged to Debi Dixon
* No. 2 in 2010 point standings after two of six events in Countdown
* Is 85 points behind leader Larry Dixon
* Texas Motorplex TF champion in 1996, 1997 and 2000
* Motorplex runner-up in 1994 and 2002
* No. 1 qualifier at Motorplex in 1997
* Qualified No. 5 at 2009 Motorplex, lost second round to Shawn Langdon
* Had three victories (in six final rounds) and five semifinal finishes in
the first 17 races of the "regular" season
* Has five No. 1 qualifiers so far in 2010
* Qualified No. 1 once in 2009 (Bristol)
* Has 34 career Top Fuel victories in 64 final rounds
* Has finished No. 2 in the standings four times (1992, 1995, 1997 and 1998)
* 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
* 1996 and 1999 U.S. Nationals champion; runner-up in 1997
* 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 506 career round wins in Top Fuel (500th won in Brainerd
2010)
* Qualified No. 1 38 times, with a career-high seven times in 1993
* Recorded 400th round win in Top Fuel in Richmond 2007
* 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
* Missed four races in 1993 after crash in Rockingham and still finished
sixth in the Top Fuel points
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2010 is fifth season with
sponsorship from FRAM

SCHEDULE:    
FRIDAY, Sept. 24 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 2:15 p.m. and 5:15
p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 25 - FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 26 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. FULL THROTTLE SERIES
eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION:    
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying
highlights at 1 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will re-air one hour of qualifying
highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute
news magazine show, at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26 ESPN3.com will televise of coverage of eliminations
starting at noon (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 26, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage
starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
    
SATELLITE (Digital SD feed):
Friday, Sept. 24, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Saturday, Sept. 25, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
Sunday, Sept. 26, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 24K
(12180 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms;
FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners'
interviews on Sunday.

***