Phoenix: Cory McClenathan preview

MCCLENATHAN LOOKS FOR THIRD WIN AT ARIZONA NATIONALS

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 17, 2010) - Now that the cobwebs are gone after completing the season-opening event of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in Pomona, Calif., last Sunday, Cory McClenathan and the FRAM Top Fuel Dragster team look towards winning at the NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend.

McClenathan and the FRAM team are more than encouraged by their semifinal finish after qualifying No. 1 in Pomona. They're hungry for that first victory of the year and, if it comes at Firebird Int'l Raceway this weekend, it will mark McClenathan's third at this event, following his triumphs in 1994 and 1998.

"I think every single race we go to we have the opportunity to win that race," said McClenathan, who was also runner-up here in 1996 and No. 1 qualifier in 1993 and 1994. "It's kind of a 'home track' for me, like Pomona is. I've lived in Orange County in California and I've lived in Lake Havasu in Arizona for a lot of years. It definitely would be a great place to earn a win. We'll have a lot of friends here, and a lot of people from the past.

"And I think we have one of the best race cars out here right now, and the most consistent. I look forward to getting on the track, qualifying well and trying to win here again and make the FRAM car look as good as it did in Pomona." McClenathan established his career-best speed racing to 1000 feet in Pomona: 320.05 mph.

"When you go to every single race and you think you're going to win no matter what and end up losing in the semis like we did in Pomona," added McClenathan, "it's disappointing. But it was a good straight-up race and Doug (Kalitta) won that round. The team and I just need to try to dig down deeper. It seems like you have to run low ET of every session now to be able to put it in the winner's circle. If that's what we have to do, that's what we're going to do."

-source: dsr