Reading: Cory McClenathan Saturday summary

Cory Mac saves best for last, qualifies No. 7

MOHNTON, Penn. (October 9, 2004) -- Saving his best pass down the Maple Grove Raceway quarter-mile until the fourth and final qualifying session, Cory McClenathan, driver of the Carrier Boyz Racing Berryman Products Top Fuel dragster, qualified No. 7 for tomorrow's eliminations at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals.

Having run a best elapsed time yesterday of 4.701 seconds, McClenathan, from Anaheim, Calif., bounced back today clicking off times of 4.698 seconds this morning and then moved up the qualifying ladder into seventh when he stopped the finish line timing lights in 4.573 seconds.

"We finally shook things loose in that last pass," said McClenathan. "Now tomorrow we need to go rounds and pick up all the points we can in this race and then do the same in the final two."

He will face Bob Vandergriff, Jr. in the opening round tomorrow. Vandergriff, from Alpharetta, Ga., qualified No. 10 with a run of 4.640 seconds at 299.46 mph. The will be their first match up of 2004. In 16 career meetings, McClenathan has come away victorious 12 times.

Final eliminations for all classes get underway on Sunday at 11 a.m. These times are subject to change and reflect Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Cory Mac's quest for a guaranteed position in the Budweiser Shootout came to successful climax here at the Lucas Oil Nationals, the final event at which to earn qualifying points for the Shootout.

In the newly established qualifying procedure for the 2004 Budweiser Shootout, a special race-within-a-race being held during the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 30, only the seven Top Fuel drivers in positions 1-7 are guaranteed a spot in the Shootout. The eighth position spot, a wild card position, will be awarded to one of the eight drivers who qualify in positions 8-15 through a special lottery drawing.

When McClenathan visited Maple Grove Raceway in September, which was subsequently rained out, he was in the No. 8 spot in the Shootout with 2330 points, 65 points behind Doug Herbert in seventh and 140 points behind Larry Dixon in sixth.

In a shocking comeback, McClenathan leaves Reading this time in the No. 6 position in the Shootout, 10 points ahead of Herbert, who finishes in seventh, and 50 points in front of Larry Dixon in eighth.

"The credit for this comeback goes to Todd (Smith, crew chief), John Stewart (co-crew chief), who joined the team at Dallas and all the guys on the crew who make this car run," reflected McClenathan.

TV UPDATE: TV coverage of eliminations from this weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway will air twice, including a newly added telecast scheduled for Monday, Oct. 11, from 5-7 p.m. on ESPN2. Coverage for the rain-delayed event also will be replayed on Sunday, Oct. 17 from 7-9 p.m. on ESPN2. Television times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and subject to change at anytime without notice. Check local listings.

-cbr-