NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel points leader McClenathan on plan
Cory McClenathan and the Fram Tough Guard Top Fuel team have one victory under their belts, as well as the Countdown to 1 playoffs points lead, following the NHRA Carolina Nationals on last Sunday.
Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations
Dallas, Texas–Now that Cory McClenathan and the Fram Tough Guard Top Fuel team have
one victory under their belts, as well as the Countdown to 1 playoffs
points lead, following the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sunday, they're
on plan as they head to this weekend's NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas
Motorplex.
"Our goal is the same as always: go in there, get
qualified well on Friday afternoon, try to run good Friday night, and
pick up some of those extra qualifying points that they're now offering
[three, two and one points for the top three qualifiers in each
qualifying round] to give us a little cushion points-wise before
eliminations on Sunday," said McClenathan, a three-time winner in
Dallas.
"Texas Motorplex is an all-concrete track, [owner] Billy
Meyer takes good care of it, and we know it will be fast," added
McClenathan, who also was low qualifier there in 1994. "The weather
makes a big difference on that track. Hopefully, it will be somewhat
cool and not overly hot. But I also think we have a good car for hot
and cool tracks.
"[Crew chiefs] Phil [Shuler] and Todd [Okuhara]
and the Fram Tough Guard boys will do exactly what they're supposed to,
which is forget about the points deal and go in there and get qualified
well and work on it for Sunday.
"We've attacked every single
race that way this year, and I don't want to change things. I don't
want the pressure of being in the No. 1 spot to change us right now.
It's just about going in there and taking one round at a time on Sunday
and, if all goes well, we'll go the semi’s or to the final, keep on
earning points, and make the last five races of the playoffs very
exciting.
"When a track is all-concrete, like zMax was in
Concord, it's normally going to stay about the same temperature-wise
all the way down and you don't have that big transition from concrete
to asphalt. So, it definitely helps us.
"The