Cory McClenathan and the FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel Dragster team attacked the 90-degree heat and
torrid track temperatures this weekend at the NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka to
snag No. 10 in qualifying for the event.
McClenathan struggled in each session to make solid runs to the finish line, as did a number of
other teams, posting his quickest lap of 4.008 seconds at 290.26 mph in the first round on Friday,
which was good for No. 4 at the time. He was unable to improve in subsequent attempts, resulting in
5.152/131.50, 5.141/135.55 and 4.562/177.67 laps, each landing him in No. 10.
He faces Morgan Lucas in the opening round of Sunday's eliminations.
"It's really warm and the track conditions have diminished," said McClenathan, fourth in the point
standings. "It's not the track's fault, not the preparation. It's just that it's gotten warm out
here and it's made for tricky conditions.
"We need to adapt to that somehow, some way, whether it's running 4-flat or in the 3.80s. We have
to adapt to every weather condition possible and this is one of them that's stumped us a little
bit.
"In that last run, our fourth try, we made it pretty darned far down the track before we had a
problem, and it's smart to shut it off and come back tomorrow and say, OK, we've gotten a little
farther each time, so now on race day we need to stay in it.
"No matter what, we won't be shutting off early tomorrow. I guarantee that. It could be a pedalfest
tomorrow if the weather stays the way it is.
"We have Morgan Lucas first round. He qualified better than we did and he has lane choice. I don't
know how much that will matter. That's really up to the crew chiefs, so we'll see how it plays
out."
