As the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series heads to Virginia Motorsports Park for this
weekend's NHRA Virginia Nationals, four-time Top Fuel champ at this track Cory McClenathan looks to
raise his Virginia win percentage at the fourth of six events of the Countdown to 1 playoffs.
With nine NHRA events having been run at VMP - six from 1995 through 2000, and three since 2006 -
the driver of the FRAM Tough Guard Top Fuel dragster has won 44 percent of the Top Fuel events at
this facility, as the winningest driver. And with the Top Fuel championship at stake as the season
winds down to the final three races, "Cory Mac" has a comfortable feeling.
"It's pretty cool to have won in Virginia four times," said McClenathan, who is third in the
rankings, 93 markers out of first place, and had led the points after winning in Concord, N.C. "Our
win-rate percentage is pretty good in Richmond.
"I feel very comfortable going into Virginia, but, unfortunately for us, we're having some parts
breakage on the car," he said, referring to his second-round loss last Monday in Memphis because of
that problem. "We find one thing, fix it, and it finds another place to break.
"The timing couldn't be any worse. As we entered the Countdown we put ourselves in a position to do
well, won one event, led the points briefly, and we were moving ahead. Now, we're a little behind.
So, we just need to go out and keep on doing our thing. Eventually it will turn around; hopefully
it will be this weekend at a track where conditions should be very good.
"Larry Dixon, in second, is 39 points in front of us going into this race, and our teammate Tony
Schumacher is 93 ahead. We're counting points, obviously.
"Richmond has been great to me in the past, and I always go in there with confidence. That's a nice
feeling. I'm looking forward to seeing what this weekend brings."
McClenathan's four wins in Virginia came in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2006. He was runner-up in 1997.
CORY MCCLENATHAN QUICK FACTS:
* No. 3 in Countdown to 1 playoffs standings with a victory in Concord, N.C., the opening round of
the playoffs
* Just 93 points out of first place, 39 short of second
* Four final rounds so far in 2009 (one win)
* No. 5 in 2009 "regular season" Top Fuel point standings, with three runner-up, three semifinal,
nine quarterfinal and three first-round finishes in first 18 events of season
* Qualified No. 4 in 2008 Richmond event, lost first round to Morgan Lucas
* 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
* Has 31 career Top Fuel victories in 57 final rounds
* First driver to break the 320-mph barrier with 322.17-mph run in Dallas in 1997
* Has recorded 462 career round wins in Top Fuel
* Qualified No. 1 32 times, with a career-high seven times in 1993
* Recorded 400th round win in Top Fuel in Richmond 2007
* Has finished No. 2 in the standings four times (1992, 1995, 1997 and 1998)
* 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
* Won the U.S. Nationals twice (1996, 1999)
* Missed four races in 1993 after crash in Rockingham and still finished sixth in the Top Fuel
points
* Age 46 (January 30, 1963); born in Wichita, Kansas, now lives in Brownsburg, Ind.; daughter
Courtney (10/25/90)
* Joined Don Schumacher Racing in 2008; 2009 is fourth season with sponsorship from FRAM
Cory Mac Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brownsburg-IN/Cory-Mac/74199417179?ref=ts#/pages/Brown
sburg-IN/Cory-Mac/74199417179?v=wall&viewas=14308109
Cory Mac Fanatics Group: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brownsburg-IN/Cory-Mac/74199417179?ref=ts#/group.php?g
id=73981312612
On Twitter he may be followed on http://twitter.com/Cory_Mac_TF
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Oct. 9 - Professional Qualifying Sessions at 1:30 and 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, Oct. 10 - Professional Qualifying Sessions at noon and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, Oct. 11 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m. Final Eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, Oct. 10, ESPN and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 p.m.
(ET).
Sunday, Oct. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute pre-race show at 11
a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 7p.m. (ET).
