NHRA Photo (Cory McClenathan delivers a win earlier this season)
By Wes Holtsclaw (wholtsclaw@starhq.com)
BRISTOL – After driving for an array of owners, Cory Mac has found the perfect fit.
One of Top Fuel’s most popular and successful drivers, Cory McClenathan began a new chapter to his career this season with Don Schumacher Racing.
Right off the bat, Schumacher reunited McClenathan with former Joe Gibbs teammate and crew chief Mike Green.
The pair have made some magic thus far in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Series season with one win and one runner-up finish while maintaining a top five position in points.
“After struggling for a few years with different owners, trying to do it your own and that type of deal, I think the one thing it’s taught me is not only have my sponsors been loyal to me, but dealing with the right team, the right owner – they’ve all made things so much easier for me,” McClenathan said Friday before the first round of qualifying at Bristol Dragaway.
“Bringing Mike Green in – which we’re long time friends and we worked together in the nineties at Joe Gibbs Racing – has made it much more easier for me. Mike takes care of the day-to-day stuff with the guys, the parts and the pieces. I take care of the sponsors and try to be there for the guys when they need me. What it comes down to is it’s taken some things off my plate so I can go back to driving the car. I’m enjoying myself more.”
Another positive to racing for Schumacher is his teammate, five-time NHRA champ Tony Schumacher, who currently leads the Top Fuel points race.
McClenathan who handed Schumacher a defeat in his first career final round appearance, said the teams work well together and it’s helped his program.
“It’s funny, because when Tony came in his first real race was Indianapolis and he raced in the final round. Well, I raced in the final round and I beat him. Now, he’s whipping up on us,” he said. “The guard’s changed a little bit, the times have changed and, being my 18th year in Top Fuel, the competitions much tougher. But it’s good to see that we can put two cars together.
“Obviously, the Fram and Army guys work well together. We’re finally seeing what are two identical cars running very close ET’s. Tony’s got a 200-point lead on me right now, but we’re hoping to close that gap a little bit,” he said. “What we always try to do is qualify on the opposite side of the ladder. But it’s not always going to happen. It’s been very fun, very exciting and Tony and I have a very friendly rivalry going. We try to get each other pumped up too.”
Much like his career, having been through many highs and lows with multiple owners, the driver has had his share of ups and downs at Bristol.
Nothing would please him better than a win in today’s finals.
In 1999, Cory Mac won $200,000 in the Top Fuel-Funny Car Winston Showdown. Then in 2006, his dragster was completely destroyed in an accident.
“I’ve had my highs and I’ve had my lows here,” McClenathan said. “Some of my lows were a little bad. The accident here a couple of years ago was a little catastrophic, hard to the body, hard on mental mind, hard on parts obviously.
“Then again, in 1999 we won the Winston Showdown. We had it only two years. Force won one and I won one. My biggest paycheck ever was here. But, we’ve not won a national event here. We’ve got to qualify well and maybe we can put one on the scoreboard here. Points are important right now and that’s what we’re looking at.”
