Championship Drag Racing

Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals
Chandler, AZ
(February 24-26)

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Cory McClenathan Rapisarda Racing

Phoenix, prerace: The sting of a first-round finish could still be felt in the Carrier Boyz Racing pit area long after Cory McClenathan was eliminated from season-opening Winternationals contention, but Mark and Andy Carrier already had a battle plan.

“We’re going to test as soon as possible,” said Mark. “This wasn’t the way we wanted to start the season. We’ll do what it takes to get our Fram Boost dragster running better.”

And that meant testing at Las Vegas just a few days after the race.

“Mark and Andy made a lot of changes during the winter to build a strong team that has the opportunity to win races,” said McClenathan, “and we are committed improving performance for our sponsors and our team. (Crew chief) Wes Cerny and (assistant crew chief) Tony Shortall were pleased with our test results and we are looking forward to rebounding at Phoenix (in the Checkers, Schuck’s, Kragen Nationals in nearby Chandler).”

Perhaps the season began one race too soon for the Fram Boost team that underwent numerous changes during the off-season, including several bold moves that included the hiring of Cerny and Shortall and shifting its base of operations from Bristol, Tenn., to Indianapolis.

Two of McClenathan’s 28 career victories have come at the venerable Firebird race track (1994 and 1998) while Cerny has tuned different race cars to wins there.

“One good thing is that our crew will have a chance to take a few days off before we go to Phoenix,” said McClenathan. “We had some parts breakage at Pomona and we had some parts that weren’t working like they should. The guys have had the opportunity to go all through the parts and pieces and get things ready for this race.”

McClenathan qualified 11th for the Winternationals and did what he could to get past Larry Dixon. He left the starting line before his rival (.081 to .113 of a second), and battled through traction problems en route to a 5.850-second run at 223.76 mph to Dixon’s 5.142 at 286.38 mph.

“We didn’t want to leave Pomona not in the top 10,” added McClenathan. “It ’s time for us to get back in there.”

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