Championship Drag Racing

Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
Denver, CO
(July 14-16)

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Driver Profile

Cory McClenathan Rapisarda Racing

Denver, Friday:  It wasn't enough to be racing in the mile-high altitude of the Denver area in temperatures that topped out at 100 degrees, but Cory McClenathan and the Carrier Boyz Fram Boost Top Fuel team encounter another problem that consumed most of Friday's qualifying for Sunday's Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

"We had a huge unknown Friday," said the veteran driver.  "For some reason metal shavings were in the fuel system.  They clogged the nozzles, bypasses . . . everything on our first run. It was miserable.

"We took it apart and flushed the system between runs and still made it up to the staging lanes in time for the second session."

The tires lost traction virtually at the hit of the throttle in the opening run and McClenathan had to call upon his 15 years of experience to get the car down the track on the last turn.

The spun early in the run and McClenathan pedaled the throttle once, trying get the tires to hook up.  He was prepared to do it a second time, "but the front end came up too far and I knew I couldn't keep doing that."

The result: his time of 6.034 seconds at 150.16 mph was, surprisingly, good enough to put him 16th in the provisional starting line-up.

"We had the car fixed at (builder) Brad Hadman's shop during our two weeks between races," added McClenathan. "Our guys have worked real hard.  We'll come back Saturday in the heat."

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