Three years ago, Cory McClenathan figured if he couldn’t be fast that being spectacular would be just as good.

McClenathan’s dragster broke apart and crashed during the 2006 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Friday evening qualifying session. It was spectacular.

This time, McClenathan figured it was easier to be fast.

The 30-time national event winner drove to a 3.874 elapsed time at 312.21 miles per hour in the same right lane where he’d previously destroyed the FRAM-sponsored dragster.

“We have both ends of the deal now at this race track,” McClenathan admitted. “But when you watch this team work, they are pretty spectacular. I would give up this No. 1 on Friday for a No. 1 on Sunday.”

Three years ago, Cory McClenathan figured if he couldn’t be fast that being spectacular would be just as good.

McClenathan’s dragster broke apart and crashed during the 2006 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Friday evening qualifying session. It was spectacular.

This time, McClenathan figured it was easier to be fast.

The 30-time national event winner drove to a 3.874 elapsed time at 312.21 miles per hour in the same right lane where he’d previously destroyed the FRAM-sponsored dragster.

“We have both ends of the deal now at this race track,” McClenathan admitted. “But when you watch this team work, they are pretty spectacular. I would give up this No. 1 on Friday for a No. 1 on Sunday.”

To hear McClenathan speak, moments after his top run he was content to hand that position over to his teammate Tony Schumacher.

Schumacher was unable to capitalize on the generosity.

“I’m so used to hearing [NHRA announcer] Bob Frey say, ‘And your new No. 1 qualifier is,'” McClenathan admitted. “You hear that a lot. Tony is my teammate and we run in front of them and it’s our job to pass on our information to them. That’s what a teammate does. You give the information to the team behind you and they can twist the wick up. I’m sure they tried to.”

So did McClenathan’s co-crew chiefs, former Funny Car tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shular. The dynamic duo are quickly settling into their roles as first year Top Fuel crew chiefs.

“They told me to be prepared to go very fast and to lift if I needed to,” McClenathan said. “The numbers prove that they can get the job done.”

McClenathan is one of two drivers in the Top Fuel field utilizing crew chiefs who tuned Funny Cars in the previous season.
 
The other, Antron Brown, leads the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel points with tuners Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald, tuners in 2009 with Bristol champion Melanie Troxel.

McClenathan admits his tuning decision makers have opposite styles which come together in perfect harmony when performance is on the line.

“Todd Okuhara is a very shy guy,” McClenathan said. “You have to beat up on him pretty good to get him riled up and going. I try my best to do that. He’s a good family man and very strong willed. He’s very methodical whereas Phil Shuler, if he could throw two trailers at it, he would. They have a very good calming effect on one another. That’s what it takes. I believe that I have the best chance I’ve ever had now to win a championship.”

That’s a far cry from a driver who might not have believed he had a chance to finish in the top ten much less contend for a title when you consider he lost most of his team to job turnover and was appointed tuners who had no experience with dragsters.

McClenathan tried to convince himself the season was salvageable although the odds appeared stacked against him.

“There were so many story lines elsewhere that I just held strong to the belief that I had adapted to change for much of my career and I could handle this,” McClenathan admitted. “I am surprised at how quickly we have come together.”  

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