Cory McClenathan ranks Houston Raceway Park high on his favored list of tracks and the reasoning should be obvious.

McClenathan has reached the Top Fuel final round four times at HRP, winning in 1998 and 2000 (at the discontinued fall event) and finishing runner-up in 2003 and 2005. He also qualified No. 1 in 2006. Reunited with former crew chief Mike Green and racing under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella in 2008, Top Fuel's most tenured driver is off to a solid start this season.  

"Sometimes you go to these race tracks where you've done well and you're not exactly sure why," said McClenathan. "Houston would be one of those places for me. It doesn't matter what kind of year I'm having. For some reason when we get to Houston all of a sudden things turn around. We've won there a couple of times and we've lost there in the final a few times. It's one of those places on the tour I like strictly because we've run well there and we've enjoyed lots of success."

Cory McClenathan has won Houston three times in his stories career. (Roger Richards)

McClenathan has reached the Top Fuel final round four times at HRP, winning in 1998 and 2000 (at the discontinued fall event) and finishing runner-up in 2003 and 2005. He also qualified No. 1 in 2006. Reunited with former crew chief Mike Green and racing under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella in 2008, Top Fuel's most tenured driver is off to a solid start this season.  

"Sometimes you go to these race tracks where you've done well and you're not exactly sure why," said McClenathan. "Houston would be one of those places for me. It doesn't matter what kind of year I'm having. For some reason when we get to Houston all of a sudden things turn around. We've won there a couple of times and we've lost there in the final a few times. It's one of those places on the tour I like strictly because we've run well there and we've enjoyed lots of success."

Then again, McClenathan might deem every track on the tour in 2008 as “favored” status. He opened the 2008 season with a runner-up in Pomona and currently stands eighth in the championship standings. This success, McClenathan credits, can also be attributed to crew chief Mike Green.

"It seems like we're one of those cars that are just a win waiting to happen," added McClenathan. "We'd love to go to Houston and win a few rounds, make it to the final and win it all. But in all reality we need to take one round at a time and qualify one round at a time. I'm excited about the opportunity to do well this weekend and get back up in the top five in points, which is where we should be.

"The FRAM car stays very consistent and that’s what wins races. But we do want to pick up our performance a little bit. We want to be able to run with our teammate Tony Schumacher and some of the top guys and be able to do it consistently. Mike is not a crew chief who's going to make big changes, so we'll take a little bit at a time."