DOG OF A DIFFERENT BREED FOR CORY MAC
Thu, 2009-02-05 08:00
Championship Contender from 2008 Enters 2009 as Underdog …
Cory McClenathan entered the 2008 season with a bite as lethal as his bark was menacing. In one fell swoop of personnel changes, the 34-time NHRA Top Fuel winner enters the 2009 season as an underdog standing in the shadow of teammate Tony Schumacher, who now utilizes the services of McClenathan’s 2008 crew chief, Mike Green.
McClenathan is now paired with seasoned Funny Car tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler as he prepares for the season-operning NHRA Winternationals.
For McClenathan, the season is shaping up to be a dog-eat-dog affair.
The challenge is nothing new for McClenathan who has resurrected his career from overwhelming adversity time after time, reaching the pinnacle of success on multiple occasions. Championship Contender from 2008 Enters 2009 as Underdog …
Cory McClenathan entered the 2008 season with a bite as lethal as his bark was menacing. In one fell swoop of personnel changes, the 34-time NHRA Top Fuel winner enters the 2009 season as an underdog standing in the shadow of teammate Tony Schumacher, who now utilizes the services of McClenathan’s 2008 crew chief, Mike Green.
McClenathan is now paired with seasoned Funny Car tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler as he prepares for the season-operning NHRA Winternationals.
For McClenathan, the season is shaping up to be a dog-eat-dog affair.
The challenge is nothing new for McClenathan who has resurrected his career from overwhelming adversity time after time, reaching the pinnacle of success on multiple occasions.
Just one year ago, McClenathan entered his first full season under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella after a 2007 season in which his FRAM team ownership changed hands twice and then found itself destined for the sidelines. The resourceful and somewhat defiant driver took what was left of the wounded operation and branched out on his own to lease an operation from DSR.
That's why, when testing didn’t yield the incredible consistency he’d become accustomed to in 2008, McClenathan didn’t go into panic mode. Throw in an illness and the storyline has all the makings of the traditional McClenathan tale.
"Testing for us was kind of an up-and-down process," said McClenathan, who is recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia, of this year's efforts. "We had a very good day staying later in the week in Phoenix and made some very big strides in our performance and getting down the track. We weren't really trying to make full passes. We found a few things wrong with the car and corrected those and the car seemed to be very consistent at that point.
"We would have liked to have made some full passes, but we decided not to. The conditions weren't perfect for us, so we're going to go ahead and wait for Pomona.
"I'm eager to get this season started," added McClenathan, who turned 46 on Jan. 30. "I think the whole FRAM team has come together. They have worked very hard. Mike Green and the guys over on the Army team have certainly been there when we needed them. They'll work very well together with Todd Okuhara, Phil Shuler, myself and the FRAM crew. So, I'm very excited to see the outcome.
"After reading the reports so far this season, all the news seems to be about the Army car, rookie Spencer Massey and Larry Dixon. I'm eager to see how things turn out. It just gives me more motivation to go out there and beat them all. Since it appears we're being considered the underdog, I guess we have something to prove. We'll let the FRAM dragster do the talking for us."
As McClenathan’s learned over the years, nothing instills fear like an underdog with a ferocious bark.
Cory McClenathan entered the 2008 season with a bite as lethal as his bark was menacing. In one fell swoop of personnel changes, the 34-time NHRA Top Fuel winner enters the 2009 season as an underdog standing in the shadow of teammate Tony Schumacher, who now utilizes the services of McClenathan’s 2008 crew chief, Mike Green.
McClenathan is now paired with seasoned Funny Car tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler as he prepares for the season-operning NHRA Winternationals.
For McClenathan, the season is shaping up to be a dog-eat-dog affair.
The challenge is nothing new for McClenathan who has resurrected his career from overwhelming adversity time after time, reaching the pinnacle of success on multiple occasions. Championship Contender from 2008 Enters 2009 as Underdog …
Cory McClenathan entered the 2008 season with a bite as lethal as his bark was menacing. In one fell swoop of personnel changes, the 34-time NHRA Top Fuel winner enters the 2009 season as an underdog standing in the shadow of teammate Tony Schumacher, who now utilizes the services of McClenathan’s 2008 crew chief, Mike Green.
McClenathan is now paired with seasoned Funny Car tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler as he prepares for the season-operning NHRA Winternationals.
For McClenathan, the season is shaping up to be a dog-eat-dog affair.
The challenge is nothing new for McClenathan who has resurrected his career from overwhelming adversity time after time, reaching the pinnacle of success on multiple occasions.
Just one year ago, McClenathan entered his first full season under the Don Schumacher Racing umbrella after a 2007 season in which his FRAM team ownership changed hands twice and then found itself destined for the sidelines. The resourceful and somewhat defiant driver took what was left of the wounded operation and branched out on his own to lease an operation from DSR.
That's why, when testing didn’t yield the incredible consistency he’d become accustomed to in 2008, McClenathan didn’t go into panic mode. Throw in an illness and the storyline has all the makings of the traditional McClenathan tale.
"Testing for us was kind of an up-and-down process," said McClenathan, who is recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia, of this year's efforts. "We had a very good day staying later in the week in Phoenix and made some very big strides in our performance and getting down the track. We weren't really trying to make full passes. We found a few things wrong with the car and corrected those and the car seemed to be very consistent at that point.
"We would have liked to have made some full passes, but we decided not to. The conditions weren't perfect for us, so we're going to go ahead and wait for Pomona.
"I'm eager to get this season started," added McClenathan, who turned 46 on Jan. 30. "I think the whole FRAM team has come together. They have worked very hard. Mike Green and the guys over on the Army team have certainly been there when we needed them. They'll work very well together with Todd Okuhara, Phil Shuler, myself and the FRAM crew. So, I'm very excited to see the outcome.
"After reading the reports so far this season, all the news seems to be about the Army car, rookie Spencer Massey and Larry Dixon. I'm eager to see how things turn out. It just gives me more motivation to go out there and beat them all. Since it appears we're being considered the underdog, I guess we have something to prove. We'll let the FRAM dragster do the talking for us."
As McClenathan’s learned over the years, nothing instills fear like an underdog with a ferocious bark.
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