While Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon battles for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship, third place Cory McClenathan lies in wait. McClenathan is 48 points out of first, a little over two rounds, but that deficit only serves as motivation.

While the media focuses their attention on Schumacher and Dixon, McClenathan carefully plots his path to slip by them both.

“We can be very dangerous because we have a car that’s capable of going A to B 98-percent of the time and it does it very quick,” said McClenathan, a four-time series runner-up.

While Tony Schumacher and Larry Dixon battles for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship, third place Cory McClenathan lies in wait. McClenathan is 48 points out of first, a little over two rounds, but that deficit only serves as motivation.

While the media focuses their attention on Schumacher and Dixon, McClenathan carefully plots his path to slip by them both.

“We can be very dangerous because we have a car that’s capable of going A to B 98-percent of the time and it does it very quick,” said McClenathan, a four-time series runner-up.

“We think there’s more in it and we are going to push it over the next three days. We just have to go two rounds more than Tony and Larry. The early rounds are really going to determine what is going to happen.”

Cooler conditions are forecast for the next few days at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Ca, which leads McClenathan to believe a new Top Fuel elapsed time record is attainable.

“We’re going for it too,” McClenathan admitted. “The other two drivers might not be going for it, but we are going to because we have nothing to lose. We’re not afraid to go for it. A record will put us twenty points closer.”

McClenathan believes his tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler, are the perfect combination of aggressive tuners, that he will need to ensure his chance remain strong.

“They know what to throw at it and they know what they can get away with,” McClenathan said. “The tuning window on a dragster is so much wider than it is on a Funny Car and they aren’t afraid to get after it. They have a good car and we tested some stuff in Vegas. It took what we threw at it on Thursday, so we are going to throw the whole trailer at it this weekend. “

During Thursday’s post-qualifying press conference, Schumacher offered a warning to those who discount McClenathan’s chances.

“Cory is lingering around back there and probably mad that we’re not talking about him,” Schumacher explained. “He’s got a car capable of sneaking up in there and I’m very aware of that. I won from the same exact place he’s in, and further back.”

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