Top Fuel racer Cory McClenathan failed to improve on his Friday No. 1 effort during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Saturday’s qualifying. Having a pair of former Funny Car tuners in charge of his Fram-sponsored dragster, the failure wasn’t for lack of effort.

McClenathan missed the mark in the first session of the day but his low elapsed time of the final session with a 3.810, 319.82 sent a message.

“I think we have a car that they’re going to have to step up to beat us,” said McClenathan. “It’s one of those things were we’ve had that same car all year long, we’ve either gone out and really shined or we’ve taken something for granted that we shouldn’t have and it bit us. So it’s one of those things where the car ran really good and just now Todd [Okuhara] looked at me and said we’re going to try to run .79. I thought that was a little gutsy but he laughed and said if it doesn’t feel right shut it off.”

Top Fuel racer Cory McClenathan failed to improve on his Friday No. 1 effort during the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Saturday’s qualifying. Having a pair of former Funny Car tuners in charge of his Fram-sponsored dragster, the failure wasn’t for lack of effort.

McClenathan missed the mark in the first session of the day but his low elapsed time of the final session with a 3.810, 319.82 sent a message.

“I think we have a car that they’re going to have to step up to beat us,” said McClenathan. “It’s one of those things were we’ve had that same car all year long, we’ve either gone out and really shined or we’ve taken something for granted that we shouldn’t have and it bit us. So it’s one of those things where the car ran really good and just now Todd [Okuhara] looked at me and said we’re going to try to run .79. I thought that was a little gutsy but he laughed and said if it doesn’t feel right shut it off.”

Friday’s performance assured McClenathan of his second No. 1 of the season and the 35th of his career.

His final two attempts today produced a 6.767-second lap at 86.45 mph and No other driver bettered his track-record-setting 3.790/315.93 from yesterday.

As McClenathan headed into the final session his tuners Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler were prepared to deliver a drag racing equivalent of baseball’s upper deck shot.

“I knew they were swinging for the fence. I told Todd, ‘that’s what I love about you and he just giggled. Todd’s pretty shy, he doesn’t care about interviews or anything else, but when the car runs [down the track] that makes him smile,” McClenathan said.

Come Sunday, if McClenathan has choice of lanes, and he does, No. 2 is his personal favorite. This was the same lane from which he won last year’s event. Although he won’t be heartbroken if he lands in another lane.
 
“They’re all very raceable,” McClenathan said. “I’ve had no problems with any of them. It’s not a deal where you say this one’s got a little bump; everything is very flat and very smooth. I do like the second lane though, for whatever reason that seems to be my lane of choice. Maybe that’s because that’s the one we won in last year, could be, there might be a little bit there. But at the same time we’re good with all of them, they’re prepared fantastic.”  

McClenathan is equally prepared for the first-ever four wide eliminations on Sunday. He wants the win awful bad.

“I want this one pretty bad,” McClenathan confirmed. “I’m definitely hungry, I want the points but I want the money, I want to win here, and I want this trophy.”

He and his crew are willing to swing for the fence to get it, too.