Having reached a point in his career where wins haven't come quite as often as birthdays, Cory McClenathan
lit up the candles in his Fram Top Fuel dragster Sunday afternoon
winning the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. McClenathan added icing to the
cake as the win vaulted him to the top of the point standings, a spot
he hasn't been in since 1998.
Racing to his 31st national event win in 57 final rounds, McClenathan
dispatched Morgan Lucas, Larry Dixon and Doug Foley before overpowering
Shawn Langdon in the final round.
The emotion of the win almost overpowered McClenathan.
"You feel bigger than life sometimes and that's the moments that I
think I cherish the most," said McClenathan, who was qualified ninth
coming into Sunday’s eliminations. "You're going down through there and
you want that win light to come on so bad, you're almost willing your
car to the other end, and when it did today, I was just overcome with
Oh, my God, it’s been so long.