He couldn't be any happier.

After a season of uncertainty in 2007, Cory McClenathan is very certain in 2008. He’s a full-fledged, card carrying member of the Don Schumacher Racing [DSR] fraternity.

“I floated around so much last year I didn't know where I was going to land and I think I couldn't have found a better place to be actually,” said McClenathan. “Things are real good here, obviously we retained great companies like Fram, Autolite and GM. We brought on some new ones like Matco Tools, Rockstar and Valvoline. It's a lot different but at the same time I'm used to change. 

“That book "Who moved my cheese?" has a whole new meaning when it comes to Cory Mac so I'm very happy and very excited.  Mike Green heading the crew and it seems like old times again.  I think with each pass we get more comfortable.  I get more confidence, Mike gets more confidence.  Mike was always really good with a dragster and I think that's starting to show now.”

He couldn't be any happier.

After a season of uncertainty in 2007, Cory McClenathan is very certain in 2008. He’s a full-fledged, card carrying member of the Don Schumacher Racing [DSR] fraternity.

“I floated around so much last year I didn't know where I was going to land and I think I couldn't have found a better place to be actually,” said McClenathan. “Things are real good here, obviously we retained great companies like Fram, Autolite and GM. We brought on some new ones like Matco Tools, Rockstar and Valvoline. It's a lot different but at the same time I'm used to change. 

“That book "Who moved my cheese?" has a whole new meaning when it comes to Cory Mac so I'm very happy and very excited.  Mike Green heading the crew and it seems like old times again.  I think with each pass we get more comfortable.  I get more confidence, Mike gets more confidence.  Mike was always really good with a dragster and I think that's starting to show now.”

McClenathan experienced a season from hell in 2007. The downward spiral began when longtime owners Mark and Andy Carrier sold their team to North Carolina businessman Scott Griffin. Controversy followed the sale and McClenathan made the decision prior to the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., to lease an operation from DSR.

Most of the crew followed McClenathan, but have gone elsewhere in 2008. This year McClenathan is reunited with former Joe Gibbs employee Mike Green. The supporting cast available with DSR makes for a reasonable comfort zone.
 
“We’re trying to learn to walk before we run type of deal and it's showing,” McClenathan said. “Thanks to DSR and all the people they have there.  I'll tell you, it's not just DSR itself; it's all the people that work at the shop, all the girls in the office, to all the people that work in the track to the people that do hospitality.  It's incredible.  It's really a lot of fun.”

McClenathan pointed out that he’s got at least three years to drive under the DSR umbrella.
 
“I'm here for a couple of years,” McClenathan said. “It's one of those things where I was very glad to sign a contract.  A contract gives you a certain amount of comfort.  When you have a family like I do, you have to take care of that family.  That's my first and foremost deal, next is drag racing.  Other than that I don't know what I'd do.”

The difference in attitude is something that McClenathan can’t help but notice.
 
“From the red headed stepchild to the penthouse space so I'm really excited about the opportunity,” McClenathan explained. “All the guys have been great.  In the off season they took a lot off my mind.  I was able to go do the GMC thing in Germany for the troops.  I went to Australia for 10 days with Jim Reid and his whole family.  I did some racing down there.  I'm very excited and it's nice to get back to racing.”

 

 

Chances are there have been very few national event runner-ups happier than Cory McClenathan. A dreadful 2007 clearly in the past, the driver who answers to the name Cory Mac, is primed for good fortunes in 2008.

"This race showed the amount of work that Mike Green and the FRAM crew have put into this car," said McClenathan. "Everyone at Don Schumacher Racing, from the girls in the office to the people that do the apparel all the way down to the people back in Indiana that don't even come to the races, they are the one's that actually need to be thanked for this. It's my privilege to drive the car and it's something else to work with people and an organization like DSR. I can't thank Don Schumacher and his family and everyone involved with the team enough.
 
"The best way to win a championship is to get a leg up on it and I think we did that this weekend. No matter how you look at it we still leave this race in second place and walk into Phoenix behind our teammate Tony Schumacher. We used to count points in the middle of the season, now we count them from day one. We may have been the No. 8 qualifier but the FRAM dragster showed what it's made of today. 

This was just the second career final round appearance in the CARQUEST Winternationals for the 43-time national event winner.