Denver Paul Romine Finals Notes

DENVER (July 18, 1999) -- Paul Romine and the CARQUEST Top Fuel Dragster came up a bit short Sunday against Cory McClenathan in round two of the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

Romine took a slight two-thousandths lead at the start, .474 to .476, but McClenathan drove around the CARQUEST fueler to take the win, 4.973/238.68 to 5.040/272.56.

"Overall we had a good weekend," said Romine, who has won three of the last five NHRA rounds he has competed in. "We'll miss the next two NHRA events, but we'll be back at Brainerd and Indy."

The next event for the CARQUEST team is in two weeks, the IHRA CARQUEST Auto Parts Northern Nationals presented by Prolong Super Lubricants at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, Mich.

ROMINE UPSETS HERBERT, WILL RACE CORY MAC IN ROUND TWO DENVER (July 18, 1999) -- The CARQUEST Top Fuel dragster with Paul Romine used a starting line advantage to get by Doug Herbert in round one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

Romine, who is the defending and two-time IHRA Top Fuel champion and competing in 10 of the 22 NHRA Winston Drag Racing events this season, used a .047 holeshot to defeat a quicker Herbert, 5.184/255.97 to 5.156/238.13.

"I never saw him until the finish line and I didn't know who won until the TV guys came over to me," said Romine, 51, of Indianapolis, who is making his first career visit to Bandimere Speedway. "It's always a good feeling to win on a holeshot and now we just need to step it up against Cory in round two."

Romine is 1-1 lifetime against McClenathan. They last raced at the 1998 Pennzoil Nationals in Richmond, Va. with McClenathan getting the win. Romine 's last NHRA appearance was at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Columbus, Ohio where he earned a semifinal finish.