Joliet: Cory McClenathan final summary

Cory Mac Can't Avoid Tire Smoke in First Round at Route 66 Raceway

Once again, Cory McClenathan did all he could to try and take a round win, but traction trouble slowed the Scott Griffin Motorsports FRAM Top Fuel dragster during Sunday's opening round of the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

Qualifying ninth at 4.532 seconds  meant McClenathan would be in the first
pair down the track.  He left the  starting line with an excellent .041-second
reaction to Larry Dixon's .080, but  the advantage didn't hold up when the
FRAM dragster's tires began spinning and  smoking.  Dixon got the win in 4.600
seconds at 319.75 mph and Cory Mac  followed with a 7.625 at 98.93 mph.  Dixon
went on to win the  race.

"We had a half-car-length lead on him by the time the tires  smoke,"
lamented McClenathan, "but that's just one of those things.   Obviously, the track
was very different all weekend and that was hard on the  crew chiefs."

Assistant crew chief Tony Shortall said the tune-up was a little more aggressive than what it should have been.

"We are ninth in points," said Cory Mac, "but we are only 10 points behind David Grubnic (429-419), who is eighth. We need to stay tough and not let up."

-credit: sgm