Las Vegas II: Cory McClenathan final summary

McClenathan drops tire smoking duel at Vegas

LAS VEGAS (October 23, 2005) -- Cory McClenathan, driver of the Carrier Boyz Racing FRAM AirHog dragster, dropped a tire smoking duel to David Grubnic in the opening round of the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.

Both dragsters left The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting line together and simultaneously loss traction. Both drivers tried to pedal (get off and back on the throttle) their cars. McClenathan broke a throttle cable in the process while Grubnic recovered enough to reach the finish line first.

Grubnic ran a lackluster 6.874-second pass in taking the win light. McClenathan coasted to a 12.860. This now leaves McClenathan only one race to garner his first win of the 2005 POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule.

"We knew the track conditions were iffy but we were the first pair out and didn't have a chance to make a change," said McClenathan. "I think the right calls were made until we realized we were in trouble out there. I tried to pedal it but a throttle cable broke. We might have had a chance had the throttle remained intact but it didn't and that was the end of our day."

Since he began racing a Top Fuel dragster in 1991, McClenathan has only gone three seasons without recording at least one win -- 1991, 1993, 2001 (a year he competed in only one event). The 1991 and 2001 seasons are the only years that he didn't advance to at least one final round. Thus far in 2005 he has advanced the FRAM AirHog dragster to one final, finishing runner-up to Tony Schumacher at Houston.

NEXT RACE: The final event on the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule will take place at Pomona Raceway, on the grounds of the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. The 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California Finals gets underway with qualifying, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 3-5, and eliminations on Sunday, November 6.

-cbr-