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Cory Mac aims for shootout points and win at Maple Grove MOHNTON, Penn. (September 15, 2004) -- Including the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading Penn., there are only three races remaining for Cory ...
Published: Sep 15, 2004, 10:36 PM
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Cory Mac aims for shootout points and win at Maple Grove
MOHNTON, Penn. (September 15, 2004) -- Including the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, near Reading Penn., there are only three races remaining for Cory McClenathan, driver of the Carrier Boyz Berryman Products Top Fuel Dragster, to accumulate enough points to be guaranteed a spot in the lucrative Budweiser Shootout.
In the newly established qualifying procedure for the 2004 Budweiser Shootout, only the seven Top Fuel drivers in positions 1-7 will be guaranteed a spot in the Shootout. The eighth position spot, a wild card position, will be awarded to one of the eight drivers who qualify in positions 8-15 through a special lottery drawing.
Currently, McClenathan is in the No. 8 spot with 2330 points, 65 points behind Doug Herbert in seventh.
"We have not been consistent in our qualifying efforts this year and find ourselves with the possibility of having to get into the Budweiser Shootout through the lottery drawing," said McClenathan.
"Our only hope is to pick up enough points on Doug Herbert in the next three races so that we are guaranteed a spot. I'm sure Herbert is going all out to make sure we don't takeover the No. 7 position. We won't give up through these last three races. I've never had any luck with lotteries, so I want to get it done by good hard racing."
The 2004 Budweiser Shootout will be contested at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 30, during the NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.
McClenathan's goal at the Lucas Oil Nationals is to not only pick up points on Herbert but to also take home a second win of 2004.
"Our first goal is to pick up shootout points on Herbert but then we need to pick up POWERade points on Larry Dixon and David Grubnic," continued Cory Mac, who won this event in 1997. "They are right ahead of us in points and a win here would go a long way in narrowing the gap."
Entering this weekend's Lucas Oil Nationals, McClenathan has 921 points, good for seventh in the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel point standings. He is 159 points behind Dixon in sixth and 172 behind Grubnic in fifth.
Cory Mac begins his pursuit of the Top Fuel title at Maple Grove Raceway when professional nitro qualifying starts on Friday with two sessions scheduled for 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. and ending with two sessions on Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations for all classes get underway on Sunday at 11 a.m. These times are subject to change and reflect Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Qualifying highlights for the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday (September 18) from 4-6 p.m. ESPN2 will also air same-day television coverage of eliminations on Sunday Night (September 19)/Monday morning from 11 p.m. until 1 a.m. (The elimination show will be repeated on ESPN2 from 3-5 p.m. on Friday, October 1.) Television times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and subject to change at anytime. Check local listings.
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