Richmond: Cory McClenathan rain makeup preview

McClenathan Believes Week-long Wait to Complete Torco Racing Fuels Nationals Will Be Good for FRAM Boost Top Fuel Team An unexpected extra week of preparation for the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park received a positive ...

McClenathan Believes Week-long Wait to Complete Torco Racing Fuels Nationals Will Be Good for FRAM Boost Top Fuel Team

An unexpected extra  week of preparation for the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals
at Virginia Motorsports  Park received a positive response from Cory
McClenathan and the Carrier Boyz  Racing FRAM Boost Top Fuel team.

"It gives us more time to be  prepared for the race," said McClenathan after
two days of heavy rain muddied  track parking lots and forced NHRA officials
to postpone the race a week, to  Oct. 13-15.  NHRA is returning to VMP for the
fist time since  2000.

"Our biggest goal is to get back into the top 10," added  McClenathan, who
was bumped to 11th position after the national event at  Reading, Pa. (Sept.
30).  "I still think we have a good shot at finishing  in the top 10."

McClenathan has 857 POWERade Series points, 19  behind J.R. Todd and 60
behind Hillary Will, who are 10th and ninth in points,  respectively.  He also has
more NHRA Top Fuel victories (three) at VMP than  any other active driver in
his category.  He's won three times in Virginia  (1995, in the inaugural race
of NHRA's first tenure, and 1998-1999) and was  second once (1997).

"I'm looking forward to racing there.  It's too bad we didn't get it in
last weekend, but we'll be ready Friday (when  qualifying begins)," McClenathan
said.  "There's a lot we need to prove . .  . and go down the track from A to
B in qualifying and on Sunday.  The cool  weather that's predicted will help
and conditions should be very good all  weekend. I think Wes (Cerny, team crew
chief) and Tony (Shortall, assistant crew  chief) would much rather have cool
weather than hot and muggy conditions.   I think the fans will see very good
numbers (elapsed  times)."

McClenathan also congratulated VMP officials "because they did a nice job resurfacing the race track," he said. "That should help lower elapsed times and boost speeds. And it's good for Torco Racing Fuels owner Evan Knoll, who sponsoring his first NHRA race. Torco Racing Fuels is a Carrier Boyz Racing associate sponsor."

Professional category  action begins Friday with qualifying sessions at 4 and
7 p.m. and continues with  sessions at 1 and 4 p.m. Satuday.  Sunday's
eliminations get underway at 11  a.m.

The season will be down to two races following Sunday's finals -- stops at Las Vegas, Oct. 27-29, and Pomona, Calif., Nov. 9-12.