MCCLENATHAN SETS RECORD IN FIRST DAY QUALIFYING DURING NICKO’S NY STYLE PIZZA SPRING NATIONALS
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (April 21, 2006) – Driving for the sons of IHRA founder Larry Carrier, Cory McClenathan of Anaheim, Calif., raced to a Rockingham Dragway speed record Friday and took the first day lead in Torco Racing Fuels Top Fuel qualifying at the Nicko’s NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts.
McClenathan, driving for brothers Andy and Mark Carrier, was clocked in 4.549 seconds at 326.32 miles per hour, shattering the 323.19 mph record held by five-time IHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican.
If there was a Friday surprise in Top Fuel, it wasn’t so much that McClenathan was No. 1, it was that Millican was not in the eight-car lineup after the first of three qualifying sessions. The 40-year-old veteran from Drummonds, Tenn., was forced to abort his first attempt when his dragster shook hard and lost traction.
It was a rare stumble at Rockingham for the IHRA champ who is bidding for his 10th consecutive victory on the North Carolina track, a streak that dates to 2001.
With Millican, points leader Doug Foley and former IHRA record holder Andrew Cowin all experiencing traction problems, McClenathan’s 4.549 was all the more impressive.
Traction problems were not limited to Top Fuel.
In the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Nitro Funny Car class, contested at Rockingham for the first time since 1998 and in the eMax Drag Racing Series for the first time since ‘92, pre-race favorites Gary Densham of Bellflower, Calif., and Bob Gilbertson of Gastonia, N.C., both experienced traction problems.
As a result, the first day spotlight belonged to Dale Creasy Jr. of Beecher, Ill., who was clocked in 5.132 seconds at 250.42 mph to lead a short field of seven cars.
Densham, the 2004 winner of the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., drag racing’s biggest single event, was clocked in 5.481 seconds at only 184 mph. Winner of the season-opening IHRA Lone Star Nationals at San Antonio, Texas, the former auto shop teacher will have two opportunities to improve his position on Saturday.
Other first day leaders were Tommy D’Aprile of Port Charlotte, Fla., in Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified; Frank Gugliotta of Mt. Airy, Md., in Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock; and reigning series champion Rob Atchison of London, Ontario, Canada, in Alcohol Funny Car.
D’Aprile was the quickest of the 32 who made qualifying runs in the increasingly popular Pro Mod category. He drove his 1963 Chevrolet Corvette replica to a time of 6.139 seconds at 231.24 mph to take the provisional No. 1 with Rick DiStefano of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, second at 6.157 and Jim Halsey of Street, Md., third at 6.183.
Asheboro’s Mike Bell, the track record holder at 6.046 seconds, was the quickest Carolinian at 6.198 seconds, good enough for the No. 4 spot ahead of Chip King of Semora, N.C., and Josh Hernandez of Conroe, Texas, both at 6.201.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (April 21, 2006) -- Results Friday after qualifying for the 36th annual IHRA Nicko's NY Style Pizza Spring Nationals presented by Advance Auto Parts at Rockingham Dragway, second of 12 events in the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Cory McClenathan, 4.549 seconds, 326.32 mph; 2. Rick Cooper, 4.664, 314.17; 3. Bruce Litton, 4.794, 304.94; 4. Louie Allison, 4.810, 297.55; 5. Michael Gunderson, 4.831, 287.23; 6. Rhonda Hartman, 5.042, 262.74; 7. T.J. Zizzo, 5.112, 197.86; 8. Andrew Cowin, 5.670, 181.35.
Nitro Funny Car -- 1. Dale Creasy Jr., Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.132, 250.92; 2. Vincent Arcadi, Chevy Camaro, 5.402, 281.71; 3. Gary Densham, Monte Carlo, 5.481, 184.50; 4. Jack Wyatt, Pontiac Firebird, 6.441, 157.50; 5. Bob Gilbertson, Dodge Stratus, 7.800, 128.81; 6. Terry Haddock, Monte Carlo, 10.130, 103.35; 7. Gary Cooper, Stratus, 12.719, 84.50.
Pro Modified -- 1. Tommy D'Aprile, Chevy Corvette, 6.139, 231.24; 2. Rick Distefano, Corvette, 6.157, 230.53; 3. Jim Halsey, Chevy Camaro, 6.183, 224.73; 4. Mike Bell, Ford Mustang, 6.198, 229.35; 5. Chip King, Dodge Daytona, 6.201, 231.95; 6. Josh Hernandez, Camaro, 6.201, 231.28; 7. Alan Pittman, Chevy Bel Air, 6.208, 227.15; 8. Mike Janis, Chevy Cobalt, 6.217, 229.51; 9. Matt Hagan, Corvette, 6.218, 224.32; 10. Ed Hoover, Corvette, 6.239, 222.62; 11. Dennis Radford, Corvette, 6.239, 221.34; 12. John Russo, Camaro, 6.242, 224.21; 13. Jason Hamstra, Corvette, 6.243, 225.82; 14. Keith Baker, Corvette, 6.273, 222.77; 15. Carl Spiering, Corvette, 6.281, 224.32; 16. Shannon Jenkins, Camaro, 6.288, 205.19.
Alcohol Funny Car -- 1. Rob Atchison, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.774, 245.14; 2. Mark Thomas, Monte Carlo, 5.826, 243.02; 3. Frederick Tigges, Dodge Avenger, 5.840, 242.63; 4. Trevor Lebsack, Ford Mustang, 5.905, 231.08; 5. Melinda Green-King, Avenger, 5.967, 232.63; 6. Larry Dobbs, Chevy Corvette, 5.975, 232.63; 7. Terry Munroe, Monte Carlo, 5.995, 207.94; 8. Neal Parker, Monte Carlo, 6.014, 233.56.
Pro Stock -- 1. Frank Gugliotta, Ford Escort, 6.435, 216.90; 2. Robert Patrick, Ford Cobra, 6.438, 214.93; 3. Jeff Dobbins, Escort, 6.446, 215.86; 4. John Nobile, Ford ZX2, 6.449, 215.62; 5. Cary Goforth, Chevy Cobalt, 6.466, 216.17; 6. Jason Collins, Ford Mustang, 6.473, 214.52; 7. John Bartunek, Cobalt, 6.483, 213.03; 8. Larry O'Brien, Dodge Stratus, 6.484, 214.35; 9. Michael Bruno, Pontiac GTO, 6.488, 214.93; 10. Dan Sweeney, GTO, 6.492, 213.94; 11. Steve Spiess, Cobalt, 6.496, 214.14; 12. Bert Jackson, Chevy Cavalier, 6.520, 212.33; 13. Tony Gillig, Mustang, 6.522, 212.39; 14. Doug Kirk, Escort, 6.529, 214.31; 15. Ron Miller, Cavalier, 6.541, 210.80; 16. Bob Bertsch, Mustang, 6.550, 211.83.
