Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) lead their respective categories after the first of two days of qualifying at the ninth annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, race eight of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
McClenathan is looking to improve upon his second-place start at the series’ last event, in Madison, which was his best qualifying position this year. If McClenathan’s 3.874 holds through tomorrow’s two sessions, it would give the Fram-backed driver the 33rd No. 1 start of his career. Force Hood is seeking her second top start of the 2009 season, which would also bring her overall total to five No. 1s during her two-plus years in the Funny Car category. Should Edwards hold on to the Pro Stock lead, it would be his fourth start from No. 1 this season and the 10th of his career.
Cory McClenathan
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McClenathan’s run capped a spectacular nighttime Top Fuel session in which nine drivers dipped into the three-second zone. Running in the second-to-last pair, McClenathan powered his Fram Tough Guard dragster to a 3.874 to just bump Brandon Bernstein, who clocked a 3.875 in the previous pair, from the lead.
"[Crew chiefs] Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler may have run Funny Car for a lot of years, but they've done a great job with this Fram Tough Guard Top Fuel dragster," said McClenathan. "This car goes A to B at every racetrack we go to. They told me, 'We're going to step on it, we're going for it, so be ready to lift if you have to,' but it was a flawless run. It ran almost 277 [mph] to half-track, and those numbers prove that they can do it and get the job done.
"I want to be fast and I always want to be No. 1, but I'd gladly give that No. 1 up for a win on Sunday. That's the biggest thing."
Last year’s No. 1 qualifier Tony Schumacher is third after posting a best of 3.883. Larry Dixon is fourth with a 3.886, and first-session leader Shawn Langdon was bumped down to fifth after failing to improve upon his 3.892. Doug Herbert, who is making his first start of the season, sits solidly in the field with an eighth-best 3.906, and Dom Lagana’s Top Fuel debut is off to a strong start with a 3.995 that gives him the final transfer spot heading into Saturday.
Spencer Massey heads the list of drivers who will need to race their way into the field Saturday. Also not currently qualified are Terry Haddock, Michael Gunderson, Joe Hartley, and Chris Karamesines.
Ashley Force Hood
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Force Hood piloted her Castrol GTX Mustang to a 4.105 to edge Tim Wilkerson by .004-second for the No. 1 spot in Funny Car. Force Hood and Wilkerson are about .02-second ahead of the rest of the field with Del Worsham’s 4.128 scoring the third spot.
"The first session was just about getting from A to B so that we'd have a good base for the rest of our runs, and fortunately things went our way and we made a good run," said Force Hood. "But we knew that a lot of the teams would probably improve and go around us tonight. We knew conditions would be stellar, and we were hoping not to miss that chance. As every team knows, you never want to give up that Friday night run, and fortunately for us everything went smoothly and we made a nice pass.
"I knew it was good run. It felt so much faster than the first run. It was pulling really hard, I just didn't know if it was good enough to get that No. 1 because a lot of other teams had run well, too. Fortunately, it did. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but hopefully we'll keep making good runs. The bigger picture is doing well on race day, and we have two good runs so far, so we're excited about that."
Rookie of the year candidate Matt Hagan is fourth with a 4.139, followed by points leader Ron Capps (4.151), Cruz Pedregon (4.153), John Force (4.154), and Bob Tasca III (4.163). Bob Bode secured the 12th and final spot in the provisional field with a 4.210.
Racers who enter Saturday not yet qualified include Robert Hight, who had problems on the starting line and was unable to make a run in the final session, and two-time world champion Tony Pedregon.
Mike Edwards
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Edwards is halfway to his fourth No. 1 start of the season after posting a 6.698, the lone 6.6-second run thus far, to pace the Pro Stock contingent. Edwards also placed his Young Life/A.R.T. GXP atop the sheets in Phoenix, Gainesville, and Las Vegas.
“We made two really good runs here, and my guys are doing a good job,” said Edwards. “We spend a lot of the time at the racetrack, not so much at the national events, but we’ve been doing a lot of testing, and it’s really starting to benefit us. My hat’s off to my guys at the shop. I think I’ve about worn them all out, but when you see results like this it sure makes you feel like your work is not all in vain. I’ve got a lot of people to thank, but most of all I’d like to just thank the Lord. I have much to be thankful for, and I’m truly blessed.
“There really hasn’t been a difference as far as performance [on race day], but I’ve just not done a very good job on Sunday. I feel like I’ve given up some rounds and possibly a couple of wins, but you know, you just try to convince yourself that you’re going to get better, and we all want to do better. I’m just going to try to keep doing what I’m doing, and hopefully it’ll turn around for me.”
Points leader Jeg Coughlin sits second with a 6.712, followed closely by the 6.716 of Greg Anderson. Six drivers recorded 6.72s to secure the fourth through ninth spots, headed by the 6.721 of Greg Stanfield down to the 6.726s of Rodger Brogdon and Kurt Johnson (Brogdon won the speed tie breaker, 205.79 to 204.79, to take eighth place over K.J.). Rickie Jones anchors the provisional 12-car field with a 6.753.
Leading the drivers who enter Saturday not qualified is Johnny Gray, who has made every field so far this season. Also sitting on the outside looking in are Madison semifinalist Justin Humphreys, consistent qualifier Steve Spiess, and V. Gaines.
On Saturday, May 16, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. ET. On Sunday, May 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, the 30-minute pre-race show, at 11 a.m. ET and three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. ET.