McClenathan takes No. 1 spot in Top Fuel qualifying at Winternationals

McClenathan tops Winternationals qualifying

POMONA, Calif. — Cory McClenathan had a 3.787-second pass in the next-to-last pair Saturday night to claim the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifying position at the season-opening Kragen O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals.

McClenathan was followed in the final pair by defending champion Tony Schumacher and runner-up Larry Dixon and his run held up by a thousandth when Dixon just missed with his time of 3.788. It was the 34th No. 1 for McClenathan and third at the event.

The other No. 1 qualifiers at the 50th annual Winternationals were Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), each of whom celebrated his first career NHRA Full Throttle Series championship just three months earlier at the track.

Hight set the pace in the first qualifying session on Thursday with a 4.059-second pass at a track-record 312.86 mph in his Ford Mustang and that time held up. It was the 33rd No. 1 of his career and second straight at the Winternationals.

Hight will meet 2008 Funny Car champ Cruz Pedregon in the first round of eliminations Sunday in a matchup of the last two NHRA Full Throttle Series champions.

In Pro Stock, defending Full Throttle Series champion Edwards picked up where he left off in 2009 with his 10th straight No. 1 qualifier, claiming the position with his performance of 6.578 at 211.00 in a Pontiac GXP in the early session Saturday.