Cory Mac/Robert Hight Snap Winless Streaks

(Pro Racing Summary Courtesy of NHRA Communications)

Cory McClenathan and Robert Hight won their first races of the 2009 season Sunday at the Second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway to make huge moves in the Countdown to 1.

Joining McClenathan (Top Fuel) and Hight (Funny Car) in the winner’s circle at the 19th of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series were Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals is the first race in the Countdown to 1, NHRA’s six-race playoff.

McClenathan, who pushed his FRAM Tough Guard dragster to a 3.857 at 312.64 mph in his final round win over rookie Shawn Langdon (3.980 at 280.49) and the Dixie Choppers/Lucas Oil team, entered the playoffs in fifth place, but he took advantage of early exits by the drivers ahead of him to move all the way into first place.

“I feel bigger than life sometimes,” said McClenathan, who last won in April 2008 at Las Vegas. “After I won, I was overcome with a sense of ‘Oh my God, it has been so long since I’ve won.’ It has been a year and a half, and that’s too long. My teammate (Tony Schumacher) wins so often, but I don’t. These are the moments I cherish the most.”

With his 31st career win, he has pulled even with Doug Kalitta as the second winningest driver in NHRA history to have never won an NHRA championship (Kurt Johnson, 39).

Hight, who was the 40th and final driver to clinch a playoff berth, vaulted from 10th place all the way up to third place with his first win in a year. His Auto Club Ford Mustang team defeated rookie Matt Hagan’s Shelor.com Dodge Charger R/T team in the final round, 4.097 at 307.02 mph to 4.103 at 308.07.

“It’s unbelievable the timing we’ve got right now because the first part of the year, we stunk this place up; it was terrible,” Hight said. “You start to begin to wonder if you can even win.”

Hight has now been to back-to-back final rounds and his win Sunday was his first since the 2008 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

“Jimmy Prock, for whatever reason, has it right now. Definitely, it’s due to ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and Ron Douglas (crew chiefs for teammate Ashley Force Hood). Right before Brainerd, we switched everything around just like their car, and they’ve helped us tremendously. Before, our engine would burn up, it would drop cylinders, and was just totally inconsistent. Now, we have a car like Ashley’s had all year long.”

Regular season champ Tony Pedregon remained in first place and Ashley Force Hood moved up a spot to second place.

In Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, form held as the top qualifiers – Mike Edwards in Pro Stock and Hector Arana in Pro Stock Motorcycle – each won on Sunday.

Edwards (6.618 at 209.39) and the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac team defeated Greg Stanfield (6.650 at 207.75) and his Attitude Apparel Pontiac team to move into first place for the first time all season.

“My car was flawless. It went up and down track every time. It was a great weekend and a great start for this Countdown,” Edwards said. “You’ll never know how hard I’ve worked and how much I’ve wanted this. I know it’s a long way from being over, but it means a lot now.”

Arana ran a 7.004 at 189.31 on his Lucas Oil Buell, but it was a moot point because Karen Stoffer red-lighted aboard her GEICO Powersports Suzuki in the final. It was the second straight win for Arana, who moved into first place for the first time since his season-opening win.

“I’m still going to keep working hard,” said Arana. “I’d like to make three in a row now. I need to stay focused so I can have a shot at the title. I think have the motorcycle to win this championship."

NHRA and ZMax Dragway presented their much anticipated “4-wide” drag racing exhibition on Sunday.

The results of that which featured one match in Top Fuel and one in Funny Car were:

(Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge Summary Courtesy of Matthew Brammer)

Stivers Trane is back on track, Notches Win in Charlotte

"This Trane is back on track," said Rick Stivers, driver of the Trane '06 Pro Mod Stratus. Stivers drove with bracket-car consistency to win the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge presented by ProCare Rx at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway.

Stivers qualified No. 3 with a 5.940 at 240.85 mph and then ran like a bracket car at 5.927, 5.913, 5.919 and 5.908-seconds to earn his second-ever trip to the Pro Mod Challenge winners circle and first of the season.

After being sidelined by a crash in early May, Stivers attempted a comeback at the U.S. Nationals earlier this month, but was unsuccessful because of setup issues with his new car. This event is the first time the car has made consistent passes, and for Stivers, the wait was excruciating - but well worth it.

In round one, Stivers dispatched Dennis Radford, and then moved on to take out No. 2 in the points Roger Burgess followed by points-leader Burton Auxier.

In the final, Stivers rode his Trane past Melanie Troxel in a thrilling side-by-side drag race by running a 5.908 at 241.89 to Troxel's 5.946 at 242.36.

Stivers said, "That was a great final round, Melanie is an awesome competitor, and I think the fans got a great show all day long. We were on a tear, all weekend long. Brad Anderson had this car hopped up, and we had the car to beat.

"This weekend has been some of the best racing anytime, anywhere, and I have to thank my entire team, Brad, my wife Jill, and my son Rick Jr., who couldn't be here this weekend but who I know was listening on the Internet and was screaming with us as I took the stripe.

"We've got this Trane back on track, and all I have to say is, boys, don't count your points just yet. We've still got a chance to make the Matco Clash - and that's what we're going to try to do," Stivers said.

Stivers has one race remaining, October 9-11 at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond, Va., to earn qualifying points for the $35,000 Matco Tools Pro Mod Clash to be contested in Las Vegas at the final race of the season. With his win in Charlotte, he is 59 points or less than three round-wins out of the eighth and last qualifying place.