Rapisarda Racing are back on full attack in the ANDRA Pro Series with USA Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan returning to Australia in a move that will have current championship leaders worried.

McClenathan and the Rapisarda outfit made it clear at the Australian Nationals in September, the first round of the season, that their experience racing in the USA’s elite NHRA Full Throttle Series had served them well by taking the event win over Andrew Cowin.
While McClenathan, hailing from California, is not a threat to the championship war, winning the Nitro Champs battle is definitely on the agenda for the team.
Team manager Santo Rapisarda Jnr said bringing McClenathan back to race in Australia had given the Nitro Champs an international flavour and generated a buzz among fans.
“We enjoyed racing in Adelaide at the last round of the championship and wanted to come back and make sure it was a full field of cars for the Nitro Champs,” he said.
“We’re going to let Cory hit the loud pedal and hopefully that gets a few more people through the gate.”
With the team’s USA performances in something of a rut, with changes in tuning personnel taking their toll, Rapisarda Jnr wants to ensure Australian fans see a good showing.
“Our number one objective is to win the race but we’d also like to run fast again and get back into the 4.5sec zone, we just have to wait to see what the conditions are like to know if that will be possible,” he said.
McClenathan will be alongside Sydney-based team mate Daniel Schultz for the event, racing in his competition debut after recently completing licensing procedures.
Rapisarda Jnr said despite a first round exit in Adelaide, the team were happy with the way their Uplift Cranes dragster was running. Schultz will be using the same car in Sydney.
“The combo is making a lot of power and in Adelaide we just couldn’t get it to stick in the final part of the track,” he said. “If Sydney has the traction we can run 4.6sec with that car.”
The Nitro Champs take place at Sydney Dragway on May 4-6 and feature the full ANDRA drag racing experience including Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

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Click here for more information on the event.
Click here for a high resolution image of Cory McClenathan racing at Sydney Dragway (credit Grant Stephens/cacklingpipes.com)

Current Top Fuel points standings

1 Darren Morgan 384
2 Andrew Cowin 371.5
3 Damien Harris 357.5
4 Phillip Lamattina 335.5
5 Mark Sheehan 149
6 Cory McClenathan 102
7 Mark Mariani 88
8 Bob Shepherd 43
9 Terry Sainty 41
10 Phil Read 20