[coverattach=1]Team Chevy's Jeg Coughlin Sets the Pace with Second-Consecutive NHRA Pro Stock Title
DETROIT, Nov. 17, 2008 - Following an incredible season on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing tour and at numerous Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events across the United States and Canada, Chevrolet has won the 2008 NHRA Manufacturers Cup, one of the longest and most enduring standards of racing excellence. This year marked the 17th time that Chevrolet has won the NHRA Manufacturers Cup, the most ever by any automobile manufacturer in the history of the sport.
The NHRA Manufacturers Cup has been awarded since 1964. It is presented to the automobile manufacturer whose current models in Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock earn the most points for qualifying and category victories at NHRA Drag Racing Series national and divisional events.
Team Chevy's on-track drag racing accomplishments in 2008 were impressive, and in the factory hot-rod Pro Stock category it included 11 victories, 23 final-round appearances, eight No. 1 qualifying awards and low elapsed time of the meet 10 times. Four Chevy Cobalt drivers made the Countdown to 1, and three of the Team Chevy drivers went on to finish in the top five of the POWERade standings including Jeg Coughlin Jr., who captured his second-straight NHRA POWERade championship behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
Coughlin battled his way to a fourth career Pro Stock championship with a familiar late-season surge that carried the 38-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native to the POWERade title. The driver of the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt captured three national-event victories at Gainesville (Fla.), Reading (Pa.), and Las Vegas, advanced to eight final-round appearances and earned three No. 1 qualifying awards en route to the 2008 POWERade crown. Coughlin took over the points lead for good following his runner-up to Greg Stanfield at Dallas, and then tenaciously held on to the top spot through the last four races of the Countdown concluding with the season finale at Pomona (Calif.) on Nov. 16.
"This is an extremely sweet moment for me, Coughlin said. "It's a new generation with the Countdown to 1, and we've been fortunate enough to win both championships under this format. It's a real testament to the caliber of this team and its ability to rise to the occasion when the pressure is at its highest. These guys are stout.
"My pop (Jeg Sr.) has been a big part of this title. He was with us via the Internet for most of the year and came out in person for the Countdown races. He and Roy Simmons, our crew chief, work so well together. Our team owner, Victor Cagnazzi, has given us the best of the best, including all of the people he's hired throughout the organization. They all share in this championship."
Coughlin now joins an elite foursome of Pro Stock drivers that includes Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd and Warren Johnson that has won at least four Pro Stock titles.
ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson reached the winner's circle in May at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, and that continued a streak in which he has won at least one race every year since 1995 (the longest current streak in NHRA Pro Stock). Johnson also posted victories at Chicago and Brainerd (Minn.), advanced to six final rounds, earned two No. 1 qualifying and ended the year third in the POWERade points standings. It marked the 16th consecutive top-10 points finish for Johnson (also the longest top-10 streak in the category).
"We had a good season with our ACDelco Cobalt," Johnson said. "I felt we had a car capable of winning the championship, but as close as the competition is in this category, you have to run well at every race with everything falling into the right place, as well as keeping the bad luck at bay. Even though we were off a couple of times, everything came together in the end. We won the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship, as well as three races and finished third in the points. We ran well at just about every track we went to, including a runner-up finish at the last race of the season.
"Most importantly, I want to thank our sponsors, ACDelco and Chevrolet, as well as the people at Mark Christopher Chevrolet. We couldn't do this without their continued support, and we hope our performance this year has made them proud. I think we have a really good team right now, and we're looking forward to coming back next year to attack the competition."
When Chevy's Dave Connolly entered his first NHRA Pro Stock this year in April at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, he was mostly relieved to be competing again. Spotting the rest of the field a five-race head start due to lack of sponsorship, the driver of the Lucas Oil/Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt still managed to make his second consecutive Countdown to 1 playoff and score a sixth-place finish in the POWERade standings. In 2008, Connolly won races at Bristol (Tenn.), Sonoma (Calif.), his second-straight U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, and Richmond (Va.), advanced to seven final-round appearances, and earned two No. 1 qualifying awards.
"It was a tough year for us," Connolly said. "We got a late start and it was kind of a rebuilding year for us. We always had goals in front of us. The whole year it was a challenge to make the Countdown, and after we got to the Countdown it was a challenge to try and win the championship.
"We made a good run at the championship but, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for us this year. But Jeg (teammate Coughlin) definitely picked up the pace and is taking the championship trophy back to the Cagnazzi Racing shop (in Mooresville, N.C.)."
Ron Krisher was Chevrolet's fourth top-10 finisher in 2008. The 60-year-old Warren, Ohio, native ran strong all season and captured his sixth career top-10 points finish after finishing in 10th place on the season. Krisher earned his 14th career No. 1 qualifying award at Atlanta where he also set low elapsed time of the meet, and in June at Topeka, the Valvoline Chevy Cobalt driver collected his sixth career national-event victory - his first since 2003.
Multiple victories at NHRA divisional and national levels by Chevrolet's stampede of sportsman competitors were a key component in the Chevy Red Bowtie's 2008 NHRA Manufacturers Cup. No fewer than 20 different Super Stock drivers competing in '08 Chevy Cobalts contributed to more than half of this year's Chevy' s manufacturer's points total. Chevy Super Stock Stalwarts included Jimmy DeFrank, Ryan McClanahan, Justin Lamb, Jeff Lane, Peter Biondo and Justin Jenkins, just to name a few.
Lucas Oil Sportsman national champions driving Chevrolets in 2008 included Frank Manzo, who captured his 12th Alcohol Funny Car crown, Dan Fletcher in Competition Eliminator, and Ricky Decker in Super Stock.
In addition to Chevrolet's 17th NHRA Manufacturer's Cup, this was the 41st time since 1964 and the 26th consecutive year that a GM nameplate has earned this prestigious honor.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.
DETROIT, Nov. 17, 2008 - Following an incredible season on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing tour and at numerous Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events across the United States and Canada, Chevrolet has won the 2008 NHRA Manufacturers Cup, one of the longest and most enduring standards of racing excellence. This year marked the 17th time that Chevrolet has won the NHRA Manufacturers Cup, the most ever by any automobile manufacturer in the history of the sport.
The NHRA Manufacturers Cup has been awarded since 1964. It is presented to the automobile manufacturer whose current models in Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock earn the most points for qualifying and category victories at NHRA Drag Racing Series national and divisional events.
Team Chevy's on-track drag racing accomplishments in 2008 were impressive, and in the factory hot-rod Pro Stock category it included 11 victories, 23 final-round appearances, eight No. 1 qualifying awards and low elapsed time of the meet 10 times. Four Chevy Cobalt drivers made the Countdown to 1, and three of the Team Chevy drivers went on to finish in the top five of the POWERade standings including Jeg Coughlin Jr., who captured his second-straight NHRA POWERade championship behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.
Coughlin battled his way to a fourth career Pro Stock championship with a familiar late-season surge that carried the 38-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native to the POWERade title. The driver of the JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt captured three national-event victories at Gainesville (Fla.), Reading (Pa.), and Las Vegas, advanced to eight final-round appearances and earned three No. 1 qualifying awards en route to the 2008 POWERade crown. Coughlin took over the points lead for good following his runner-up to Greg Stanfield at Dallas, and then tenaciously held on to the top spot through the last four races of the Countdown concluding with the season finale at Pomona (Calif.) on Nov. 16.
"This is an extremely sweet moment for me, Coughlin said. "It's a new generation with the Countdown to 1, and we've been fortunate enough to win both championships under this format. It's a real testament to the caliber of this team and its ability to rise to the occasion when the pressure is at its highest. These guys are stout.
"My pop (Jeg Sr.) has been a big part of this title. He was with us via the Internet for most of the year and came out in person for the Countdown races. He and Roy Simmons, our crew chief, work so well together. Our team owner, Victor Cagnazzi, has given us the best of the best, including all of the people he's hired throughout the organization. They all share in this championship."
Coughlin now joins an elite foursome of Pro Stock drivers that includes Bob Glidden, Lee Shepherd and Warren Johnson that has won at least four Pro Stock titles.
ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson reached the winner's circle in May at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, and that continued a streak in which he has won at least one race every year since 1995 (the longest current streak in NHRA Pro Stock). Johnson also posted victories at Chicago and Brainerd (Minn.), advanced to six final rounds, earned two No. 1 qualifying and ended the year third in the POWERade points standings. It marked the 16th consecutive top-10 points finish for Johnson (also the longest top-10 streak in the category).
"We had a good season with our ACDelco Cobalt," Johnson said. "I felt we had a car capable of winning the championship, but as close as the competition is in this category, you have to run well at every race with everything falling into the right place, as well as keeping the bad luck at bay. Even though we were off a couple of times, everything came together in the end. We won the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship, as well as three races and finished third in the points. We ran well at just about every track we went to, including a runner-up finish at the last race of the season.
"Most importantly, I want to thank our sponsors, ACDelco and Chevrolet, as well as the people at Mark Christopher Chevrolet. We couldn't do this without their continued support, and we hope our performance this year has made them proud. I think we have a really good team right now, and we're looking forward to coming back next year to attack the competition."
When Chevy's Dave Connolly entered his first NHRA Pro Stock this year in April at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, he was mostly relieved to be competing again. Spotting the rest of the field a five-race head start due to lack of sponsorship, the driver of the Lucas Oil/Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt still managed to make his second consecutive Countdown to 1 playoff and score a sixth-place finish in the POWERade standings. In 2008, Connolly won races at Bristol (Tenn.), Sonoma (Calif.), his second-straight U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, and Richmond (Va.), advanced to seven final-round appearances, and earned two No. 1 qualifying awards.
"It was a tough year for us," Connolly said. "We got a late start and it was kind of a rebuilding year for us. We always had goals in front of us. The whole year it was a challenge to make the Countdown, and after we got to the Countdown it was a challenge to try and win the championship.
"We made a good run at the championship but, unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be for us this year. But Jeg (teammate Coughlin) definitely picked up the pace and is taking the championship trophy back to the Cagnazzi Racing shop (in Mooresville, N.C.)."
Ron Krisher was Chevrolet's fourth top-10 finisher in 2008. The 60-year-old Warren, Ohio, native ran strong all season and captured his sixth career top-10 points finish after finishing in 10th place on the season. Krisher earned his 14th career No. 1 qualifying award at Atlanta where he also set low elapsed time of the meet, and in June at Topeka, the Valvoline Chevy Cobalt driver collected his sixth career national-event victory - his first since 2003.
Multiple victories at NHRA divisional and national levels by Chevrolet's stampede of sportsman competitors were a key component in the Chevy Red Bowtie's 2008 NHRA Manufacturers Cup. No fewer than 20 different Super Stock drivers competing in '08 Chevy Cobalts contributed to more than half of this year's Chevy' s manufacturer's points total. Chevy Super Stock Stalwarts included Jimmy DeFrank, Ryan McClanahan, Justin Lamb, Jeff Lane, Peter Biondo and Justin Jenkins, just to name a few.
Lucas Oil Sportsman national champions driving Chevrolets in 2008 included Frank Manzo, who captured his 12th Alcohol Funny Car crown, Dan Fletcher in Competition Eliminator, and Ricky Decker in Super Stock.
In addition to Chevrolet's 17th NHRA Manufacturer's Cup, this was the 41st time since 1964 and the 26th consecutive year that a GM nameplate has earned this prestigious honor.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 77 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 266,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2007, nearly 9.37 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.
