Closing the gap, Jeggie eyes points lead
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_coughlin_969735.jpg" alt="j_coughlin_969735" align="right"borders="0"/>
DALLAS (Sept. 16) -- Reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took a big step towards defending his '07 title Sunday in Charlotte, N.C., by racing to a third-place finish that moved him to within 31 points of the POWERade lead. He'll try to erase the rest of the deficit this weekend at the Texas Motorplex, the track where he made his professional debut 11 years ago.
Coughlin started the six-race Countdown to 1 in third place, a perch he still occupies, but he knows another strong outing could make up the round-and-a-half worth of points he needs to claim the top spot.
"We have all the pieces in place," Coughlin said. "The weather forecast looks spectacular for Dallas, with a nice little cool front blowing through, and that's exactly what these naturally-aspirated Pro Stock cars love. The guys at the engine shop have been rounding up the horses and the motors are stout. It's just a matter of execution."
The Texas Motorplex has been kind to Coughlin in the past. He won the race in 2002 and was runner-up in 2000 and 2003.
Coming into this event, Coughlin sports a race day record of 32-16 with two wins in fine final-round appearances. His consistent JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt has carried him to the final four or better in four of the last five races.
"We'll need that sort of consistency to have a shot," the 37-year-old Coughlin said from his home in Delaware, Ohio. "Every racer in the top-10 is going for broke at this point and, as we saw in Charlotte when Justin Humphreys won the event, the guys outside the playoffs are anxious to run the party.
"It's really just a normal day in Pro Stock. Every race is cutthroat and it's not unusual to see the win light decided by thousandths of a second. The only thing that's changing is the pressure because in five races someone is going to be the new champ. We hope it's us. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will be the happy one at the end."
Including Dallas, there are just 20 rounds of elimination racing left in the season.
"We're not altering our gameplan," Coughlin said. "We like to make sure we're one of the top three or four cars every round, regardless of conditions. On race day, it comes down to everyone doing their job properly, including me. I like that because I'll stack this team up against any other group out there."
Jeg Coughlin Jr - Dallas Fast Facts
O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept 18-21
>>>After a distinguished sportsman career that included the 1992 Super Gas championship, Jeg Coughlin made his professional debut at the Texas Motorplex in 1997. At his first event, he qualified No. 7 and defeated the late Scott Geoffrion before losing to Jim Yates in round two.
>>>Jeg won Pro Stock at the Dallas race in 2002, defeating Gene Wilson in the final round. He also earned runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2003.
>>>In 19 events this season, Jeg has two wins, three runner-ups, and four semifinal finishes to his credit. His round win record is 32-16. He has also reached at least the semifinals in four of the last five races.
>>>With 40 Pro Stock wins, Jeg is the fourth most successful driver in the history of the class. He trails only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85), and Greg Anderson (56) in wins.
>>>During his career, Jeg has appeared in 83 final rounds, 65 as a professional and 18 as a sportsman racer.
>>>Jeg has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field seven times in 13 races in Dallas. His average qualifying position is fifth.
>>>In 13 career appearances at the Texas Motorplex, Jeg has a 15-9 round win record in Pro Stock competition.
>>>At the 2004 Dallas event, Jeg Coughlin qualified No. 1 and also set low elapsed time and top speed of the meet. Jeg has set low E.T. 19 times in his career. He has set top speed just three times. He was also the low qualifier at the 2000 Dallas race.
>>>Following a semifinal finish at last weekend’s inaugural Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway, Jeg is ranked third in the Countdown to 1, the six race playoff system used to determine NHRA professional champions. He is currently 31 points behind leader Kurt Johnson.
>>>Jeg has won at least one NHRA national event title at 21 different facilities. He has won at every current venue on the tour except for Norwalk and the new z-Max Dragway, site of last weekend’s Carolinas Nationals.
>>>After qualifying No. 2 at the most recent event in Charlotte, Jeg is currently ranked fifth in the standings for the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special $50,000 to win Pro Stock event that is held each year in Norwalk. Drivers qualify for the elite 8-car K&N Horsepower Challenge field by earning points during qualifying for each of the previous 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/j_coughlin_969735.jpg" alt="j_coughlin_969735" align="right"borders="0"/>
DALLAS (Sept. 16) -- Reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. took a big step towards defending his '07 title Sunday in Charlotte, N.C., by racing to a third-place finish that moved him to within 31 points of the POWERade lead. He'll try to erase the rest of the deficit this weekend at the Texas Motorplex, the track where he made his professional debut 11 years ago.
Coughlin started the six-race Countdown to 1 in third place, a perch he still occupies, but he knows another strong outing could make up the round-and-a-half worth of points he needs to claim the top spot.
"We have all the pieces in place," Coughlin said. "The weather forecast looks spectacular for Dallas, with a nice little cool front blowing through, and that's exactly what these naturally-aspirated Pro Stock cars love. The guys at the engine shop have been rounding up the horses and the motors are stout. It's just a matter of execution."
The Texas Motorplex has been kind to Coughlin in the past. He won the race in 2002 and was runner-up in 2000 and 2003.
Coming into this event, Coughlin sports a race day record of 32-16 with two wins in fine final-round appearances. His consistent JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt has carried him to the final four or better in four of the last five races.
"We'll need that sort of consistency to have a shot," the 37-year-old Coughlin said from his home in Delaware, Ohio. "Every racer in the top-10 is going for broke at this point and, as we saw in Charlotte when Justin Humphreys won the event, the guys outside the playoffs are anxious to run the party.
"It's really just a normal day in Pro Stock. Every race is cutthroat and it's not unusual to see the win light decided by thousandths of a second. The only thing that's changing is the pressure because in five races someone is going to be the new champ. We hope it's us. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will be the happy one at the end."
Including Dallas, there are just 20 rounds of elimination racing left in the season.
"We're not altering our gameplan," Coughlin said. "We like to make sure we're one of the top three or four cars every round, regardless of conditions. On race day, it comes down to everyone doing their job properly, including me. I like that because I'll stack this team up against any other group out there."
Jeg Coughlin Jr - Dallas Fast Facts
O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Sept 18-21
>>>After a distinguished sportsman career that included the 1992 Super Gas championship, Jeg Coughlin made his professional debut at the Texas Motorplex in 1997. At his first event, he qualified No. 7 and defeated the late Scott Geoffrion before losing to Jim Yates in round two.
>>>Jeg won Pro Stock at the Dallas race in 2002, defeating Gene Wilson in the final round. He also earned runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2003.
>>>In 19 events this season, Jeg has two wins, three runner-ups, and four semifinal finishes to his credit. His round win record is 32-16. He has also reached at least the semifinals in four of the last five races.
>>>With 40 Pro Stock wins, Jeg is the fourth most successful driver in the history of the class. He trails only Warren Johnson (96), Bob Glidden (85), and Greg Anderson (56) in wins.
>>>During his career, Jeg has appeared in 83 final rounds, 65 as a professional and 18 as a sportsman racer.
>>>Jeg has qualified in the top half of the Pro Stock field seven times in 13 races in Dallas. His average qualifying position is fifth.
>>>In 13 career appearances at the Texas Motorplex, Jeg has a 15-9 round win record in Pro Stock competition.
>>>At the 2004 Dallas event, Jeg Coughlin qualified No. 1 and also set low elapsed time and top speed of the meet. Jeg has set low E.T. 19 times in his career. He has set top speed just three times. He was also the low qualifier at the 2000 Dallas race.
>>>Following a semifinal finish at last weekend’s inaugural Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway, Jeg is ranked third in the Countdown to 1, the six race playoff system used to determine NHRA professional champions. He is currently 31 points behind leader Kurt Johnson.
>>>Jeg has won at least one NHRA national event title at 21 different facilities. He has won at every current venue on the tour except for Norwalk and the new z-Max Dragway, site of last weekend’s Carolinas Nationals.
>>>After qualifying No. 2 at the most recent event in Charlotte, Jeg is currently ranked fifth in the standings for the K&N Horsepower Challenge, a special $50,000 to win Pro Stock event that is held each year in Norwalk. Drivers qualify for the elite 8-car K&N Horsepower Challenge field by earning points during qualifying for each of the previous 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.
