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POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 4) -- Jeg Coughlin Jr. clinched the 2007 POWERade Drag Racing Series World Championship Sunday by reaching the semifinal round of the 43rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. Coughlin's second-round win over Richie Stevens combined with Greg Anderson and Dave Connolly's first-round exits solidified Coughlin's fourth world title and third in the Pro Stock category.
"What a feeling!" Coughlin said. "To win another championship for JEGS.com and all of our employees and fans is special. It's such a cool deal to win the first championship under the NHRA's new Countdown playoff system. It was a tough battle against the best racers in the world but we got it done as a team and I couldn't be prouder of the entire Victor Cagnazzi Racing organization."
Coughlin opened the final day of the season trailing Anderson by 36 points. Each elimination round is worth 20 points, meaning Coughlin had to advance two rounds further than his rival. With Anderson on the opposite side of the ladder, Coughlin needed some help and he got it when newcomer Justin Humphreys left on Anderson by a whopping .053 seconds, which translated to a stunning 6.669 to 6.658-second holeshot win at the top end.
The only other person able to spoil the day for Coughlin was his teammate at Victor Cagnazzi Racing, Dave Connolly, but he inexplicably red-lighted away his chance against Mike Edwards by leaving the starting line -.013 seconds early.
"It's incredible how it all fell into place," Coughlin said. "The pressure was enormous for all of us and I think my previous experience might have really helped me there. Last year I only ran three Pro Stock events at the end of the season. The rest of the time I was running a bunch of those high-dollar bracket races and those things are so intense. That's kind of what it felt like these past two races.
"This is such a charge. To be able to give Victor and Brita (Cagnazzi) their first championship means a lot to me. They had a plan to put together a race team capable of winning a championship and through a lot of perseverance and hard work they got it done.
"Like any racer that wins a championship, I have a fantastic team behind me. Roy Simmons, my crew chief, my father Jeg Sr., the crew guys, the boys building the motors back at the shop, the chassis department, they all share in this moment. This is for all of us."
Coughlin will now try to finish his day with a race win. He faces Mike Edwards in the semifinals and either Humphreys or Tom Hammonds in the final should her get past Edwards.
Coughlin captures 2007 POWERade World Championship
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 4) -- Jeg Coughlin Jr. clinched the 2007 POWERade Drag Racing Series World Championship Sunday by reaching the semifinal round of the 43rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. Coughlin's second-round win over Richie Stevens combined with Greg Anderson and Dave Connolly's first-round exits solidified Coughlin's fourth world title and third in the Pro Stock category.
"What a feeling!" Coughlin said. "To win another championship for JEGS.com and all of our employees and fans is special. It's such a cool deal to win the first championship under the NHRA's new Countdown playoff system. It was a tough battle against the best racers in the world but we got it done as a team and I couldn't be prouder of the entire Victor Cagnazzi Racing organization."
Coughlin opened the final day of the season trailing Anderson by 36 points. Each elimination round is worth 20 points, meaning Coughlin had to advance two rounds further than his rival. With Anderson on the opposite side of the ladder, Coughlin needed some help and he got it when newcomer Justin Humphreys left on Anderson by a whopping .053 seconds, which translated to a stunning 6.669 to 6.658-second holeshot win at the top end.
The only other person able to spoil the day for Coughlin was his teammate at Victor Cagnazzi Racing, Dave Connolly, but he inexplicably red-lighted away his chance against Mike Edwards by leaving the starting line -.013 seconds early.
"It's incredible how it all fell into place," Coughlin said. "The pressure was enormous for all of us and I think my previous experience might have really helped me there. Last year I only ran three Pro Stock events at the end of the season. The rest of the time I was running a bunch of those high-dollar bracket races and those things are so intense. That's kind of what it felt like these past two races.
"This is such a charge. To be able to give Victor and Brita (Cagnazzi) their first championship means a lot to me. They had a plan to put together a race team capable of winning a championship and through a lot of perseverance and hard work they got it done.
"Like any racer that wins a championship, I have a fantastic team behind me. Roy Simmons, my crew chief, my father Jeg Sr., the crew guys, the boys building the motors back at the shop, the chassis department, they all share in this moment. This is for all of us."
Coughlin will now try to finish his day with a race win. He faces Mike Edwards in the semifinals and either Humphreys or Tom Hammonds in the final should her get past Edwards.
