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NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) -- Jeg Coughlin Jr. will try for his third $50,000 race title Saturday in the 24th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge at Norwalk Raceway Park. The special race-within-a-race invites the top eight qualifiers from the previous 12 months to battle for $76,000 in prize money, including the $50,000 top prize.
A three-time Pro Stock world champion, Coughlin won the K&N Horsepower Challenge in back-to-back years, beating legend Warren Johnson in the final of the 1999 race and his brother troy Coughlin in 2000. Coughlin also qualified for the prestigious event in 2001, '03, '04, and 2005.
"It's a real honor just to make the field because it places you in very elite company," Coughlin said. "This Victor Cagnazzi Racing team should be exceptionally proud of themselves for putting three cars in this show. It takes a full year of top-level performances to earn enough points to get in and that means they delivered week-in and week-out. I'm going to do my best to win this thing for my guys."
Of this year's field, only Kurt and Warren Johnson have more appearances in the race than Coughlin. Kurt Johnson is the defending event champion with four wins, while his father Warren is a three-time winner.
Coughlin's teammates Dave Connolly and Ron Krisher, who gets his motors from Victor Cagnazzi Racing are both making their fourth showing, with Connolly a former winner (2005) also.
First-round pairings have Coughlin facing Jason Line, Connolly squaring off with Kurt Johnson, and Krisher lining up opposite Greg Anderson, while Allen Johnson will take on Warren Johnson.
"There are no easy match-ups," Coughlin said. "This is the best of the best going at it. There is not much room for error in Pro Stock, let alone when you get the top eight guys going up against one another. It's very competitive.
"We'll have to be perfect to win it all but we've done it before so there's no reason we can't do it again. I know our JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt will be ready for action."
Coughlin up for the 'Challenge' of K&N special event
NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) -- Jeg Coughlin Jr. will try for his third $50,000 race title Saturday in the 24th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge at Norwalk Raceway Park. The special race-within-a-race invites the top eight qualifiers from the previous 12 months to battle for $76,000 in prize money, including the $50,000 top prize.
A three-time Pro Stock world champion, Coughlin won the K&N Horsepower Challenge in back-to-back years, beating legend Warren Johnson in the final of the 1999 race and his brother troy Coughlin in 2000. Coughlin also qualified for the prestigious event in 2001, '03, '04, and 2005.
"It's a real honor just to make the field because it places you in very elite company," Coughlin said. "This Victor Cagnazzi Racing team should be exceptionally proud of themselves for putting three cars in this show. It takes a full year of top-level performances to earn enough points to get in and that means they delivered week-in and week-out. I'm going to do my best to win this thing for my guys."
Of this year's field, only Kurt and Warren Johnson have more appearances in the race than Coughlin. Kurt Johnson is the defending event champion with four wins, while his father Warren is a three-time winner.
Coughlin's teammates Dave Connolly and Ron Krisher, who gets his motors from Victor Cagnazzi Racing are both making their fourth showing, with Connolly a former winner (2005) also.
First-round pairings have Coughlin facing Jason Line, Connolly squaring off with Kurt Johnson, and Krisher lining up opposite Greg Anderson, while Allen Johnson will take on Warren Johnson.
"There are no easy match-ups," Coughlin said. "This is the best of the best going at it. There is not much room for error in Pro Stock, let alone when you get the top eight guys going up against one another. It's very competitive.
"We'll have to be perfect to win it all but we've done it before so there's no reason we can't do it again. I know our JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt will be ready for action."
