Race day ends early for Coughlin’s (NHRA/JEG’S)

NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge

NHRA Mac Tools US Nationals
Indianapolis Raceway Park
Indianapolis, IN
Sept. 5th / Race Day Summary

Jeg Coughlin – JEG’S Mail Order / Mopar – Dodge Stratus RT (Pro Stock)
Troy Coughlin – JEG’S Mail Order / ’67 Ford Mustang (Pro Mod)

The 51st annual U.S. Nationals won’t top the Coughlin family’s list of most
memorable races, but brothers Jeg and Troy Coughlin can still leave Indianapolis
Raceway Park knowing they have a couple of fast racecars that can contend down
the stretch of the 2005 season.

Jeg had a final round run in his Super Stock A-Automatic early in the weekend,
finishing as runner-up to Charlie Westcott. He followed that performance up with
a first-round loss at the hands of nemisis Kurt Johnson, who won with a 6.78 to
Jeg’s 6.79 in his Jeg’s Mail Order Stratus.

“I pulled second gear and just blew the tires off,” Jeg said. “The car started
fishtailing. I got back it back in groove as fast and as efficiently as I could
but there was just enough of a stumble that K.J. got by us. He was vunerable, as
he showed in the second round when he blew the tires off himself, but we caught
him at the wrong time.

“Going to the finals of the Hemi Challenge was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to
come back and race that car again. I know I’d do better with a little more seat
time. Those cars are very different from what I’m used to.”

Troy logged a quarterfinal finish in his Jeg’s Mail Order Ford Mustang Pro Mod
car. After beating a red-lighting Troy Critchley in Round 1, Troy faced teammate
and class dominator Mike Ashley in the quarterfinals. Although he actually ran
better incremental numbers to every timer, including the one at the finish line,
the two-hundredths of a second advantage he gave up to the defending series
champion at the starting line was just too much to overcome and he lost by .01
seconds. The final numbers had Ashley winning witrh a 6.14 to Troy’s 6.13.

“You know the champ is gonna be tough to beat and I was really up for the race,”
Troy said. “We had one of our best lights of the year but he turned it up a
noitch also and just nipped us. The good news is that one of us advanced so one
of the team cars is in the semis at Indy. I just wish it was me but Mike’s a
great driver and there’s a reason he’s won so many races this year.”

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Email: jegspr@aol.com -or- scott.woodruff@jegs.com
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