Extra quick Seattle field includes reigning world champ Coughlin

SEATTLE - Reigning Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. ran considerably quicker and faster than the one-year-old track records at Pacific Raceways during Friday's first two rounds of professional qualifying for the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals. Unfortunately so did everyone else, and the driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt finds himself 12th of the provisional grid at the mid-point of qualifying.

A 52-time national event winner with victories in both the sportsman and professional ranks, Coughlin opened the action with a 6.635 at 208.17 mph to take the No. 10 slot overall. He then improved to a 6.617 at 208.36 mph in the cooler evening session but dropped to 12th, the Day 1 bump spot for the Pro Stock class.

"We can make better runs and we need to do that tomorrow," Coughlin said. "If we can just get the car to go straight when I drop the clutch it would go a long way towards making us quicker at the top end. You can't stumble at the start of these runs or it just knocks you down too much.

"Something is slightly off-kilter in the set-up and we'll need to get that ironed out to improve. I'm confident that will happen with this crew I've got behind me."

Coughlin most likely will have a great opportunity to lower his elapsed time as weather forecasters are calling for more cool and clear conditions with highs in the mid 60s.

The JEGS team can also peek at the data collected by teammate Dave Connolly, who is the first day leader with a stellar 6.573 at 209.49 mph in his identical Cobalt.

"The track was stellar today and it should be perfect again tomorrow, especially when we run that first session at noon," Coughlin said. "We've got the horsepower, we should have the conditions, we just need to get it together and put down a run."

In total, 14 of 17 racers on the property ran quicker and faster than the former track records of 6.649 seconds and 207.50 mph..