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NHRA: John Coughlin Meets His Goals Of The Season Opening Race

8 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Mike Gets Taken Out By Brother First Round

The first round of NHRA Pro Stock Truck put John and Mike Coughlin in their identical looking JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10's head-to-head. This was the first time that the two brothers had faced eachother in Pro Stock Truck eliminations.

John said, "We made a nice solid run and gained a lot of valuable data on the raceday track conditions, which have changed over yesterday." John Coughlin and his JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 took the win light and advanced to the second round.

Mike commented on his older brother winning, "We knew that one of us was going to win and that we would have a JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 in the second round. However, if your going to loose it's not as bad when it's your brother and you teammate."

Mike added, "We will spend the time between now and the MacTools Gatornationals preparing for the race. We look very strong as a team and I believe that trend will continue throughout the 2000 NHRA Winston Drag Racing season, it's going to be a fun year for our team."

John Coughlin and his yellow and black JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 lined up next to John Lingenfelter and his Summit sponsored GMC Sonoma. Coughlin rolled into the right lane to begin the battle of the Mail Order parts businesses. The JEG'S machine left the starting line first and never looked back on it's way to the win light.

John commented, "The JEG'S machine launched from the line and took off like a bullet. The guys on the team did a great job." Coughlin added, "That win was for all of our employees at JEG'S Mail Order who make all of this possible, without their support we wouldn't be out here."

In the semifinal round John faced the '99 NHRA Pro Stock Truck champion Bob Panella, Jr. The JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 rolled into the right lane. John Coughlin left the starting line first (.408 to .444), but Panella took the win light.

John explained, "We had a great weekend and a great start to the 2000 NHRA season. The Pro Stock Truck championship is within this teams reach for 2000." Coughlin added, "My goal coming into this race was to qualify in the top four and get to the semifinals, which we did. What a difference having a year under your belt makes!"

Text Provided by Scott Woodruff

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