NHRA: Jeg's cars look toward Las Vegas

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

March 25, 2001

The conditions improved for the Pro Stock field on raceday. The humidity, air temperature and corrected altitude were all lower by substantial amounts.

In the opening round Troy Coughlin and his yellow and black Jeg's Mail Order Chevrolet Cavalier faced off against fellow Ohio driver Mark Pawuk.

Troy launched from the starting line first by .014 seconds (.485 to .499). The car was going straight for the first 60-feet and then shook hard and moved the car over to the right side of the right lane toward the wall. Troy was forced to shut off and watch the win light come on in the other lane.

"The chassis did not like the set up at all and it showed by the way that the car reacted when it left the starting line," explained Troy.

Defending Champion Jeg Coughlin lined up next to No. 1 qualifier Mike Edwards in the first round for the first side-by-side battle of the new Chevrolet Cavaliers this season.

Jeg left the starting line first by .109 seconds (.450 to .559). Both cars ran into problems before they crossed the 330-foot mark and there was silence as they coasted. The Jeg's Chevy Cavalier fired up and took off to the finish line to take the win.

"It wasn't pretty but the win light came on. I could hear the guys telling me to go on the radio," said Jeg. "The car shook hard when I left the starting line. It shook so hard one of the shock sensors came off."

In the second round Jeg lined up next to Kurt Johnson. Once again, the Jeg's Chevy Cavalier left the starting line first. The advantage went to the yellow and black by .035 seconds (.446 to .481).

Jeg had a better 60-foot time. Both Cavaliers raced side-by-side for the win. KJ took the win light by .0034 seconds at the stripe. Jeg ran a 6.884 at 200.35 mph.

"We made a much smoother and cleaner run. Jerry Bickel came over between runs to help us out and it paid off," said Jeg. "It was just a little too late. The gear change from second to third hurt us a little. We could tell that the chassis responded well to the series of changes that we made between rounds."

Text provided by Scott Woodruff

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