Semifinal finish keeps Coughlin in Pro Stock's lead pack (NHRA/JEGS)

Semifinal finish keeps Coughlin in Pro Stock's lead  pack

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 20) -- Five-time world champion Jeg  Coughlin Jr. 
raced to the final four at this Sunday's 10th annual NHRA Thunder  Valley 
Nationals to maintain frontrunner status in the Pro Stock  class.

Coughlin beat his first two opponents, Johnny Gray and Greg  Stanfield, 
when they both left the starting line too soon and were disqualified.  He then 
got a great jump against points leader Mike Edwards in the semifinals,  
leaving the line with a .013-second reaction time to Edwards' .026-second start, 
 but his JEGS.com Chevrolet Cobalt soon lost power and he could only watch 
as  Edwards sped away for the win.

"We went through qualifying and came into  race day thinking we had a car 
that could go rounds," Coughlin said. "We looked  at the data after first 
round and decided to change motors. We picked up a  couple hundredths (of a 
second) in ET and some mph as well so we made the right  call there. It was 
even showing we had some more in there.

"I got a  little headstart in the semis and it felt good but something 
wasn't quite right  with the clutch and the gearings and we couldn't stay with 
it. I'm real happy  with the weekend as a whole. We wanted to win, of course, 
but we ran well for  the most part."

With five races left in the regular season, Coughlin  remains third in the 
world rankings. He's hoping to nudge Allen Johnson out of  second place 
before the Countdown to 1 playoffs start, which would afford him a  few extra 
markers when the points are reset prior to the final six  races.

"The little struggles of the last few races seem to be gone," he  said. "We 
did a little bit of experimenting to find some things that might help  us 
for the next race and for the rest of the regular season. We're going home to 
 Ohio next weekend and we've got another chance at a win plus a title to 
defend  with the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge. It should be a great  time."

Next weekend, Coughlin and the rest of the NHRA tour will race in  Norwalk, 
Ohio, which is now the closest national event to his hometown of  Delaware, 
Ohio.

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