White, Mohana, And Wofford Score Big Wins As JEGS SPORTSnat'ls Turn To Eliminations

BELLE ROSE, March 20, 2011: The elimination fields for the eighth annual JEGS.com Cajun SPORTSnationals at No Problem Raceway are set after a hot Saturday of drag racing.

The event also crowned champions in three specialty races during the day. Jenifer White took the $1,000 Top Dragster Shootout winner's check after beating Mike Kile. Joseph Mohana pocketed $1,000 in the Top Sportsman Shootout on a solo final pass after Keith Raftery couldn't get his engine started, and Lloyd Wofford cashed the big check in the Hemi Challenge when opponent Steven Kent missed a shift during the final round.

In regular qualifying action, Lee Adkins ended up on top of a star-studded Competition Eliminator field in his '68 Camaro, outrunning the likes of Sal Biondo, David Rampy, Arnie Martel, Frank Aragona Jr., and many others with a best pass of 6.190 seconds, -0.770 under an already sporty 6.96 index. Adkins will race No. 17 qualifier Joey Tanksley of Greenwell Springs, La., who went 0.614 under his index with a 6.746 second pass.

Jeff Teuton of Houma, La., raced to the Stock Eliminator lead in his 2009 Dodge Challenger with a 10.846 second pass, just 1.304 under his 12.15 index. Teuton's hard work paid off as he'll get a bye in the first round of Sunday's eliminations. There are 97 Stock entries at this race.

In Super Stock, Jerry Silveus led the way with a 9.253 second run, 1.147 under his 10.40 index. Like Teuton, Silveus will be awarded a free pass in the first round of eliminations.

Jacob Verscla led the two-wheeled set by riding his '78 Kawasaki to the top of the Sportsman Motorcycle class with a near-perfect.002-second reaction time.

As for Team JEGS, consistency ruled the day for racer Mike Coughlin, who opened Saturday's Top Sportsman action with a 6.678 at 209.56 mph, a pass that was just .001 seconds off his run of record from Friday. Coughlin then cruised to a 6.692 to finish qualifying in the lofty No. 7 position. He'll open eliminations in his JEGS.com Chevy against No. 22 qualifier Vincent Catalanotto, who went 7.247 at 188.33 mph in his Camaro.

Engaged Super Comp racers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Samantha Kenny zeroed in on the perfect 8.90 index run in the final two rounds of qualifying in their category. Coughlin posted a 8.873 at 184.77 mph and a 8.895 at 184.25 mph, while Kenny went 8.906 at 184.67 mph and 8.899 at 184.70 mph.

Troy Coughlin Jr. contested the King of the Bayou special event for Super Comp racers and reached the second round before bowing out by .0052 seconds. Coughlin opened the race with a .007-second reaction time that carried him to a winning 8.914 at 167.43 mph, but slowed to a .025-second start and a 8.936 at 176.03 mph in Round 2.

Young Jack Coughlin completed another shakedown run in his brand-new JEGS.com Junior Dragster, zooming to a 8.45-second pass at 78.32 mph to the eighth-mile marker. He followed that run up with a career-best 8.301 at 78.72 mph, much to the delight of the fans packing the grandstands.