NHRA: Mike Coughlin Win The US Nationals
7 September 1999
Jeg Coughlin Makes A Strong Run For The Pro Stock TitleThe drama continued to unfold at the 45th Annual US Nationals in Indianapolis as the cloud cover took over the sky's. Every driver who remained in competition had their sights set on being the winner of NHRA's most prestigious event.
The JEG'S team began the final day of the US Nationals ready to paint the IRP facility yellow and black. The Pro Stock Truck class held the first two rounds of elimination's yesterday. The hopes of the JEG'S team winning Pro Stock Truck lie solely in the hands of Mike Coughlin, who is among the final four drivers with a chance to take home the coveted crown.
The team's paint can was plenty full of yellow and black in the Pro Stock class, which began elimination's today. Both Troy and Jeg Coughlin were among the field of the quickest sixteen entry's. There were a total of 43 cars trying to make the field.
Once again the possibility of an all-JEG'S final exists in NHRA most competitive class.
In the first round of Pro Stock Jeg faced off against George Marnell, Coughlin had lane choice. Older brother Troy went head-to-head with Greg Anderson. The two brothers entered this round with the chance to meet in the final round. The JEG'S Team has met in the final round three times so far this season and wanted nothing more then for it to happen today.
Jeg took the left lane in his match up with George Marnell. The reaction time advantage went Coughlin. Jeg followed the middle of the groove like he was on a wire. When Jeg put the yellow and black JEG'S Mail Order machine into third the engine started to go away. Marnell runs into problems and Jeg stayed ahead for the win. Jeg said, "When I shifted into third I heard a pop and then the engine started to go away." The run was good enough for the win but not good enough for lane choice.
The #24 JEG'S Mail Order Olds was in the right lane. Troy grabbed the starting line advantage over Anderson. Both car were next to eachother going down the track. Troy was headed straight down the track, but was favoring the right side of the groove. By the time Troy was at half track the left tire was the only thing in the groove. Troy stayed with it even with the rear of the car moving from side-to-side. When the parachutes came out it settled down the car. Greg Anderson took the win light. Troy noted, "The car started going to the right and I was trying to slowly get the car back into the middle of the groove. Then the right side of the car started spinning and the rear moved from side-to-side."
Between round the JEG'S Team made an engine change. When the car returned to the pits after the first round Richard Maskin and the team looked over the engine and reviewed all of the data from the run. They determined at that point that an engine change needed to happen, so the team went to work.
The second round of Pro Stock put the two "young guns" face-to-face. Richie Stevens had lane choice in this match up, Jeg was in the right lane. Both drivers are known for having great reaction times off of the starting line and each of driver knows that they have to be on their game. Richie left the starting line first, but he fouled and turned the red light on. This gave Jeg the win. Jeg commented, "It really makes me feel at ease when I know that I have the best team working on my car when there's a problem. We went into the second round a little blind with the new engine, but I knew that my guys gave me a car that could win!"
The Pro Stock Truck class came back into the rotation when the semifinal round began. Mike Coughlin had been waiting all day to get back into his yellow and black JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 and start where he left off yesterday.
Mike lined up next to Craig Eaton in the semifinal round, Coughlin had lane choice. The yellow and black JEG'S Mail Order Chevy S-10 left the starting line first and never looked back. Mike blasted straight down the middle of the groove to take the win light.
Mike said, "It's a great feeling going into the final round of the US Nationals. Our team and all of the people back at JEG'S have made this possible." Mike was the quickest truck in the semifinal round.
Jeg and Warren went head-to-head in a classic battle for the win light. Warren had lane choice and took the left lane. Jeg left the starting line first and both cars darted to finishline In a side-by-side quarter mile battle. Warren won by less then six inches at the stripe.
Jeg commented, "The guys gave me a good car and knew that we had a pretty strong backup engine. The car was a little loose in low, which lost a little bit for us. We will go back to our shop and start getting ready to go to battle again in Reading." Jeg moved up one position in the NHRA Winston Championship.
Mike Coughlin went to the final round of Pro Stock Truck, where he met Scott Perin. Scott took out his brother John in the first round. The yellow and black JEG'S Mail Order Pro Stock Truck left the starting line with a .401 reaction time, which is .001 seconds away from being perfect. The truck took off from the starting line like a rocket. Mike and the men in yellow and black take the win light.
This was Mike's second Pro Stock Truck win of the '99 season and the sweetest victory of his career. Mike said, Everyone says that your resume isn't complete until you win the US Nationals." Mike moved up one spot to the number four position in the NHRA Winston Championship.
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