COUGHLIN ASSUMES SUPER STOCK POINT LEAD
Mon, 2007-09-24 08:21
Needing a strong showing in order to have any chance of claiming the Division 3
Super Stock championship, John Coughlin came through in a big way with a victory
during this weekend’s Lucas Oil Series event at Atco Dragway in Atco, N. J.
Driving his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt, Coughlin won seven tough rounds of
eliminations including a final round victory against former division champion
Jim Harrington.
“I knew coming into this race that I needed to make it to the final and
thanks to my team, we were able to get the job done,” said Coughlin. “We tested
this car extensively last week and learned a lot. We made a lot of changes
before this race and it responded beautifully. Right now, this car is very easy
to drive and more importantly, it’s very consistent, which was a big help this
weekend.”
As a result of his victory, Coughlin jumped from sixth to first in the
Division 3 Super Stock standings. He is currently 12 points ahead of
second-place Nicholas Morris. Morris can still earn points at one NHRA Lucas Oil
Series event, but he must win four rounds of competition in order to pass
Coughlin.
Needing a strong showing in order to have any chance of claiming the Division 3
Super Stock championship, John Coughlin came through in a big way with a victory
during this weekend’s Lucas Oil Series event at Atco Dragway in Atco, N. J.
Driving his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt, Coughlin won seven tough rounds of
eliminations including a final round victory against former division champion
Jim Harrington.
“I knew coming into this race that I needed to make it to the final and
thanks to my team, we were able to get the job done,” said Coughlin. “We tested
this car extensively last week and learned a lot. We made a lot of changes
before this race and it responded beautifully. Right now, this car is very easy
to drive and more importantly, it’s very consistent, which was a big help this
weekend.”
As a result of his victory, Coughlin jumped from sixth to first in the
Division 3 Super Stock standings. He is currently 12 points ahead of
second-place Nicholas Morris. Morris can still earn points at one NHRA Lucas Oil
Series event, but he must win four rounds of competition in order to pass
Coughlin.
“This [championship] is by no means a done deal, but by winning this race I
feel like I've done my part,” said Coughlin. “This car is brand new this year
and I've taken it to eight divisional events and only lost in the first round
once. That says a lot about the dedication of the crew here at Team JEGS.”
Following his win, Coughlin is on pace to post a top ten finish in the
national Super Stock standings, which currently features more than 800
competitors. He can still earn points at NHRA national events so it’s likely
that he will head west for the final two NHRA national events in Las Vegas and
Pomona, Calif.
“I can't win the World Championship even if I win both races but I don't
think a top ten finish is out of the question,” said Coughlin. “Finishing in the
top ten is a very big deal and it’s a goal I'd really like to pursue so I guess
we're going to start making travel plans for a west coast trip next month. In
the past, I've always done well racing on the west coast so I'm really looking
forward to getting back out there. No matter what happens, I've had a great
season.”
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