In 220 professional starts, reigning NHRA POWERade Pro Stock champion Jeg
Coughlin Jr. has failed to qualify for eliminations on just 13 occasions, or a
nominal six percent of the time. The superstar racer is much more likely to
reach the final round (28 percent chance) or win the race outright (18 percent)
than anything else.
Nevertheless, Coughlin missed the NHRA's last stop in
Bristol, Tenn., by .003 seconds, ending an incredible streak of 70 consecutive
starts that dated all the way back to the 2004 national event at Heartland Park
Topeka.
"It stings, but it happens; it's part of drag racing," Coughlin
said flatly.
No one is immune. The most prolific racer of all-time, John
Force, extinguished a record run of 395 races at last year's Vegas event. Pro
Stock legend Warren Johnson had 303 successive starts before stumbling in
San Francisco in
2002. Joe Amato had the longest streak in Top Fuel ended in 1995 after 191
successful outings.