Due to a number of family and business commitments, Mike Coughlin raced a
limited schedule of events in 2006 yet he made the most of those opportunities.
The former Division 3 champ made a major change in 2006 as he parked his JEGS
Mail Order Super Comp dragster for most of the season and entered the exciting
new Top Sportsman class with a Jerry Bickel-built ’06 Chevy Cobalt. It didn't
take long for Coughlin to become comfortable in his new surroundings as he drove
the low 7-second, 192-mph Chevy to a victory at the second annual JEGS NHRA
Northern SPORTSnationals in late July. He also advanced to the late rounds of
the Lucas Oil Series divisional events in Beech Bend, Ky., and the team’s home
track in Columbus and finished seventh in the North Central Division Top
Sportsman standings.
           
“I'd had a lot of success in Super Comp
but I was really ready for a change so that’s why I decided to try Top
Sportsman,” said Coughlin. “Now, the only regret I have is that I didn't build
this car sooner because it’s so much fun to drive. Thankfully, I got some
experience in a fast door car when we were racing in the Pro Stock Truck class
in the late 1990's so my learning curve for this car was pretty short. Jerry
Bickel builds a great car and within a few races, our crew here at JEGS had it
dialed in. After the first few races, I pretty much just had to get in and
drive.”

Dick Butler wanted to remind our readers that TOP/SS and
TOP/STK running at the Div 3 national open events in 07. A sponsor is needed to
donate $500 to the purse for each of the 3 planned events for TOP/STK.

The two days of drag racing action that fans have been raving about
over the last 12 months are here. Tonight the classic rivalry between
the Aussies and the Americans will continue.

“Since this event last year I can’t believe the response we have had.
The WSID office has been bombarded with questions regarding the second
running of the event. This is pleasing to see. It goes to show that
this kind of racing is what the fans want to see” exclaimed, WSID CEO,
Jim Read

NHRA Division 4 announcer
Lynn Nickerson is battling cancer and could use your prayers at this time. His
latest medical bout has been a tough affair for the popular announcer.

The Petersen Automotive Museum and Hotrod & Restoration are pleased to
announce that the Ford family will be honored with the 2007 Robert E. Petersen
Lifetime Achievement Award.

Part of
the ninth annual Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show - held March 1-3, 2007 at
the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana,  the award presentation
will take place during the "Breakfast of Champions" co-sponsored by Meguiar's,
at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 2, 2007. The award will be accepted on behalf of the
Ford family by Edsel B. Ford II.

Don Schumacher confirmed today that Don Schumacher Racing and Johnson &
Johnson Racing will continue their Pro Stockpartnership into the 2007 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series, and RichieStevens Jr. will again drive the Team
Mopar/Valspar Dodge Stratus R/T as teammate to Allen Johnson's Mopar/Johnson
& Johnson Racing Dodge StratusR/T.

Schumacher partnered with
J&J, based in Greeneville, Tenn., at the end of 2006 to move Stevens and
the DSR-owned Pro Stock Dodge to the J&J team.Stevens' performance
improved markedly, as he won two of the five eventsentered under the new
banner, as well as the "Who Got the Light Award" for the closest margin of
victory in 2006 (.003 of a second).

"I am thrilled to be able to continue
this association with Allen Johnsonand J&J Racing with Richie," said
Schumacher. "J&J clearly knows how to build, prepare and set up a Pro
Stock Mopar Dodge. The team's ability to puttogether a winning combination
last year, both for Allen and Richie, was demonstrated race after race. We
look forward to continuing to make stridesand advancements in the overall
Mopar program with J&J.

Former Top
Fuel racer, Chris McGee of McGee Cams, announced today that McGee
Cams would become the series sponsor for the SCEDA Junior Dragster
program. McGee Cams
manufactures their own design, single cylinder engines for Junior
Dragsters. McGee engines and components are
available for all junior dragster classes, with the fastest producing over 60
horsepower propelling the cars from a standing start to e.t.’s of 7.90 at 85
miles per hour in the 1/8th mile. 

IHRA.com has a new look, but looks are not everything. While the design project,
spearheaded by IHRA Director of Internet and New Media Jeff Lee and IHRA Senior
Graphics Designer Kim Parsons, gives the website a cleaner, more exciting look
than ever before it is the added features and navigation tools that place the
new IHRA.com (http://www.ihra.com/) among the premiere
websites in all of motor sports.

“Kim and I were given a challenge to
create a new IHRA.com everyone would be able to use easily,” Lee said. “At the
same time we wanted to make it pleasing to the eye and exciting. With Kim’s
outstanding design ability and my knowledge of what is wanted by your typical
website visitors I think we came up with a new, edgy look that accomplishes both
goals. I must also give mad props to Agency
BCM (parent company of RacingJunk.com) and
Edison Information Technologies for their role in developing this new
website.”