Coughlin arrives in Charlotte as the leader of the pack
Jeg Coughlin gave up a good portion of the points lead he had built when the standings were reset for the Countdown to 1.
Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations
Charlotte, N.C.–Reigning four-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin arrives at zMax Dragway as the top drag racer in the world. It's a good position to be in as the six-race Countdown to 1 playoff begins with this weekend's second annual NHRA Carolinas Nationals at Bruton Smith's state-of-the-art facility.
Fresh off a victory at the prestigious U.S. Nationals — drag racing's equivalent of the Daytona 500 — Coughlin's seven victories is tops across the four Professional classes. He's held the point lead for 14 races, longer than anyone else in the sport, and his 47-11 race-day record is unparalleled. Out of 145 Pros on tour this year, Coughlin is the only one without a first-round loss. All this despite the fact his average starting spot each weekend is just sixth place.
"We come into
"The Jegs.com Chevrolet Cobalt is running well, and I'm pleased with how I've been driving this season. We've met as a team to discuss our strategy for this stretch run and now we need to go out and execute."
Based in nearby
"It's a track I've become extremely fond of," Coughlin said. "We don't test much, but when we do, it's at zMax because it's the home track for the guys at the shop. Although it's a new track, it's one I've been down several times and I'm very comfortable there.
"I really like
Having spent a lot of time in the heart of NASCAR country, Coughlin knows the fans in the area are as rabid as any in the country.
"There's certainly lots of gearheads in town, which makes it really exciting," Coughlin said. "The stands should be packed because these folks really appreciate high performance, lots of horsepower, and good, close racing. We should be able to deliver on all of those fronts.
"Naturally, being the hometown for Victor and all of the employees that work at the shop, we've got a nice, built-in fan base with all of the friends and family members that make it out to the strip. You always want to put your best foot forward when you have important guests in the pit. I'm really looking forward to getting started."
Coughlin gave up a good portion of the points lead he had built when the standings were reset for the Countdown to 1. He now leads second-place Jason Line by just 30 points, with the rest of the top 10 trailing Line in 10-point increments. Fortunately for Coughlin, he's won all of the titles since the NHRA went to a playoff system.