Fans vote Coughlin in for eighth spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge

Courtesy of NHRA

Riverside, CA – NHRA fans have spoken, voting in Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com Mopar Dodge Avenger, to the eighth and final spot in the 28th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge, which will be held as part of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Saturday, July 7, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk.

Coughlin won the fan vote by a landslide, receiving 66 percent of the total votes cast by NHRA fans since voting began in April.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a race within a race, showcasing the top drivers in NHRA Pro Stock, for which the winner receives $50,000. The runner-up will receive $10,000, the two semifinalists will each receive $3,000, and the four first-round finishers will each receive $2,500. As part of the program, a $3,000 bonus is awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

In addition, eight lucky fans will be selected in an online drawing on the K&N website. Those eight winners will be brought to the race, and each fan will be paired with a driver in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The fan paired with the winning driver will leave the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in a 2012 K&N Horsepower Challenge edition Toyota Tundra. 

Although the fan vote for the eighth spot in the event is complete, the final seven drivers and their qualifying positions are yet to be determined. Currently, Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro driver Jason Line is in the No. 1 position, but the field and positioning won’t be locked in until after qualifying on Saturday, June 30, at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries in Chicago.

There is a four-way battle for the fifth through seventh spots between Erica Enders (currently fifth), Vincent Nobile (sixth), Ronnie Humphrey (seventh), and Rodger Brogdon (eighth). The top four spots are still up for grabs, with a battle waging between Line, his teammate Greg Anderson, Mike Edwards, and Allen Johnson. With the fan vote, Coughlin is locked in the eighth spot and will face the No. 1 qualifier in the first round of competition.

Last year, Anderson, driver of the Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro, won his second consecutive K&N Horsepower Challenge and fourth of his career, beating Edwards in the final round.

Tickets for the 6th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, July 5-8 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, are available by logging on to www.summitmotorsportspark.tix.com or by calling 419-668-5555.