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Tough Track Conditions Yields Disappointment for Mopar at NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston, TX – Tricky conditions at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston proved to be a bit more of a challenge for the Mopar 
contingency than was expected for the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries. The semifinals were as far as Pro Stock’s No. 1 qualifier Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Funny Car driver Ron Capps got for Mopar, bringing a streak of 13 wins in 11 events, dating back to September 2012, to an end.
The rain that fell and washed out most of qualifying on Saturday continued through the night and proceeded to wash away much of the rubber that had been laid on the racetrack. That made track conditions for eliminations an unknown entity with lack of traction becoming a concern for all sending teams scrambling to make adjustments to their car set-ups in order to compensate.
Top qualifier Coughlin registers strong semifinal finish in Houston
HOUSTON, TX – Past Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. was hoping to convert his first No. 1 qualifying effort of the season into 
a victory Sunday at Royal Purple Raceway, but even though that goal wasn’t reached, his strong semifinal finish did bring a smile to his face.
“Two more win lights would have made this weekend extra special but anytime you can get multiple round wins on race day, it’s pretty hard to be upset,” Coughlin said. “The JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger is running great and earning that No. 1 qualifier was a nice feather in our caps. It proves just how much horsepower Roy (Johnson, engine builder) is making.”
Coughlin posted a strong 6.569 at 211.20 mph Friday night, which was good enough for the 18th low qualifier award of his illustrious career. Rain on Saturday washed out his final two attempts, so he entered race day with a first-round date with No. 16 qualifier Steve Kent of Louisiana.
“Steve’s always a tough draw but this time he red-lighted so we got the win on the starting line,” Coughlin said. “I still went through the run to try and preserve lane choice and we put a 6.572 at 211.79 mph up there, so we were very pleased.
“That put us opposite Rickie Jones, another driver who keeps you on your toes. I figured we needed a .020 light and a high 6.50 and that’s what we got (.023-second reaction time and a 6.569 at 212.09 mph) so we went into the semis with a lot of confidence.”
Due to his quicker e.t. in the quarterfinals, Coughlin carried lane choice into his Round 3 race with two-time champion Jason Line. The two men left the starting line side-by-side but Coughlin’s machine quickly got into some severe tire spin. By the time he got it calmed down, Line was streaking away for the victory. The final numbers showed Line crossing with a 6.580 at 212.06 mph to Coughlin’s 6.678 at 210.77 mph.
“We had our old buddy Jason there and I really liked our chances,” Coughlin said. “The car just spun up early in the run so I started going through the gears to quiet it down. We had a pretty good drag race but that early section knocked just enough breath out of us to give him the edge.
“We’re still very pleased with how we’re running and I don’t expect any letdown next weekend in Atlanta.”
The JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger team will conclude the first three-in-a-row stretch of the season on May 3-5 at the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Atlanta.
One week later, Charlotte winner Coughlin knocked out early in Houston
HOUSTON, TX – If there’s one thing reigning Pro Mod champion Troy Coughlin has learned in three decades of drag racing it’s that the 
sport in rarely fair to its competitors. That point was made abundantly clear Sunday at Royal Purple Raceway when last weekend’s winner was unceremoniously dumped in the opening round of elimination action.
There were numerous upsets in the first round across all of the professional categories after nearly a full day of rain washed the track surface into a bald quarter-mile of concrete and asphalt, bereft of the usual layer of rubber that drivers like to use to gain better traction. But Coughlin was offering no excuses.
Gallen dominates in Nitro Jam’s return to Palm Beach
JUPITER, FL – Nitro Jam made its much anticipated return to Palm Beach International Raceway on Saturday to the fanfare of another 
incredible south Florida crowd.
Thousands packed into PBIR to witness the return to Nitro Jam’s unique brand of motorsports entertainment and the fans did not walk away disappointed as Bruce Litton (Top Fuel), Peter Gallen (AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car), Jay Turner (Nitro Harley) and Kyle Hough (Fuel Altered) took home Ironman trophies during the 2013 CarSafe Palm Beach Nitro Jam.
Under the direction of Palm Beach International Raceway track manager and new IHRA CEO Jason Rittenberry, the unique event was a hit and capped a very successful tour of Florida following a record-breaking stop at Bradenton Motorsports Park the week prior.
Rain Forces Cancellation Of X-DRL Thunder Valley Madness At Bristol Dragway
BRISTOL, TN – Steady rain showers on Sunday at Bristol Dragway forced the X-Treme Drag Racing League (X-DRL) to cancel the rest of 
eliminations for the weekend’s X-DRL Thunder Valley Madness.
Action at Bristol was rained out during eliminations on Saturday, and X-DRL officials had hoped to finish the race on Sunday, but persistent showers washed out that possibility.
The race is considered complete and points will be awarded for each X-DRL class based on what was finished during the weekend.
The next race during the 2013 X-DRL season is the Bash On The Bayou, which takes place May 17-18 at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La.
Weather Forces Delay Of X-DRL Thunder Valley Madness Eliminations At Bristol Dragway To Sunday
BRISTOL, TN – Action for the X-treme Drag Racing League’s (X-DRL) Thunder Valley Madness at Bristol Dragway was rained out during 
the first round of eliminations on Saturday, but the race is now scheduled to be completed on Sunday in Bristol.
Sunday’s elimination action will begin at 9 a.m. and will pick up with the third pair of Pro X-treme pairings.
The first two first-round winners in Pro X-treme were Terry Leggett and Randall Reid.
X-treme Pro Modified, Mickey Thompson Top Sportsman and Top Dragster did not make a run during eliminations. The first rounds for those respective classes will follow Pro X-treme on Sunday.
Mopar’s Coughlin No.1 in Rain Shortened Qualifying at NHRA SpringNationals
Houston, TX – Mopar’s Jeg Coughlin Jr. earned his first No.1 qualifier position since 2010 after qualifying was cut short by intermittent rain delays at the 26th annual NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries. Coughlin remained on top of the scoring sheets based on his efforts in Friday’s second session with an elapsed time run of 6.569 seconds (211.20 mph) and without getting a chance to make another pass at the Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.
“To get our first pole in a couple of years is fantastic, and we’d like to perform well tomorrow,” said Coughlin who has four title wins at the Houston SpringNationals. “It speaks volumes to where our team has come this year. We owe a lot of credit to Allen and Roy Johnson. We put a two-car team together, literally with one team (crew), and we communicate extremely well. Between him (Allen) and I and the addition of Vincent (Nobile) we’ve become a great threat thus far.”
Jeg Coughlin Jr. starting Sunday’s SpringNationals from No. 1 spot in Pro Stock
HOUSTON, TX – The rains washed out most of Pro Stock qualifying on Saturday at the NHRA SpringNationals, prompting an overnight 
strategy session for Jeg Coughlin Jr. and the JEGS/Mopar Dodge Avenger team at Royal Purple Raceway.
Coughlin earned his first No. 1 qualifier since 2010 but was one of the few Pro Stock cars in the field that didn’t get three shots at the track. His Friday pass of 6.569 seconds at 211.20 mph held up despite cooler, overcast conditions for the cars that did make runs on Saturday.
“It speaks volumes to where our team has come this year,” Coughlin said. “We owe a lot of credit to Allen and Roy Johnson. When we decided to put a two-car team together, literally one (crew). We communicate extremely well.
Tour’s most recent Pro Mod winner ready for repeat in Houston
HOUSTON, TX – Troy Coughlin put the JEGS.com Chevy Corvette into the No. 7 spot in the Pro Mod field Saturday at the NHRA 
SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway.
Rain has played havoc with the schedule. Pro Mod’s final qualifier was cancelled and the first round of eliminations were pushed to Sunday. Coughlin said he would have liked to have had another crack at the racetrack before eliminations, but his best run from Friday, a pass of 5.979 seconds at 248.71 mph, was a nice block to build from.
“We’re still trying to sort out some of the new rules stuff,” Coughlin said. “We had a fantastic race in Charlotte. Since we’re qualified No. 7 here, we’ll get lane choice tomorrow. We should be in pretty good shape.”
Coughlin will line up on Sunday morning against No. 8 qualifier Von Smith, whose best lap was in 5.979 seconds at 243.90 mph.
Taylor Makes X-DRL Debut, Heads Top Qualifiers At Thunder Valley Madness At Bristol Dragway
BRISTOL, TN – In his first race with the X-treme Drag Racing League (X-DRL) at its debut appearance at Bristol Dragway, Pro X-treme 
standout Frankie Taylor left an immediate impression at X-DRL Thunder Valley Madness.
Taylor dipped into the 3.60s right off the trailer and then ended the day with an even bigger bang, closing out three rounds of qualifying on Friday with an incredible 3.646 at 209.07 mph.
“It was good to start off on that note. We ran well right off the trailer and that’s always a great thing,” Taylor said. “That last run, it was nice and smooth, and went right down the track.”
