Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. arrives at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix intent on defending the title of the Arizona NHRA Nationals, a race he won last season to kick off a stellar regular season that included an NHRA-leading seven national event victories.
At last weekend's season opener in Pomona, Calif., Coughlin started his 2010 campaign with a strong showing, at least through qualifying, where he nailed down the No. 2 spot overall in a tight Pro Stock field. But raceday through his JEGS.com race team a curveball as his super-quick Chevrolet Cobalt went sideways on the launchpad, relegating Coughlin to first-round loss and a ninth-place ranking in the early points.
"We tested well and ran so consistently in qualifying out there and we fully expected to have a long day of work on Sunday but it wasn't meant to be," Coughlin said. "The car went crooked and as tight as Pro Stock is these days, we couldn't recover in time to challenge for the round win.