Jeg Coughlin Jr. put an exclamation point on his regular season No. 1 ranking by winning Pro Stock
at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Monday
afternoon. The victory over Greg Stanfield marked the seventh victory
of the season for the defending world champion.

Coughlin didn’t play the favorite out of the gate over the course of
the weekend, qualifying 12th in the 16-car field. His list of defeated
opponents included Greg Anderson, Rodger Brogdon and Mike Edwards
leading up to the race with Stanfield.

The Indy triumph marked his 77th career final round of his career.

Roger Burgess won his second event of the season and claimed the
crown jewel of drag racing by winning the Get Screened America Pro Mod
Challenge presented by ProCare Rx event at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S.
Nationals. Burgess defeated Danny Rowe in the final and moved into
second place in the points-standings after seven of ten events have
been completed. Burgess dedicated his win to the memory and honor of
his fallen teammate Bobby Monacelli who passed away from a heart attack
on August 10.
 
Despite an abbreviated number of qualifying sessions due to scheduling
and weather delays, the series enjoyed its quickest field in its
nine-year history. The bump spot was a 6.120 held by Kirk Wilmes, more
than a tenth quicker than the bump spot of 6.132 from 2008. Danny Rowe
took low qualifier honors with a 5.943; Brad Personett ran top speed at
248.84.
 
Burgess’ path to the winner's circle began with a stellar day-one
qualifying run of 5.960 at 242.45 mph that gave him the provisional
pole. In the second qualifier he suffered mechanical failure and was
passed in the standings by Danny Rowe and Joe Baker to land No. 3.
First round eliminations action paired Burgess with John Russo and his
unique 2000 Chevy S-10 pickup where Burgess' 5.979 at 241.45 handily
defeated Russo's 6.723 at 164.79 and set the tone for the remainder of
his elimination rounds.

John Force has had enough of the murmurings and innuendos.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champion described his shutdown area confrontation with former employee and driver Tony Pedregon as a matter of flared tempers.

“I’ve always tried to do what [publicists] Elon and Densmore have instructed me to do,” Force said. “I’ve listened to it for years … things that were just blatantly wrong. I’m not talking about what happened here today but over the last years. It’s over [Don] Schumacher, over Tony [Pedregon] and I had just had enough.”

Force said comments were directed towards him following his semi-final loss to teammate Robert Hight, a race that inevitably eliminated Pedregon’s brother Cruz Pedregon from championship contention.

“When someone walks by you and says something … his own brother at least shook my hand. He went by me and said it again and I asked him, ‘what did you say?’

When Robert Hight beat John Force in the semifinals of the 55th annual U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park it vaulted Hight, over Matt Hagan and Cruz Pedregon, into the Countdown to 1 as the 10th place points finisher.

Hight’s victory also set off a firestorm between Tony Pedregon and Force because Hight’s win against his father-in-law and boss, knocked Cruz, Tony’s brother and defending NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car world champion, out of the Countdown. Force beat Cruz Pedregon in the second round.

Following Hight’s win, Force and Pedregon were shown getting into a verbal confrontation at the end of the track.

“He got in my face and I think he was trying to intimidate me, but I stand by what I say,” said Pedregon, who is leading the points chase. “I’m just a competitor out here and I’m trying to make a living. This is an emotional business that we’re in,” said Pedregon. “There are some ups and downs and there’s some adrenaline that takes place. Now, the bottom line is if I lay down for Cruz in Brainerd, he’s in the top 10. I race. I stand behind what really this sport is about. I made a comment and John wanted to know why I didn’t say anything to him. What good is that going to do me? That’s not going to accomplish anything. John knows what he does. John knows those decisions he makes. I don’t believe that everyone is that naive. I simply call it the way that I see it. I only say this, that it’s a shame that this sport that’s built on competition, I know that it has evolved into a business, but to me it’s still about the competition.”

The
ESPN2 censors editing Sunday evening's roast of drag racing legend
Connie Kalitta will earn their money editing the footage. The event was
staged under a special tent on the grounds of O’Reilly Raceway Park in
Indianapolis.

Before a packed house of friends, fellow drag racers and drag racing
fans, Kalitta withstood the heat of a few friends chosen to tell a few
of the not-so-flattering stories from his five decades of drag racing
involvement. The proceeds of the event benefitted Racers for Christ.

NHRA announcer Bob Frey emceed the roast and Alan Reinhart served as
the roving reporter making his way through the crowd gathering random
Kalitta tales.

Final round-by-round results from the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at O'Reilly Raceway Park at
Indianapolis, the 18th of 24 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag
Racing Series:

Final regular season point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional
categories following the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented
by Lucas Oil at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, the 18th of 24
events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The six-race
championship playoffs – the Countdown to 1 – begins Sept. 18 at zMAX
Dragway in Concord, N.C. -

Tony Schumacher continued his domination of the Mac Tools U.S.
Nationals presented by Lucas Oil Monday, racing to his eighth victory
at historic O’Reilly Raceway Park and tying legendary “Big Daddy” Don
Garlits for the most Top Fuel wins at the world’s most prestigious drag
race.

Ashley Force Hood, Jeg Coughlin, and Hector Arana also were winners of
the final regular season event in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing
Series. The Countdown to 1, NHRA’s six-race championship playoffs,
begins Sept. 18 with the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway near
Charlotte, N.C.

Schumacher, who has been to the last eight final rounds at this event
and 10 overall since he began his career at this race in 1996, powered
to his fourth victory of the season and 60th of his career, with a
performance of 3.861 seconds at 314.17 mph in his U.S. Army dragster to
hold off rival Larry Dixon, who trailed with a 4.208 at 228.58 in his
Al-Anabi Racing dragster.

NHRA to Award National Records in Top Fuel and Funny Car Categories; Bonus Points during Qualifying Sessions 
      
Today, the NHRA confirmed Competitionplus.com's stories as they announced that with the start of the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., it will recognize national records in Top Fuel and Funny Car and create a new bonus point system for pro qualifying sessions. Both programs will instantly make the battle for the NHRA Full Throttle world championships just a little more interesting for professional competitors on the eve of the start of the Countdown to 1, NHRA's six-race championship playoffs.

Sunday was a very long day at O’Reilly Raceway Park, but not
necessarily in mere hours.  A four hours-long shower reduced the
qualifying action to a single, last-gasp final session for the
professionals, one that the competitors themselves worried might be
completely washed out.  But, when the water stopped falling the
tireless NHRA Safety Safari set to work, having the track in racing
condition in less time than seemed possible when one viewed the water
collected along the racing surface.