One race after missing out on his 50th Pro Stock win, Jeg Coughlin Jr. sealed the deal on a hot and humid Sunday in Commerce, Georgia.

Coughlin grabbed the elusive victory after beating an upset-minded Rickie Jones in the final round of the NHRA Southern Nationals.

“I was fortunate years ago to eclipse 50 wins with my Lucas Oil events, but I just can’t seem to get away from the number 50,” joked Coughlin, whose family’s mail order parts business is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. “Winning fifty times in Pro Stock was my next plateau. I am very blessed to do what I do.”

In the past six years, Robert Hight has been in the finals four times in the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. He won in 2007 and on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon in the Peach State, Hight beat out sister-in-law Ashley Force Hood for his second win at the Commerce, GA facility and his second consecutive win of the season.

Hight won his first race of the season two weeks ago in St. Louis.

“This Ford Mustang has been unbelievable this weekend. We only missed this racetrack one run and it was on a killer run that run,” said Hight. “To run 18, 18, 19 and 18 again is unheard of in these fuel cars.”

In the four previous Pro Stock Motorcycle events in 2009, the Screaming Eagle Vance and Hines team scored two wins – split between Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec.

Hines made it three out of five with a close win in the 30th annual Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, GA, over defending class champion and current point leader, Hector Arana. Hines cut a near perfect light, .006, to lead from start to finish.

“That's about as good as it gets,” said Hines after the win. “It was a good clean race in the final. To come into this weekend with conditions we haven't seen all year – humidity, heat, track conditions – and to perform the way we did really puts a smile on my face.”

A crashed car, a mad thrash to rebuild and a determined driver personally challenged to perform were the key elements over the course of the NHRA Southern Nationals for Rodger Brogdon.

Brogdon released the clutch of his repaired Pontiac Pro Stock for the first time since a high speed crash in St. Louis two weeks ago. The spirit of the team was certainly willing, but without a few shakedown runs, the Steve Kent Racing, Attitude Apparel-sponsored team just couldn’t pull off the improbable.

“We loaded the Pistonator into the truck at Jerry Haas shop late this past Wednesday afternoon,” said Brogdon, “and if we had one more day to make some test laps I think everything would have worked out OK. But as it was we just ran out of time. We hate to see the qualifying streak come to an end especially as well as we’ve been running of late, but we’ll get some test laps in between here and Topeka and we’ll get back on track.

Mark Mariani took out his first-ever Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) Pro Series title when he won Top Fuel at the recent Nitro Champs at Sydney Dragway (SD), Eastern Creek.

While it was Mariani’s first title, it was the second time team-owner Santo Rapisarda has won the Nitro Champs since the event’s inception in 2004.

Alan Dobson won for the Western Sydney-based Rapisarda Racing in 2007. Dobson was also runner-up last year.   

Maryland International Raceway's Mountain Motor Nationals has remained an institution for the last three decades. The 2010 version, aligned with the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association, only served as another successful offering.

John Konigshofer, Otterville, Ontario, emerged as the winner of this weekend’s event defeating Pete Berner in the final round. He won on a holeshot, posting a 6.294 elapsed time which was just enough to hold off Berner’s 6.291.

Alan Ellis and Tony Jardino led the way to winner’s circle at the NHRA JEGS Pacific Sportsnationals at Auto Club Dragway and the second of three JEGS Sportsnationals on the 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Ellis, Mapleton, Utah, drove his ’08 roadster to the win in Comp Eliminator as he chased down Randy Jones of Monarch Beach, Calif., with a pass of 6.566 seconds at 207.78 mph.

Jardino of San Dimas, Calif., has been on a hot streak this year with this his second win in three final rounds in Top Dragster.  He won today over Matt Hartzell, Modesto, Calif., to go along with a win at SIR Dragway in Tucson, Ariz., and a runner up finish here on Friday for the rescheduled Arizona Nationals.  Jardino clocked in at 6.871 seconds at 196.87 mph to Hartzell’s 7.426, 174.26.

Larry Dixon tied Joe Amato for second on the NHRA Top Fuel wins list by racing to his 52nd career victory Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Robert Hight, Jeg Coughlin and Andrew Hines also were winners in their respective categories at the eighth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Dixon powered his Al-Anabi Racing dragster to his fourth win of the season and increased his series lead by outrunning Brandon Bernstein in the final round. Dixon covered the race distance in 3.913 seconds at 311.49 mph, but ultimately didn’t need the performance as Bernstein suffered a rare red-light start in his Copart/Lucas Oil dragster.

There’s something to be said for a driver who after getting a phone call on Tuesday, can hop on an airplane, fly halfway around the world, jump into a foreign race car and win a race.

Michael Gullqvist of Stockholm, Sweden, knows exactly how the experience feels.

Gullqvist was called in to substitute at the NHRA Southern Nationals for Raymond Commisso, whose father Ernesto Commisso passed away Tuesday night in Toronto.

Final round-by-round results from the 30th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, the eighth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series: