John Coughlin: “I can’t win the World Championship even if I win both races”
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Atco, N. J.
Sep 24, 2007
JEGS
Needing a strong showing in order to have any chance of claiming the Division 3 Super Stock championship, John Coughlin came through in a big way with a victory during this weekend’s Lucas Oil Series event at Atco Dragway in Atco, N. J. Driving his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt, Coughlin won seven tough rounds of eliminations including a final round victory against former division champion Jim Harrington.
“I knew coming into this race that I needed to make it to the final and thanks to my team, we were able to get the job done,” said Coughlin. “We tested this car extensively last week and learned a lot. We made a lot of changes before this race and it responded beautifully. Right now, this car is very easy to drive and more importantly, it’s very consistent, which was a big help this weekend.”
As a result of his victory, Coughlin jumped from sixth to first in the Division 3 Super Stock standings. He is currently 12 points ahead of second-place Nicholas Morris. Morris can still earn points at one NHRA Lucas Oil Series event, but he must win four rounds of competition in order to pass Coughlin.
“This [championship] is by no means a done deal, but by winning this race I feel like I’ve done my part,” said Coughlin. “This car is brand new this year and I’ve taken it to eight divisional events and only lost in the first round once. That says a lot about the dedication of the crew here at Team JEGS.”
Following his win, Coughlin is on pace to post a top ten finish in the national Super Stock standings, which currently features more than 800 competitors. He can still earn points at NHRA national events so it’s likely that he will head west for the final two NHRA national events in Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.
“I can’t win the World Championship even if I win both races but I don’t think a top ten finish is out of the question,” said Coughlin. “Finishing in the top ten is a very big deal and it’s a goal I’d really like to pursue so I guess we’re going to start making travel plans for a west coast trip next month. In the past, I’ve always done well racing on the west coast so I’m really looking forward to getting back out there. No matter what happens, I’ve had a great season.”
