Madison: Coughlin brothers Friday summary

Coughlin boys look to day two

Brothers Jeg and Troy Coughlin weathered a brutally hot day at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis and qualified both of the Jeg's Mail Order professional entries in the provisional fields of the ninth annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals. Jeg drove his Dodge Stratus R/T through a 6.817-second run at 202.58 mph to earn the 13th position on the Pro Stock ladder, while Troy used a 6.280 at 226.70 mph in his Shelby Ford Mustang to grab the fifth slot in Pro Modified.

Jeg didn't have the luxury of pushing the limits of his tune-up and going for the No. 1 position in the semi-cooler night air after failing to make a run in Friday's opening session, which took place when temperatures were well over 100 degrees. The former St. Louis winner broke a rear-end during his initial attempt and was taken back to the pit area.

The three-time series champion responded like a Pro in Round 2 when he posted a good steady number that should give crew chief Bob Glidden all the necessary data he might need to shot for the top under the lights on Saturday night in the preferred lane.

"It's pretty rare to break a rear end," Coughlin said. "Fortunately, it didn't cause a lot of damage. The worse part was we didn't get a run so we were the first pair out in the second round. We made a good, safe pass. That's what we had to do.

"There's a lot of room for improvement and a lot of cleaning up to do. We'll be working late tonight and in the heat tomorrow to make sure we're ready to go for it when we run. You can't predict parts breakage but we can repair it."

The most recent winner on the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge tour, Troy was all smiles Friday night after posting his best pass of the day. He was even excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. His class has one more qualifying session Saturday afternoon before starting eliminations in the evening.

"We're in the fast half of the field and we plan on staying there," Troy said. "The car's running good, just like it was last weekend. We're sneaking up on such a killer combination. [Crew chief] Chuck Ford says there is plenty left in there, at least eight or nine hundredths of a second, so we'll see if we can't move up the grid tomorrow."

-jegs-