MEETING OF THE MINDS
Old friends found together at the Las Vegas SEMA Show last week were, from left, DRO Editor/Publisher Jeff Burk, Jeff Smith, Senior Technical Editor at Car Craft, and MaxChevy.com Editor Terry Cole. The main topics of conversation were sore feet and convention show dining. (Darr Hawthorne photo) [11-6-2006]
CALIFORNIA TO FLORIDA FOR COUGHLIN
After he finishes competing at the NHRA Finals at Pomona this coming Sunday night, Jeg Coughlin Jr. will catch the red-eye for Florida and be ready on Monday, Nov. 13, for the first round of competition at the 5-Day Bracket Championships at Moroso Motorsports Park.
"This might be an extreme case of chasing my passion for the sport but both of these races mean a great deal to me and in my estimation, epitomize drag racing on both the professional and the sportsman levels," Coughlin said.
Although Coughlin just returned to the seat of a Pro Stock car in October, he is the defending champion at Pomona. He has spent most of 2006 bracket racing.
“These final three races of the (NHRA) season have allowed me to get back up to speed in a Pro Stock car and I already feel very comfortable in the seat,” Coughlin said. “I think all the laps I've made in bracket races this year kept me sharp."
The runs Coughlin has made at various high-dollar bracket races this year also whetted his appetite for the S&W Moroso 5-Day Bracket Championships, where in 2003 he won two of the five days and the overall title.
"As important and prestigious as the Finals are to pro racers, the Moroso 5-Day Bracket Championships have the same feel for sportsman racers," said Coughlin, a 47-time national event winner. "I still count my overall title there in 2003 as one of the biggest achievements of my racing career.
"This year, JEGS Mail Order is hosting a Race of Champions. We've invited everyone who has ever won an individual day or the overall championship from the last 25 years to come back and race for the title,” Coughlin continued. “We're even allowing anyone who can prove they've participated in all 25 Moroso 5-Day Bracket Championships, whether they've won or not, to join the race. It should be fun." (James Drew photo) [11-6-2006]
‘ESPN2 GARAGE’ TO FEATURE AUTOMOTIVE PROGRAMMING
As the Agent reported a few months ago, in 2007 ESPN2 will be launching motorsports TV programming designed to compete with SPEED Channel shows.
With some making their debut on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007, a new block of 19 different shows will bring a wide variety of automobile entertainment from car auctions to custom-car programs to an animated series and reality shows. The programming will air on ESPN2 5-6:30 p.m. ET on weekdays, 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and 10-11 a.m. on Sundays.
Of special interest to DRO readers may be “King of the Streets,” a reality game show in which 13 amateur drag racers compete against each other for the title King of the Streets. After each win, the contestant must decide whether to keep the winnings and go home or to keep on going. Hosted by Melanie Troxel and Tommy Johnson Jr., the show isn’t scheduled to debut until the third quarter of 2007.
Debuting in January will be Chopper Nation, Import Racers, Michael Waltrip Racing: A New Era, RM Classic Car Auctions, SpeedFreaks, and Truck Stop. [11-6-2006]
