THE OTHER COUGHLIN BROTHERS HEAD FOR INDY
Usually the Agent gets PR notes about pro category racers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and brother Troy, but when he gets a release on brothers John and Mike Coughlin it warrants a little extra attention. The duo will make their 2006 debuts at this weekend’s NHRA Division 3 Lucas Oil Series event at historic Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind. John will race his Chevy Cavalier in Super Stock, and his dragster in Super Comp while Mike will
concentrate his efforts on his new Chevy Cobalt Top Sportsman car.
Over the years, the Coughlin family has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at IRP. A Coughlin has won the Indy points meet five times, including John’s Super Gas win at the 1994 event. Jeg Jr. has won two Division 3 titles at IRP in 1992 and 1997, and family patriarch Jeg Sr. claimed the Pro Comp title at Indy in 1976 and the Top Fuel crown in 1978.
Mike Coughlin will make the jump to the Top Sportsman class this season. He plans to take delivery of his new Chevy Cobalt from chassis builder Jerry Bickel’s shop in St. Louis, Mo., on April 5 and plans to test the car on Thursday and Friday. Coughlin expects the car to run in the low seven-second range at close to 190-mph.
“I still love racing in Super Comp, but I was ready for a change and right now, Top Sportsman is a hot class,” said Mike. [4-5-2006]
CAPPS ON THIS WEEK'S 'SPEEDFREAKS'
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
Current NHRA POWERade Funny Car Series points leader, Ron Capps, will appear on Speed Channel’s “SpeedFreaks TV” this Saturday, April 8. SpeedFreaks TV will air on Speed Channel at 12 a.m. EST (April 9)/9 p.m. PST April 8.
And speaking of Capps, it's certainly no surprise that the driver of Schumacher Racing's Brut-sponsored Dodge Funny Car is favored to win this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Capps, always a top contender in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, won in Las Vegas last October. And just four races into the 2006 season, he has won twice (Houston and Gainesville) and was runner-up in the season opener at Pomona, Calif. That's why Micah Roberts, oddsmaker for Station Casinos in Las Vegas, has tabbed Capps as the favorite, at 3-to-1.
Here are the odds on the Funny Car field: Ron Capps - 3/1; John Force - 7/2; Robert Hight - 5/1; Eric Medlen - 5/1; Gary Scelzi - 8/1; Tommy Johnson Jr. - 10/1; Del Worsham - 12/1; Phil Burkart - 12/1; Tony Pedregon - 15/1; Bob Gilbertson - 15/1; Cruz Pedregon - 18/1; Gary Densham - 20/1; Tim Wilkerson - 20/1; Whit Bazemore - 25/1; Scott Kalitta - 25/1; Field (all others) - 12/1. We'll give the odds for the other classes as the week goes on. (Ron Lewis photo) [4-5-2006]
FIREBIRD BRINGS ADVERTISING AND PR IN-HOUSE
Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., has hired Dwayne Harksell as Marketing and Advertising Manager and Anna Hackett as Marketing and Communications Manager. Firebird Raceway has traditionally contracted public relations and advertising production to local agencies.
"Dwayne Harksell has years of experience and talent with print mediums and advertising design specific to events; we are lucky to have him. Anna Hackett has so much energy and enthusiasm, she could have fun in a paper bag," Vice President Franki Buckman said of the new hires in a press release from the track. (And perhaps Anna's first job will be to overcome THAT introduction.) [4-5-2006]
O'REILLY EXTENDS NHRA PRESENCE
O’Reilly Auto Parts has extended its partnership with NHRA as the title sponsor of the NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park through the 2009 season.
The company is the title sponsor of six of the 23 NHRA POWERade Series events, including the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals at Gateway Raceway near St. Louis; the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway; the O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka (Kan.); the Mid-South Nationals at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park; and the O’Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas. [4-5-2006]
