These drivers have attended 15 5-Day events. Oh, the stories they can tell.
By the mid-1980s, the Moroso 5-Day had become bracket racing’s quintessential event, a must attend for anyone looking to challenge the best competition, escape the oncoming winter weather, or simply have a good time. Four years after its inception, the car counts at the 5-Day had nearly doubled, to an average of more than 400 entries per night. Due to the large car counts and talent-laden fields, an overall points championship at the Moroso 5-Day has become one of the most revered accomplishments in sportsman drag racing.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is one individual who can attest to the significance of the Moroso 5-Day race. Coughlin has won two NHRA World Championships in Pro Stock and 46 NHRA national events, yet the trophy that sits most prominently on his mantle represents his overall points victory at the 2003 Moroso 5-Day.
“It’s true,” Coughlin admitted. “Winning [the overall championship] rates as one of the things I’m most proud of as a racer. I enjoy running bracket races because it really tests your skills as a driver and races like the Moroso 5-Day are the ultimate test. The 5-Day is a very competitive event, but one of the things that helps to make it special is the camaraderie among the racers. Every year, I look forward to seeing a lot of my old friends and meeting new ones. This race really has a great family atmosphere.”
Another driver who can echo Coughlin’s sentiments is Scotty Richardson, a five-time NHRA world champion who is also the most successful racer in the history of the Moroso 5-Day. A transplanted Texan now living in Goodlettsville, TN, Richardson has won five Moroso races and three overall points championships during the 5-Day. He also has six runner-up finishes and, while no exact count is available, it’s likely that Richardson’s career-earnings at the 5-Day are approaching the six-figure mark. Richardson’s older brother, Edmond, is also a longtime 5-Day star having won the first of his four titles in 1984.
“The 5-Day has always been a special race for me and I think pretty much everyone else who races at Moroso feels the same way,” Edmond said. “I like it because it has the toughest competition anywhere in the world. Anytime you can win a race at Moroso, you know you’ve really accomplished something special because all of the hitters are there. It’s a tough race, but we also have a lot of good times.”
One more driver for whom the 5-Day has been extremely lucrative is Tampa native Kenny Underwood. In 1991, Moroso decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the 5-Day by giving away a luxurious handcrafted full-sized Grandfather clock to each day’s champion and another to the overall points champ. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but, Underwood quickly proved otherwise when he went on a rampage. By the end of the week, Underwood had won two individual races and the overall points championship, filling his trailer with three of the prized clocks.