This past weekend marked the first of six events that make up the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship and with a win in Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin has moved within 10 points of Mike Edwards in the battle for the 2013 championship. Over in the Funny Car class, Matt Hagan lost in the finals to Robert Hight but due to Hagan’s success throughout the season – he still holds a lead of 82 points over fellow Mopar racer Ron Capps.
In the Pro Stock class, the Dodge Avenger race cars had a much tougher start to the weekend with the best qualifying Dodge being Allen Johnson, who qualified 5th. Jeg Coughlin qualified 6th but was able to beat Greg Stanfield in round 1, Shane Grey in round 2 and Mike Edwards in round 3 to advance to the finals where he took on top qualifier Jason Line. Jeg was a bit slower than Line in the finals but thanks to a big starting line advantage, Coughlin was able to take the first win of the six race shootout for the championship.
Other Dodge drivers in the Pro Stock field included V Gaines (qualified 8th, lost in round 2), Allen Johnson (qualified 5th, lost in round 2) and Vincent Nobile (qualified 10th, lost in round 1). With the win, Jeg sits just 10 points behind class leader Mike Edwards.
Matt Hagan got off to a great start this past weekend in his Dodge Charger Funny Car, qualifying 2nd behind only Cruz Pedregon. Hagan beat Jeff Arend in round 1, John Force in round 2 and Jack Beckman in round 3 to advance to the finals where he would face Ford Mustang driver Robert Hight. After qualifying 8th, Hight was one of the faster cars throughout the day, turning in the quickest runs in each round leading up to the finals so it would be no easy task for Hagan and his Charger. Hagan broke that streak in the final round, running a 4.066 to Hight’s 4.083 but a big starting line advantage for the Mustang gave Robert Hight the Funny Car win.
Other Dodge drivers in the Funny Car field included Ron Capps (qualified 12th, lost in round 2), Jeff Arend (qualified 15th, lost in round 1 to Hagan), Johnny Gray (qualified 10th, lost in round 1) and Jack Beckman (qualified 11th, lost in round 3 to Hagan). On the year, Hagan leads the race for the championship with Capps 82 points back. Robert Hight sits third, 86 points back.
The drivers will be back in action this weekend at the Dallas Texas Motorplex.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
