Mopar claims the top three spots on first NHRA Pro Stock podium of 2013

This past weekend brought about the first event of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series at the Winternationals in Pomona California and the Mopar racing program started 2013 how it ended 2012 – by taking the top spot in the Pro Stock class.  In fact, racers piloting Dodge Avenger Pro Stock cars claimed four of the top five finishing spots while five of the seven Mopar entries finished in the top ten.

The Mopar drag racing program ended the 2012 season with a pair of championships – one by Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and the other by Jack Beckman in the Funny Car class – and Team Mopar got an amazing start to the 2013 NHRA season in the Pro Stock class with a dominating effort for their drivers.  The 16 car qualifying field for the Pro Stock class at the Winternationals included 7 Dodge Avenger entries including Allen Johnson, Vincent Nobile, Jeg Coughlin Jr., V Gaines, Chris McGaha, Matt Hartford and Deric Kramer.  Unfortunately the teams got off to a slow start in qualifying with just three of those drivers making it into the top half of the bracket while V Gaines was the fastest of the Mopars in qualifying. 

Qualifying results:
1. Mike Edwards-Interstate/Team Second Camaro-6.528  212.39
2. V. Gaines-Kendall Oil Avenger- 6.538  212.29
3. Erica Enders-Stevens-Cagnazzi Racing Cobalt-6.539  212.23
4. Jason Line-Summit Racing Equipment Camaro -6.541  212.43
5. Vincent Nobile-Mountain View Tire Avenger-6.551  211.46
6. Jeg Coughlin-JEGS.com/Mopar Avenger -6.572  210.97
7. Rodger Brogdon-ProtectTheHarvest.com Camaro-6.577  210.31
8. Greg Anderson-Summit Racing Equipment Camaro-6.580  211.36
9. Greg Stanfield-MAVTV/Lucas Oil Camaro -6.582  210.11
10. Allen Johnson-Team Mopar/J&J Racing Avenger-6.594  211.06
11. Steve Kent- Kent Trucking GXP-6.594  208.97
12. Matt Hartford-Total Seal/Nickens Avenger-6.599  210.60
13. Shane Gray-Gray Motorsports Camaro-6.600  209.95
14. Kurt Johnson-Mark Christopher Camaro-6.602  210.08
15. Deric Kramer-American Ethanol Avenger-6.611  209.69
16. Chris McGaha-Harlow Sammons of Odessa Avenger-6.612  209.04 

However, when the real racing began with the first round – Team Mopar was ready for action.  The only Avenger Pro Stock cars to lose in the first round lost to other Avengers and every Mopar Pro Stock entry that faced a GM entry won in round one (no Ford Mustangs qualified).  Allen Johnson defeated Rodger Brogdon, Jeg Coughlin beat Steve Kent, Chris McGaha beat Mike Edwards, V Gaines beat Deric Kramer and Vincent Nobile took down Matt Hartford.  After round one, with just 8 cars left in the field, five of them were Dodge Avengers.

In round two, Chris McGaha got in trouble early against Greg Stanfield, crossing the center line thus being disqualified but that was the only time all day that a General Motors Pro Stock car beat a Mopar racer.  Later in the second round, Vincent Nobile took down Shane Grey, V Gaines beat reigning champ Allen Johnson and Jeg Coughlin bested Kurt Johnson.  After round 2 there were four cars left in the field and three of them were Mo-powered Avengers.

Round three saw Greg Stanfield get out to a quick lead over Vincent Nobile but the Mountain View Tire Avenger was able to run down the Lucas Oil Camaro for the win – making Nobile 8-1 against Stanfield and sending his Avenger into the final round.  The other half of the final four saw Jeg Coughlin take the starting line advantage over V Gaines and Jeg never looked back – beating Gaines to claim a birth into the finals including lane choice against Nobile.

In the final round, we had what would be an exciting shootout between the Jeg’s Dodge Avenger driven, of course, by Jeg Coughlin going head to head with Vincent Nobile’s Mountain View Tire Avenger.  Unfortunately, Coughlin got a little eager at the starting line and redlit- giving Vincent Nobile his first win of the season.

The 1-2-3 finish of the Dodge Avengers of Nobile, Coughlin and Gaines means that these three hold the top three spots in the early running for the season championship while reigning champ Allen Johnson sits in the fifth spot.

Image: Chrysler

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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