Coughlin wins Columbus Top Sportsman title

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mike Coughlin’s chances of winning the 2007 NHRA Division 3 Top Sportsman championship received a big boost this weekend as the Team JEGS driver drove his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt to victory at the Lucas Oil Series event at National Trail Raceway. Coughlin qualified eighth in the field and then drove to five round wins on race day, finishing with an almost perfect reaction time in his final round victory over Ronnie Proctor of Harper’s Ferry, W.V.

“We struggled a bit at the last two races so it was good to get back on the right track with a victory,” said Coughlin, who passed Billy Vaughn to reclaim the points lead. “My car ran well all weekend and I managed to do what I needed to do as a driver, especially in the final round. There’s still some work to be done in order to win the championship, but this weekend was a big, big help in the right direction.

“This win was especially rewarding because it came at my home track, National Trail Raceway,” said Coughlin. “I’ve made so many runs at this track that I feel very comfortable here. It’s also great to be able to win in front of my friends and family.”

Coughlin’s brother John also competed in the Columbus Lucas Oil Series event, but he was defeated in the early rounds of both Top Dragster and Super Stock. Despite the early loss, John remains a leading contender for the Division 3 Top Dragster championship.

The Coughlin brothers will take a couple of weeks of before heading to Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Ky., for the final Division 3 Lucas Oil Drag Racing event of the season, August 24-26.