Of those 10 winners, none were Troy Coughlin, something he hopes to change in 2016 and as soon as this weekend’s season opener as part of 47th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
This weekend’s Pro Mod racing is presented by Pro Line Racing and Jerry Bickle Race Cars.
One thing Coughlin would like to keep, however, is the finish, as he claimed his second NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Series world championship a year ago in his late model JEGS.com Chevrolet Corvette.
“It's been a pretty remarkable run these last four years," said Coughlin, who also claimed the 2012 title. "You don't think about it as it's happening because you're generally focused on the next round, the next race, but it's neat when you do have time to reflect to see how well we have done.
"It's definitely all about this remarkable team. Steve Petty is the best crew chief in the business, and having guys like Mike Rees, Justin Beaver, and Kyle Pettis stick with us for so many years, that makes such a huge difference. I'm so honored to drive this race car and work with these guys."
Coughlin’s quest for a third world championship starts in Gainesville after slipping past Mike Janis by a mere 14 points one year ago. But, as the parity in winners from a year ago indicates, it won’t be easy. Coughlin will face off against a talented group in a 28-car field in Gainesville, including past world champions Rickie Smith, who posted back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014, and 2010 title winner Von Smith.
Other stalwarts include Danny Rowe, Mike Castellana, Janis, Steve Matusek, Bill Glidden, Pete Farber and Bob Rahaim, who is the defending winner of the Gainesville event. That victory in the first race a year ago propelled Rahaim’s strong season, as he finished third in his sleek silver and black Corvette.
“I think we’re in a really good place right now and hopefully we can pick up where we left off,” Rahaim said. “We have to qualify well and hopefully go rounds, and that’s the gist of it. One of the key things is, and this is what we learned last year, is you have to qualify at every event. We didn’t do that at the U.S. Nationals and that hurt our championship hopes. But we’re really looking forward to this season.”
NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, March 18 with qualifying sessions at noon and 3:30 p.m., continuing with the final qualifying session on Saturday, March 19 at 2 p.m. Round one of eliminations is later on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. Round two of Pro Mod eliminations starts at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Sunday.
To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call (800) 884-NHRA (6472) or visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult. For more information about the NHRA visit www.NHRA.com.