Five-time champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. to start 2018 season against teammate Erica Enders
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 10) — Multi-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will begin a season-long quest for a sixth class crown Sunday opposite Elite Motorsports teammate and fellow past champion Erica Enders, a back-to-back titlist in 2014-2015. Enders and Coughlin finished the four rounds of professional qualifying for the 58th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in the seventh and 10th slots, respectively, setting up an intriguing first-round tilt. Continue reading Five-time champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. to start 2018 season against teammate Erica Enders
All posts by ARP Trish
Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona 500 Practice Quotes
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CLASH
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY FINAL DAYTONA 500 PRACTICE QUOTES
FEBRUARY 10, 2018
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 10, 2018) – Today marked the first time all 18 Team Chevy drivers climbed behind the wheel of their all-new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race cars. The car is a complete redesign from the Chevrolet SS the manufacturer campaigned over the last five seasons. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 drivers showed strength in the morning practice session for those seven Chevy drivers competing in the Advance Auto Parts Clash which will commence tomorrow, February 11, at 3:00 p.m., ET. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona 500 Practice Quotes
Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Danica Patrick
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CLASH
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 10, 2018
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 7 GODADDY CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed competing in her final Daytona 500, what she will be doing after Sunday is complete, her thoughts on her new team and many other topics. Full Transcript:
AS A FORMER POLE WINNER FOR THIS RACE AND HAVING SOME HIGHS…
“Being a former pole winner and watching myself not out there in Clash practice you mean?” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Danica Patrick
Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Alex Bowman
MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CLASH
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 10, 2018
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 NATIONWIDE CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1, met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway and discussed driving the No. 88 in 2018, what he has learned from Dale Earnhardt, Jr. about superspeedway racing and many other topics. Full Transcript: Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Daytona–Alex Bowman
JOHN FORCE RACING BEGINS TITLE DEFENSES FRIDAY AT WINTERNATIONALS
JOHN FORCE RACING BEGINS TITLE DEFENSES FRIDAY AT WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 9, 2018) – Reigning NHRA Funny Car World champion Robert Hight began his title defense Friday at the season-opening 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. The two-time champ powered his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to a 3.889-second pass at 331.12 mph during the first round of the day, for a fourth-place spot heading into Saturday.
“First run was good. Second run, put a cylinder out right at the hit and shut it off. We didn’t make a lot of full runs in testing because we were trying things so it was nice to make a full run to the finish line,” Hight said. “I think we were top speed that run. Look for Q4 tomorrow to see some low 80s for these Funny Cars. (Crew chief) Jimmy Prock, he’ll be shooting for that number.” Continue reading JOHN FORCE RACING BEGINS TITLE DEFENSES FRIDAY AT WINTERNATIONALS
Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power met with members of the media at ISM Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona.
Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power met with members of the media at ISM Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona. Full Transcript:
IndyCar Media Conference
Friday February 9, 2018
Josef Newgarden
Will Power
Simon Pagenaud
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Team Penske. Josef, are you ready to go?
JOSEF NEWGARDEN: Yeah, it was OK. We didn’t run much on our side this afternoon just because I think we wanted to wait more for the evening running. When you look at when qualifying is going to be when we come back, we’re kind of waiting a little bit. I think we ran 20, 25 laps. Just a couple runs to kind of figure things out, understand where the car is at.
I think we were maybe a little bit off on our starting setup. We’ll retweak that, I think the next set of tires will be pretty good.
It’s different. I think there’s definitely adjustments that need to be made from last year obviously. It’s useful to have this time and to be able to work through everything because I think we’re all going to need it.
THE MODERATOR: Will, how is the car different? Continue reading Team Penske Chevrolet IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power met with members of the media at ISM Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona.
JOHN FORCE RACING CELEBRATES 2017 SEASON WITH CHAMPIONS KICK-OFF PARTY AT YORBA LINDA SHOP
JOHN FORCE RACING CELEBRATES 2017 SEASON WITH CHAMPIONS
KICK-OFF PARTY AT YORBA LINDA SHOP
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (February 8, 2018) – The newly crowned NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car world champions, who call Yorba Linda, Calif. their home base, opened their headquarters Thursday night as an estimated crowd of over 2,000 fans enjoyed an evening with the NHRA stars. Brittany Force, 2017 NHRA Top Fuel champion, and Robert Hight, 2017 NHRA Funny Car champion, were joined by 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion and team owner John Force along with 2012 Rookie of the Year and winningest female Funny Car driver Courtney Force at the free event.
The special occasion featured a car show, autograph session, Q&A with all four drivers, museum tours and also the debut of the new web series chronicling the 2017 season. Additionally, food trucks were on site during the event. Throughout the evening fans wandered through the shop and museum, snapping photos from the four decades of racing dominance.
The highlight of the night was the Q&A session led by Ashley Force Hood, president of John Force Entertainment, which included all four drivers and was quickly taken over by the gregarious team leader John Force. During the 30-minute session topics ranged from racing to raising kids to Force’s newly earned honorary doctorate from University of Northwestern Ohio.
“We wanted to celebrate the success of last season and also get excited for this upcoming season. My dad took over the question and answer session and it got a little crazy. We are excited to debut the web series and also spend some time with our fans,” said Ashley Force Hood, the unofficial hostess of the event and also a two-time US Nationals winner in Funny Car.
PEAK Antifreeze and Motor Oil provided free cupcakes to celebrate Force’s doctorate to all the fans. The team will head to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the historic Winternationals which begin tomorrow with two qualifying sessions.
JOHN FORCE RACING AND ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE TEN-EPISODE SERIES ON DOMINANT 2017 SEASON
JOHN FORCE RACING AND ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE
TEN-EPISODE SERIES ON DOMINANT 2017 SEASON
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2018) — John Force Entertainment will be releasing a ten-episode web series to the John Force Racing YouTube page on Friday, Feb. 9 at noon ET. The series, titled “Force”, follows the four-car team throughout the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Season offering behind the scenes views of the Force family.
When John Force Entertainment began filming in 2017, they had no idea they’d be chronicling the team’s path to a pair of world championships.
“We planned to do this project and started filming behind the scenes at the beginning of the 2017 race season,” said Ashley Force Hood, President of John Force Entertainment. “The fact that we ended the season with two world championships was luck for us. Our goal was to provide our fans with some entertaining and informative content that gives them an honest look at what it takes to go after a NHRA Championship while competing in the family business. Our double win was icing on the cake.”
Fans will be able to watch all ten episodes at https://www.youtube.com/user/jfrracing free of charge. Catch a sneak peek of the series at the team’s Yorba Linda, Calif. shop tonight, Thursday, Feb. 7, at the official John Force Racing Kick Off Party from 5-8 p.m.
Menard, Omnicraft Team Hoping The Numbers Line Up At Daytona
Menard, Omnicraft Team Hoping The Numbers Line Up At Daytona
February 8, 2018
As veteran driver Paul Menard makes his final preparations before leaving for Daytona International Speedway, where his first drive in the No. 21 Omnicraft Ford Fusion will also be his 400th career Cup start, his goals for the opening weekend are pretty simple.
“Hopefully we’ll sit on the pole,” Menard said, adding that his goal is within reason. “We have a fast Ford Fusion, and Fords typically are fast at Daytona.
“We have the horsepower and we have the aero. All we need to do is make it happen.”
While Menard acknowledges that in some ways, his 400th start is just another number in a long career, it’s also an important milestone in his career. Continue reading Menard, Omnicraft Team Hoping The Numbers Line Up At Daytona
Follow A Dream/Permatex TA/FC team 2017 season wrap/2018 season look-ahead
Follow A Dream/Permatex TA/FC team 2017 season wrap/2018 season look-ahead
MARSTONS MILLS, Massachusetts (February 7, 2018) – The Follow A Dream/Permatex Top Alcohol Funny Car had an outstanding 2017 season.
The team won two races, had several more runner-up and semi-final finishes, won the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car East Regional championship and finished sixth in the national series’ standings.
It was the second full season of team owner/crew chief Jay Blake, driver Phil Burkart and tuner Anthony Terenzio being together, forming a strong nucleus that worked well off each other and with each other.
It was a true team effort, one that got stronger and more cohesive with each passing race of the 2017 campaign. If there was one unfortunate part, it’s that the season ended in late September just as the team was really hitting its stride. Continue reading Follow A Dream/Permatex TA/FC team 2017 season wrap/2018 season look-ahead
SIXTEEN-TIME CHAMPION JOHN FORCE FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED TO ENTER HIS 42ND NHRA SEASON
SIXTEEN-TIME CHAMPION JOHN FORCE FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED TO ENTER HIS 42ND NHRA SEASON
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2018) — John Force, namesake of the most successful drag racing team in NHRA history, will start his 42nd professional season when the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series kicks-off at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on Friday.
The Southern California local is no stranger to the renowned Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, he has 16 event wins at the facility including seven at the season-opening race. With a seventh-place finish in the 2017 standings, Force is looking forward to getting the new season started close to home.
“For a lot of people winter I am sure goes by really fast but for me winter seems to go so slow. I am looking forward to seeing the fans and all our sponsors at Auto Club Raceway for the Winternationals. It is my home track and we’ll have lots of family and friends at the races all weekend,” said Force.
Force will be running his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car with a new paint scheme in 2018, reminding fans that you’re just 18 degrees from a mechanical emergency. Force, who received his honorary doctorate from the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) during the off-season, will be the face of PEAK’s campaign as Dr. Coolant.
“I have a new look for my PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevy Camaro. I’ve got a big ole 18 Degrees logo on the hood. I got a doctorate in January from UNOH so you can call me Dr. Force, or I guess it’s Dr. Coolant, and I am going to be talking about some great programs with PEAK all season,” explained Force, who has a life-time sponsorship with the nationally recognized coolant company. They made some great videos which you’ll see on the internet soon. I love PEAK and with (Old World Industry’s CMO) Bryan Emrich’s help they are keeping me on the race track for as long as I want to race. They are a great partner along with Auto Club, Monster Energy, Advance Auto Parts, Chevrolet and Mac Tools we are going to do some damage this season.”
Also on Force’s mind this weekend will be the recognition of his team’s championship sweep of the nitro categories.
“I am really looking forward to seeing the champions get their rings and jackets on Sunday. I am proud of Brittany (Force) and Robert (Hight) for winning the championships,” said Force who had one win and one No. 1 qualifier last season. “We will all have our work cut out for us this season though. We are starting fresh and I am ready to chase the Countdown and another championship.”
Chevy Racing–NHRA–Pomona
CHEVROLET AT POMONA
What:
Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com
When:
Friday, Feb.9-Sunday, Feb. 11
Where:
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California
TV:
FS1: Qualifications live – 6 p.m. ET Friday; taped — 1 p.m. ET Saturday
FS1: Eliminations and finals live – 5 p.m. ET Sunday
Chevrolet Seeks Quick Start in Defense of Pro Championships
Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock title-holders embark on new season of challenges
DETROIT (Feb. 7, 2018) – Three months ago, Chevrolet drivers Brittany Force, Robert Hight, and Bo Butner proudly stood on the champions’ stage at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, awash in a shower of multi-colored confetti and champagne spray. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Pomona
TWO-TIME REIGNING FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB CHEVROLET CAMARO READY FOR 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE
TWO-TIME REIGNING FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB CHEVROLET CAMARO READY FOR 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2018) — Robert Hight is more than ready to be getting back in the seat of his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona to start the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Season. And who can blame him? He ended the 2017 season at the famed track as the world champion, the second crown of his career.
“I can’t wait to get back there and get back with the fans. We got to meet some fans over the off-season at different functions but it is not the same as being at an NHRA national event,” said Hight who has three wins at the season-opening event.
After a successful test session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside Phoenix, where Hight branded his car with the championship No. 1, the Auto Club team is confident in their car and ready to take on the rest of the Funny Car class with a strong showing at the Winternationals. Continue reading TWO-TIME REIGNING FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMPION ROBERT HIGHT AND AUTO CLUB CHEVROLET CAMARO READY FOR 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE
Megan Meyer’s Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by WELD Racing
Megan Meyer’s Drag Illustrated Driver Blog Presented by WELD Racing
“You have to stay ahead of the game, or you’ll get left behind.” –Randy Meyer
This is the motto for our team coming into the new race season, and we are not one to back down. We are always striving to be stronger, faster, and quicker on the track and in the pits. We didn’t make any major changes in the off season. Instead, we made little changes that make a big difference in cutting down maintenance, time spent working on the cars, and organization. Each year my dad comes up with new ideas to increase our speed between rounds, because it seems like we get less and less time on race day. Simply making things easier and work more efficient was our focus this offseason.
Before we headed to Phoenix for the Nitro Spring Training, Julie and I visited Scottsdale for the Women In Auto Care Leadership Conference and had an absolute blast. It was a short conference, but the knowledge we absorbed and connections we made are priceless. I highly encourage all women (and men!) in the motorsports/automotive industry to take a look at this growing group.
Cruz Pedregon Pomona Pre-Race
NHRA® Team Report
NHRA Winternationals – Pomona, CA
Pre-Race Report
Cruz Pedregon is serious about success in the season ahead with a new chassis for the Snap-on Toyota and the addition of racing veteran Glen Huszar as assistant crew chief. “We ended last season getting the numbers we wanted and more consistency in our runs, and we are upping our game from that good place this year,” Cruz says. “Aaron (Brooks), the team and I finished the season with Glen helping us out in Vegas and Pomona, and we all liked what we could make happen together. It’s already working well with the 3.89 run at 330 mph we made during testing. That’s the fastest run ever for me at 1,000 ft.”
Continue reading Cruz Pedregon Pomona Pre-Race
JEGS Racing–Pomona Pre-Race
Team JEGS Prerace Notes
58th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals
Team JEGS
Prerace Notes
58th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com
Auto Club Pomona Raceway
Pomona, Calif. (February 9-11)
Jeg Coughlin Jr. will begin his pursuit of a sixth NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock title (and seventh championship overall) at this weekend’s season-opening 58th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at historic Auto Club Pomona Raceway in Pomona, Calif. Coughlin will once again be driving a Rick Jones Race Cars-built Chevy Camaro as a member of the Elite Motorsports team.
Last season, Coughlin finished at the No. 7 ranked driver in the Pro Stock class. He finished in the top 10 for the 17th time in his pro career, which began in 1997.
Coughlin is once again racing as a teammate to two-time world champ Erica Enders. The Elite team also includes Pro Stock racers Vincent Nobile and Alex Laughlin. Coughlin’s crew chief is the multi-talented Rickie Jones, who has extensive experience as a driver, chassis builder and tuner. The Elite team also includes crew chiefs Rick Jones, Mark Ingersoll and Brian “Lump” Self, who regularly
share data. Continue reading JEGS Racing–Pomona Pre-Race
From SoCal to South Korea, Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. ready to get things rolling
From SoCal to South Korea, Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. ready to get things rolling
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6) — A new NHRA season always gets five-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. fired up. When combined with the kickoff of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the 58th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com are cause for real celebration.
The Olympic torch carried by Coughlin in
2002 is proudly displayed in his home.
Coughlin, a 76-time national event winner in NHRA competition, has a long and proud history with the Olympic movement. In 2002, when the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City, Coughlin had the honor of carrying the torch through his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. He later battled NASCAR stars for numerous years in the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Challenge to raise critical funding for the USA Bobsled team. He also attended the Vancouver Games in 2010 as a guest of Team USA.
“Most kids grow up dreaming about the Olympics and feeling that incredible admiration for our athletes,” Coughlin said. “I certainly feel that way to this day, so it’s been a dream come true to get involved with our Olympic heroes in a small way. I can’t wait for the games to begin and cheer Team USA on to many medals.
“Carrying the torch — for a quarter-mile, by chance — through the streets of Columbus back in 2002 really got it going for me. We then got involved with Geoff Bodine’s charity fundraiser for a number of years and actually got to race bobsleds against our NASCAR counterparts to raise money to help in the design of better sleds for our athletes.
“Since then I’ve had the great honor of attending the Vancouver Olympics and watching our men and women do their thing up close, and we’ve also hosted many of our Olympians at the drag races. It’s been a wonderful relationship.” Continue reading From SoCal to South Korea, Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr. ready to get things rolling
COURTNEY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR HEADING INTO 2018 SEASON
COURTNEY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR HEADING INTO 2018 SEASON
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2018) — Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force enters the season-opening 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with plenty of momentum and confidence to start the 2018 season strong.
The Funny Car standout finished 2017 a career-best third in the points standings and left NHRA testing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside Phoenix with the best time in the Funny Car category, a 3.839 on day three.
“I am excited for my entire Advance Auto Parts team to come back into the 2018 season at the Winternationals at my home track,” said Force, who was the No. 1 qualifier and went to the final round at last year’s event. “I love being back there. I am really excited to kick off the new season especially coming off my best finish. We have a few changes, like adding Brian Corradi as a crew chief alongside Dan Hood, so I am looking forward to a successful start to the season. We had a great test session in Phoenix. I am really looking to start the season with a lot of success at the Winternationals.” Continue reading COURTNEY FORCE CONFIDENT IN HER ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR HEADING INTO 2018 SEASON
MONSTER ENERGY TOP FUEL PILOT BRITTANY FORCE READY TO BEGIN CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE IN POMONA
MONSTER ENERGY TOP FUEL PILOT BRITTANY FORCE READY TO BEGIN CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE IN POMONA
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2018) — Brittany Force ended the 2017 season with a perfect sweep at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona — the No. 1 qualifier, the race winner and the world champion. Needless to say, she is more than eager to be back in her Monster Energy dragster competing at a track that has given her some of her most memorable moments.
“I am excited to get back to Pomona. We ended our season with a win and we brought home the championship with this Monster Energy team,” Force said. “Pomona is my home track and I have so many great memories there. I know when we get back there we will have that positive energy in our pits. I think that will push us all season long. We won the championship which is why everyone is out here and now we want to do it again.” Continue reading MONSTER ENERGY TOP FUEL PILOT BRITTANY FORCE READY TO BEGIN CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE IN POMONA
Dominic Scelzi Recovering Following Vicious Crash During Debut in Tasmania
Dominic Scelzi Recovering Following Vicious Crash During Debut in Tasmania
Inside Line Promotions – LATROBE, Tasmania, Australia (Feb. 5, 2018) – Dominic Scelzi took a wild ride last Friday during his debut in Tasmania.
Scelzi was competing for his first top five of the World Series Sprintcars season when he got upside down during the main event. The incident not only hampered his result, it sidelined him for the remainder of the weekend as well as next weekend’s show.
“We had a really strong run going and I got into the wall in turn four,” he said. “We flipped pretty hard.”
The Wormall Motorsport driver was stout during his first career appearance at
Gulf Western Independent Oils Raceway. Scelzi qualified fifth quickest before he advanced from ninth to sixth place in his first heat race and powered from seventh to fifth place in his second heat.
Continue reading Dominic Scelzi Recovering Following Vicious Crash During Debut in Tasmania